Nontegrative Amnesia Case Study

As evidenced by studies of both animals and humans, current research demonstrates the existence of different brain areas for multiple memory systems and more specifically, the fundamental differences between declarative and nondeclarative memory systems.declarative memory is the conscious aspect of long term memory while nondeclarative is the unconscious aspect of it. the functional independence between the declarative and nondeclarative systems are best supported by studies of dissociation. neuroimaging of patients with with Parkinsons disease and patients with anterograte amnesia demonstrates the double dissociation within the long-term memory systems. Amnesia is the failure to form new long term memories. Amnesic patients exhibited normal learning of the task, but had no explicit knowledge of the training event, whereas Parkinsons disease patients exhibited

Biological basis of declarative memory can be studied using case studies of brain damaged people. Case study of Henry Molaison (H.M) was troubled by epilepsy. As an attempt to cure the epileptic seizures, doctors operated his hippocampus as it was the region responsible for seizures. But the doctors had a little understanding about the overall functions of the hippocampus. Though the operation was a success on one level seizures were controllable. But the operation left him unable to form new long term memories. He started suffering from antrograte amnesia. His working memory and long term memory were intact. He could remember a phone number for a few seconds, Yet when his attention was diverted to a new topic, he forgot the whole event. He could also recall most events prior to the operation and his childhood memories were