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History

The modern science of cognitive neuropsychology emerged during the 1960s. Cognitive psychology arose as a reaction to behaviorism. Scientists realized that there were other sources of data and consciousness became a major area of interest. A particular area of interest for cognitive psychologists was memory. By studying patients with amnesia, which was caused by injuries to the medial temporal cortex, scientists were able to determine the affected areas of the brain. A patient with amnesia will not be able to remember events of the previous day (episodic memory,) but they will still remember how to tie their shoes (procedural memory,) remember a series of numbers for a few seconds (working memory) and be able to recall historical events they have learned in school (semantic memory.) strike(delete this However there have been a series of influential studies during the last two centuries which have been critical in laying the foundations for studying brain impairment with a view to understanding normal psychological function.) Many other studies like this have been done in the field of neuropsychology examining lesions and the effect they have on certain areas of the brain and their functions. [2]

The case of Phineas Gage was one of the earliest in which a brain injury provided clues to the function of a particular brain area. Gage survived an 1848 accident in which an iron rod 1¼ inches in diameter was driven through one or both of his frontal lobes. Gage was a railroad construction worker who managed to survive a near fatal accident in 1848 in which a fuse exploded, propelling a 1 ¼ in. thick iron tamping rod up through his zygomatic arch and out through the top of the skull- damaging one, or both, of his frontal lobes. (1¼ inches in diameter was driven through one or both of his frontal lobes.) [3] Just moments after the accident, Gage was conscious and taken immediately to Dr. John Harlow who cleaned and covered the wounds. Initially, Dr. Harlow discovered no memory or cognition problems with Gage after the injury. There was no deterioration in his functions and he was completely lucid; this was impressive considering the amount of brain tissue destroyed in the accident. On the other hand, his personality had been changed dramatically, so dramatically that friends who knew him from before the accident said that he was a different man. Before the accident he was polite, reliable and had good judgment. The injury to his prefrontal cortex seemed to have transformed him. After the injury he was impulsive and profane, with a total loss of inhibitions. [4] Though he suffered no loss of sensory or motor function, Gage's consequent personality changes prevented his return to his position as a railway construction foreman (though most presentations of Gage greatly exaggerate his psychological changes—see Phineas Gage). [3]