Question

Using this memory model describe HM's memory problems and also describe what he has retained. Compare this to the case of the spotless rat.

https://www.memorylosstest.com/human-memory-model-steps/

https://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2007/05/25/remembering-henry-m/

Answer 1

HM his full name is Henry Molaison He was suffering from epileptic seizures for many years. During an operation performed on him for seizures, the operating doctor removed seahorse-shaped brain structure called the hippocampus that lay within each temporal lobe This incident happened in August 1953. He was 27 years of age. The operation was successful and his seizures reduced considerably. The horrible truth that came out was that he had lost his memory up to 11 elven years prior to the operation. He could recollect the events up 16 years of his age. This incident gave an insight of the human brain that hippocampus is responsible for memory function, and doctors have to be careful that they do not remove both parts of that brain. But still, doctors could not find out how the memory up to 16 years of age remained with him. He had become amnesic; he could not learn the new word, songs or faces. His life had become a life without memory. He had no conscious memory.

Research on rats known as the spotless mouse, in which scientist has manipulated the brain of the rat to remember unhappy events as a positive happening and happy events as a negative event. They manipulated the neurons that were active in both the cases using the light technique called optogenetics to control cells activity. Then the rats were subjected to two different types of environment one positive and second negative. Their activities were noted and found out the mice subjected to the negative environment were avoiding that spot. And the mice that were put in the positive environment were enjoying that spot and passing more time in that spot. When the organism was reversed the result has entirely reversed the mice that were subjected to the negative area were enjoying the negative areas and spending more time in that area and the mice who were in the positive environment were avoiding that spot.

The case of spotless rat and HM's both are related to memory. But it is must that human should have both the memory positive and negative.