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Henry Molaison (H.M.) is one of psychology's most famous case studies. In 1953, surgeons removed large sections of his hippocampus to treat severe epilepsy. While the surgery successfully stopped his seizures without affecting his IQ or personality, it left him with anterograde amnesia. His short-term memory remained intact, but he permanently lost the ability to transfer new information into long-term memory—a process known as consolidation. This case was crucial for memory research because it demonstrated a clear dissociation between short-term and long-term memory and highlighted the temporal lobes' essential role in memory consolidation.

Case of Henry Molaison (H.M.)

Due to anterograde amnesia, Henry Molaison (H.M.) could not form new episodic memories following his surgery. As a practical example of this impairment, he would repeatedly read the same magazine because he had no memory of having read it before, making it seem entirely new each time. Additionally, he was unable to remember new individuals; if a person he had just met left the room for only a few minutes, he would not recognize them upon their return and would introduce himself again.

Examples of Anterograde Amnesia in H.M.

Henry Molaison (H.M.) underwent surgery in 1953 to treat severe epilepsy, during which large portions of his hippocampus were removed. Although the surgery stopped his seizures and did not affect his IQ, it left him unable to form new long-term memories—a condition known as ____ amnesia.

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