Forgetting in H.M.: a second look

Neuropsychologia. 1987;25(3):461-71. doi: 10.1016/0028-3932(87)90071-6.

Abstract

Forgetting was assessed in the amnesic patient H.M. using forced-choice and yes-no picture recognition at four delay intervals: 10 min, 24 hr, 72 hr, and 1 week after learning. In order to make H.M.'s initial recognition performance comparable to that of control subjects who viewed each slide for 1 sec, H.M. viewed each slide for 20 sec. H.M. displayed normal forgetting in forced-choice and yes-no recognition, although he was impaired in yes-no recognition at the 24-hr delay interval. These data contradict Huppert and Piercy's hypothesis that medical temporal-lobe pathology is associated with rapid forgetting.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Epilepsy / surgery*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Memory Disorders / physiopathology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Temporal Lobe / physiology*
  • Temporal Lobe / surgery
  • Time Factors