Phineas Gage

Phineas Gage
Eleanor McKnight
PSY 360
December13, 2010
Eboni Shields
Abstract
Though research of the brain many things have been learn on how the brain functions and what parts of the brain hold the importance of cognitive functioning. Phineas Gage 's accident was just the start of the learning process for the field of anatomy, biology and neuroscience to learn the brain and all of the functions and wonders of the human brain. Since, Phinaes life the research has been able to uncover the many miracles on how his life changed on that fatal day which changed his life forever.

Phineas Gage The forebrain plays a significant part in cognitive functions. It is also the anterior and largest portion of the brain. The forebrain includes the central hemispheres, that includes the limbic system, thalamus, hypothalamus and the callosum. Each of the hemispheres are divided into four lobes. Frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal are the four lobes. The forebrain controls cognitive functioning. The cognitive functions are: sensory and motor function, temperature regulating, reproductive, eating, sleeping, and displays emotions. In 1848 an unforeseen accident happen when Phineas Gage was preparing an explosive hole that required the use of a tamping iron. The tamper iron hit the rock causing a spark to ignited the explosive power and sent the tamper iron though the cheek bone on the left side and exited through the top of the head and into the air landing 30 feet away. How might this affect his cognitive functioning? Phineas Gage Phineas Gage would not know till months and years later what damage was done to his brain and how it would affect his cognitive functioning. John Martin Harlow was the attending physician that cleaned Gage 's wounds by removing small bone fragments and replaced the large fragments of the skull that remained but where displaced. He covered the wound by placing straps on Gage 's head and a wet compress on the opening. The wound was left open to drain. A few days later Gage 's brain became infected and Maslow drained pus from the abscess under the scalp. Haslow, described the iron as entering the cranium, passing through the anterior left lob of the cerebrum, and exited in the medial line, at the junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures, lacerating the longitudinal sinus, fracturing the parietal and frontal bones extensively, breaking up portions of the brain, and protruding the globe of the left eye from its socket (Scienceblogs.com,MO,2007). By January 1849 everyone could see a change in Phineas behavior. Friends where stating that he was not the Phineas that they had known in the past. His injury had changed him to be irreverent, indulging at times in gross profanity, impatient, would not except advise, could not follow through on plans. With this happening he could not have his job back on the railroad construction crew. Cognitive changes in Phineas Gage With the injury Gage had with the iron précising and going through the brain there had to be some cognitive change in the areas that Haslow described. These areas of the brain that would be affected would be the cerebral cortex lobes that are the frontal lobe that is involved with decision-making, problem solving, and planning. The parietal lobe that receives and processes sensory information and the temporal lobe that is involved with emotional responses, memory, and speech. Also effected would parts of the limbic system structure to include the amygdala which involves emotional responses and memory, along with the substantia nigra that helps to control voluntary movement and regulates mood(brianexplorer.org/forebrain).

Conclusion The study of the human brain has come so far since the accident that happen at the railroad site in 1848 with Phineas Gage. Studies have shown how the different parts of the brain is divided and how each part works in different ways as far as cognitive functioning. Parts of the cerebral cortex lobes: controls vision, color, emotions, memory and speech. While parts of the limbic system is also involved with emotional responses sensory input concerning emotions, and memory. the part of the brain that was damaged also produced epilepsy where there was an abnormal bust of electrical signals that interrupts the normal electrical brain functions. This is part of the brains function that is still not well understood even with all the advancements that have been made.

References Brain Explorer- forebrain n.d. Retrieved December 5, 2010 from: http://www.brainexplorer.org/glossary/forebrain.shtml Anatomy of the Brain, Retrieved December 8, 2010 from: http://www.biology.about.com/od/humananatomybiology/a/anatomybrain.htm MO, History of neuroscience, July 6, 2007, The incredible case of Phineas Gage: Neurophilosophy, Retrieved December 5, 2010 from: hppt://scienceblogs.com/nerophilosophy/2007/07/the_incredible_case_of_phineas.php

References: Brain Explorer- forebrain n.d. Retrieved December 5, 2010 from: http://www.brainexplorer.org/glossary/forebrain.shtml Anatomy of the Brain, Retrieved December 8, 2010 from: http://www.biology.about.com/od/humananatomybiology/a/anatomybrain.htm MO, History of neuroscience, July 6, 2007, The incredible case of Phineas Gage: Neurophilosophy, Retrieved December 5, 2010 from: hppt://scienceblogs.com/nerophilosophy/2007/07/the_incredible_case_of_phineas.php