Patient H.M. (Henry Molaison)

Patient H.M., whose real name was Henry Molaison, was a man who greatly contributed to our understanding of memory. In the 1950s, he underwent brain surgery to treat severe epilepsy, which resulted in the removal of parts of his hippocampus. This caused him to develop profound amnesia, preventing him from forming new memories, though his old memories remained intact. His case revealed that the hippocampus plays a crucial role in converting short-term memories into long-term ones. Studying H.M. helped scientists understand how different brain regions support memory and learning processes.