From the days of Karl Lashley—who believed each memory leaves a physical trace on the brain—to Dr. Wilder Penfield—whose electrical stimulation studies identified functions pertaining to specific areas of the brain—these scientists are a testament to the value of physically studying the brain in order to understand it. Last Wednesday,[Read More…]
Tag: neuroscience
Research Briefs—Nov. 11, 2014
Neuroscience of choking under pressure The experience of choking under pressure—in an exam, at the free-throw line, or in a presentation—is a familiar one. This week a study published in The Journal of Neuroscience attempted to explain what goes on in the brain when the stakes are raised. While monitoring their[Read More…]
Memories unravelled
In 1953, Henry Molaison underwent an experimental surgery known as bilateral temporal lobectomy to treat the severe epilepsy he had been experiencing. His surgeon removed his medial temporal lobe, including a structure known as the hippocampus—a part of the brain involved in the storage of long-term memory—in hopes of curing[Read More…]