Stranger Things: Season 2, Episode 3 "The Pollywog"
The main characters are listening to a lecture by their favorite teacher (complete with overhead transparencies!). He describes one of the most famous people in the history of neuroscience [1]:Scott Clarke: The case of Phineas Gage is one of the great medical curiosities of all time. Phineas was a railroad worker in 1848 who had a nightmarish accident. A large iron rod was driven completely through his head. Phineas miraculously survived. He seemed fine. And physically, yes, he was. But his injury resulted in a complete change to his personality.
The story of Phineas Gage is a well worn tale, and it is told in nearly every undergraduate neuroscience course. Thus, I found it extremely curious that Mr. Clarke was telling this story to his 5th grade science class. I also found it curious that Mr. Clarke ends the story with "a complete change to his personality." He didn't explain in what way Phineas changed.
According to The American Phrenological Journal and Repository of Science (1851), Gage's physician reported that he had become, "gross, profane, course, and vulgar to such a degree that his society was intolerable to decent people" [2]. In other words, Gage became a jerk. Given the change in his personality, it was assumed that function of the frontal lobe was for inhibiting behaviors and thoughts. No frontal lobe? No inhibition.
That doesn't sound like a very fulfilling life. However, if you continue to dig into this fascinating story, there is a small ray of hope (unfortunately, that ray doesn't always make it into the textbooks). A few years after he recovered from his injuries (including a fungal infection!), Phineas's personality renormalized. He wasn't such a jerk, and he even held down a job driving a stagecoach [3].
According to The American Phrenological Journal and Repository of Science (1851), Gage's physician reported that he had become, "gross, profane, course, and vulgar to such a degree that his society was intolerable to decent people" [2]. In other words, Gage became a jerk. Given the change in his personality, it was assumed that function of the frontal lobe was for inhibiting behaviors and thoughts. No frontal lobe? No inhibition.
That doesn't sound like a very fulfilling life. However, if you continue to dig into this fascinating story, there is a small ray of hope (unfortunately, that ray doesn't always make it into the textbooks). A few years after he recovered from his injuries (including a fungal infection!), Phineas's personality renormalized. He wasn't such a jerk, and he even held down a job driving a stagecoach [3].
The story of Phineas Gage is hopeful because it demonstrates the brain's amazing ability to overcome severe trauma. He didn't live a very long life, but Gage remains immortalized in the annals of neuroscience (as well as the greatest TV series of all time).
Share and Enjoy!
Dr. Bob
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[1] Read the transcript or watch the full episode.[2] Fowler, O. S., & Fowler, L.N. (Eds.). (1851). The American Phrenological Journal and Repository of Science, Literature and General Intelligence, Volumes 13-14, New York, NY: Fowlers & Wells, p. 89.
[3] Hamilton, J. (May 21, 2017) Why Brain Scientists Are Still Obsessed With The Curious Case Of Phineas Gage Retrieved from npr.org.
Your blog is very nice. Wish to see much more like this.
ReplyDeletehttps://blog.mindvalley.com/frontal-lobe/
Thank you! I appreciate your comment. Given your blog, are you interested in more neuroscience articles?
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