Henry Molaison Biography
(Memory Disorder Patient)
Birthday: February 26, 1926 (Pisces)
Born In: Manchester Memorial Hospital - Emergency Department, Manchester, Connecticut, United States
Henry Molaison was an American memory disorder patient, known to the medical world as the most important patient in the history of neuroscience. After a surgery for epilepsy, he suffered a rare disorder that made him unable to form new memories. His case helped neurologists in understanding the functioning of the human mind. Born and raised in Manchester, Connecticut, Henry had a bicycle accident when he was 7 years old, after which he started getting epilepsy attacks. By the age of 27, his seizures became so frequent that he became unable to lead a normal life. Hence, he received treatment from Dr. William Scoville, who then performed a surgery. The surgery was partially successful in controlling these seizures, but he developed anterograde amnesia. This meant that while most of his memories prior to the surgery remained intact, his brain could not form new memories. Following this, he lived in a care institute in Connecticut as several tests and researches were performed on him. He played a huge role in establishing a link between memory and brain functions. It led to the development of a new branch of neuroscience, known as cognitive neuropsychology.