What was Phineas Gage like before his accident?
What was Phineas Gage like before his accident? Popular reports of Gage often depict him as a hardworking, pleasant man prior to the accident. Post-accident, these reports describe him as a changed man, suggesting that the injury had transformed him into a surly, aggressive drunkard who was unable to hold down a job.
How did Phineas Gage survive his accident?
- mistreatment of wife and children (though Gage actually had neither);
- inappropriate sexual behavior, promiscuity, or impaired sexuality;
- lack of forethought, concern for the future, or capacity for embarrassment;
- parading his self-misery, and vainglory in showing his wounds;
- "gambling" himself into "emotional and reputational ... ...
What did Phineas Gage teach us?
The story about Phineas Gage is so extraordinary because he survived such a traumatic injury and a portion of his Frontal Lobe was removed. His story teaches us that the brain can still function even after a traumatic injury happens. What is the most likely reason that Gage’s personality changed after his accident?
What happened to Phineas Gage after the accident?
References and Further Reading:
- [1] Phineas Gage at Brightbytes
- [2] Phineas Gage at New Scientist
- [3] Fleischman (2002). ...
- [4] John Martyn Harlow (1868). ...
- [5] Santiago Ramón y Cajal and the Microscopic Structure of the Brain, SciHi Blog
- [6] Walter Hess and his Mapping of the Brain, SciHi Blog
- [7] Roger Wolcott Sperry’s Split-Brain Research, SciHi Blog
What does Phineas Gage teach us about the brain?
The influence of Phineas Gage. Gage's case is important in the field of neuroscience. The reported changes in his behavior post-accident is strong evidence for the localisation of brain function, meaning that specific areas of the brain are associated with certain functions.
Why is Phineas Gage's story important?
The Phineas Gage story. Phineas Gage is probably the most famous person to have survived severe damage to the brain. He is also the first patient from whom we learned something about the relation between personality and the function of the front parts of the brain.
How did Phineas Gage crash happen?
On September 13, as he was using a tamping iron to pack explosive powder into a hole, the powder detonated. The tamping iron—43 inches long, 1.25 inches in diameter and weighing 13.25 pounds—shot skyward, penetrated Gage's left cheek, ripped into his brain and exited through his skull, landing several dozen feet away.
How long did Phineas Gage live after the accident?
twelve yearsPhineas Gage died twelve years after the celebrated accident of epilepsy, leaving behind a fascinating legacy, and altering our understanding of the relation between the mind and the brain. Gage's skull has become a relic and is on display along with the famous iron rod at the Warren Anatomical Museum in Boston.
What was the outcome of Phineas Gage's accident?
Phineas Gage is often referred to as the "man who began neuroscience."1 He experienced a traumatic brain injury when an iron rod was driven through his entire skull, destroying much of his frontal lobe. Gage miraculously survived the accident.
Is Phineas Gage a true story?
And it has a happy ending." His first non-fiction book for older kids, "Phineas Gage: A Gruesome But True Story About Brain Science," was an American Library Association "Notable Children's Book" and "Best Book for Young Adults" in 2003.
What part of Phineas Gage brain damaged?
left frontal lobeGage didn't die. But the tamping iron destroyed much of his brain's left frontal lobe, and Gage's once even-tempered personality changed dramatically.
Where is Phineas Gage's skull today?
the Warren Museum Exhibition GalleryThe skull, Gage's head cast, and the tamping iron are now on display at the Warren Museum Exhibition Gallery at the Countway Library of Medicine.
Did Phineas Gage lose his memory?
Miraculously, Gage suffered no motor or speech impairments as a result of his traumatic brain injury. His memory was intact, and he gradually regained his physical strength.
Who discovered the frontal lobe?
anatomist Paul Pierre BrocaIn 1861 when French anatomist Paul Pierre Broca observed the postmortem brains of two patients who had lost their ability to speak, he noticed that a specific area of the left frontal lobe was damaged.
Who is called a modern day Phineas Gage?
Eduardo Leite Dubbed Modern-Day Phineas Gage After Pole Pierces His Brain | HuffPost Impact.
What does the story of Phineas need to be filled out with?
What Phineas’ story does need is to be filled out with descriptions by people who actually saw him and described what he did and how he behaved.
Where did Phineas exhibit himself?
Harlow says, for example, that Phineas exhibited himself in the larger New England towns and was with Barnum's American Museum in New York City for a time. These remarks are frequently elaborated into a Gage who drifts around aimlessly and is not interested in working or, if interested, is incapable of holding a job.
Why is Gage a fairground freak?
Similarly, these stories turn Gage into a fairground freak because it is in such places that freaks are or were once seen.
How far did Phineas' tamping iron go?
The tamping iron went in point first under his left cheek bone and completely out through the top of his head, landing about 25 to 30 yards behind him. Phineas was knocked over but may not have lost consciousness even though most of the front part of the left side of his brain was destroyed. Dr.
Why did Gage's mother tell Harlow he was anxious to work?
Similarly, Gage's mother told Harlow that he used to make up stories of his adventures to entertain his small nephews and nieces.
Where did Phineas work?
According to Dr. Harlow, Phineas appeared at Barnum's American Museum in New York City, worked in Jonathan Currier’s livery stable at the Dartmouth Hotel (Hanover, NH), and drove coaches and cared for horses in Valparaiso, Chile.
Was Phineas a gage?
His friends said he was "No longer Gage.". However, although Phineas had a varied employment history, he did hold a number of responsible positions during it.
What was Phineas Gage's brain injury?
Phineas Gage, (born July 1823, New Hampshire, U.S.—died May 1860, California), American railroad foreman known for having survived a traumatic brain injury caused by an iron rod that shot through his skull and obliterated the greater part of the left frontal lobe of his brain.
What was the job of the Gage?
Among Gage’s duties was to clear rocks to level the ground. The task involved placing an explosive charge deep into the rock by drilling a hole. The hole was then filled with gunpowder, and a fuse was set. Sand was added on top of the explosive material to prevent contact.
Why did Gage add sand to explosives?
Sand was added on top of the explosive material to prevent contact. A tamping rod was then used to pack the explosives into the rock. On the afternoon of September 13, 1848, near Cavendish, Vermont, Gage tamped down the powder without the addition of the sand.
Did Gage change his personality?
However, Gage’s personality appears to have changed (for a time at least), causing his colleagues to state that he was “ no longer Gage.”. While some have described Gage as restless, disrespectful, and unreliable following the accident, the true extent of the personality changes he experienced are unknown.
What did Phineas do?
Phineas was accustomed to entertain his little nephews and nieces with the most fabulous recitals of his wonderful feats and hair-breadth escapes, without any foundation except in his fancy. He conceived a great fondness for pets and souvenirs, especially for children, horses and dogs—only exceeded by his attachment for his tamping iron, which was his constant companion during the remainder of his life.
What happened to Gage?
It is frequently asserted that what happened to Gage played a role in the later development of various forms of psychosurgery —particularly lobotomy —or even that Gage's accident constituted "the first lobotomy". Aside from the question of why the unpleasant changes usually (if hyperbolically) attributed to Gage would inspire surgical imitation, there is no such link, according to Macmillan:
How old was Gage when he died?
The birthdate July 9, 1823, is given by a Gage genealogy without citation, [M] :16 but is consistent with agreement among contemporary sources that Gage was 25 years old on the date of his accident, and with his age (36 years) as given in undertaker's records after his death in May 1860.
What is Phineas' theory of recovery?
Phineas' survival and rehabilitation demonstrated a theory of recovery which has influenced the treatment of frontal lobe damage today. In modern treatment, adding structure to tasks by, for example, mentally visualising a written list, is considered a key method in coping with frontal lobe damage.
What was Gage's mental state before he died?
A report of Gage's physical and mental condition shortly before his death implies that his most serious mental changes were temporary, so that in later life he was far more functional, and socially far better adapted, than in the years immediately following his accident.
Where was Gage's circus?
Unable to reclaim his railroad job (see § Early observations (1849–1852)) Gage was for a time "a kind of living museum exhibit" at Barnum's American Museum in New York City. (This was not the later Barnum's circus; there is no evidence Gage ever exhibited with a troupe or circus, or on a fairground.)
Who was the only source of information on Gage?
Harlow ("virtually our only source of information" on Gage, according to psychologist Malcolm Macmillan) [M] :333 described the pre-accident Gage as hard-working, responsible, and "a great favorite" with the men in his charge, his employers having regarded him as "the most efficient and capable foreman in their employ"; he also took pains to note that Gage's memory and general intelligence seemed unimpaired after the accident, outside of the delirium exhibited in the first few days. [M] :30,91 Nonetheless these same employers, after Gage's accident, "considered the change in his mind so marked that they could not give him his place again":
What happened to Phineas Gage?
The case of Phineas Gage has been of huge interest in the field of psychology and is a largely speculated phenomena. Gage suffered a severe brain injury from an iron rod penetrating his skull, of which he miraculously survived. After the accident, Gage’s personality was said to have changed as a result of the damage the frontal lobe of his brain.
What was the cause of Gage's death?
Damage to the brain. Damage to the brain. When Gage died in 1861, no autopsies were performed until his skull was later recovered by Harlow years later. The brain damage which caused the significant personality changes were presumed to have involve the left frontal region of the brain.
How did Gage die?
In 1860, he moved to San Francisco, California where his mother and sister lived and was suffering from an illness, of which Harlow did not know the nature of. On May 21st, 1861, twelve years after his accident, Gage died after having a series of repeated epileptic convulsions.
What happened to Gage after he was thrown on his back?
After the incident, Gage was thrown onto his back from the force of the iron rod and had some brief convulsion of the arms and legs. Within a few minutes however, Gage was able to get himself up, speak and walk with small assistance to a nearby cart so he could travel into town.
How did Gage prepare the Rutland and Burlington Railroad?
On September 13th, 1848, when Gage was 25 years old, he was working in Cavendish in Vermont, leading a crew which were preparing the Rutland and Burlington Railroad by blasting rocks to make a roadbed. This was done by using an iron tamping rod to pack the explosive powder into a hole.
What did Gage say to Williams?
Apparently, Gage had greeted Williams by angling his head at him and saying, ‘Here’s business enough for you.’. Williams recalled that Gage vomited which lead to about a teacupful of his brain to fall upon the floor from the hole at the top of his skull.
Why is the Gage case important?
Gage’s case is important in the field of neuroscience. The reported changes in his behaviour post-accident is strong evidence for the localisation of brain function, meaning that specific areas of the brain are associated with certain functions.
The Effects of Gage's Injury
- Popular reports of Gage often depict him as a hardworking, pleasant man prior to the accident. Post-accident, these reports describe him as a changed man, suggesting that the injury had transformed him into a surly, aggressive alcoholic who was unable to hold down a job.5 Harlow …
Severity of The Brain Damage
- In a 1994 study, researchers utilized neuroimaging techniques to reconstruct Phineas Gage's skull and determine the exact placement of the injury. Their findings indicate that he suffered injuries to both the left and right prefrontal cortices, which would result in problems with emotional processing and rational decision-making.7 Another study conducted in 2004 used three-dimensi…
Phineas Gage's Impact on Psychology
- Gage's case had a tremendous influence on early neurology. The specific changes observed in his behavior pointed to emerging theories about the localization of brain function, or the idea that certain functions are associated with specific areas of the brain.10 In those years, neurology was in its infancy. So, Gage's extraordinary story served as one of the first sources of evidence that t…
What Happened to Phineas Gage?
- After the accident, Gage was unable to continue his previous job. According to Harlow, Gage spent some time traveling through New England and Europe with his tamping iron to earn money, supposedly even appearing in the Barnum American Museum in New York.3 He also worked briefly at a livery stable in New Hampshire and then spent seven years as a stagecoach driver in …
A Word from Verywell
- Gage's accident and subsequent experiences serve as a historical example of how case studies can be used to look at unique situations that could not be replicated in a lab. What researchers learned from Phineas Gage's skull and brain injury played an important role in the early days of neurology and helped scientists gain a better understanding of the human brain and the impact t…
Overview
Phineas P. Gage (1823–1860) was an American railroad construction foreman remembered for his improbable survival of an accident in which a large iron rod was driven completely through his head, destroying much of his brain's left frontal lobe, and for that injury's reported effects on his personality and behavior over the remaining 12 years of his life—effects sufficiently profound that friend…
Mental changes and brain damage
Gage may have been the first case to suggest the brain's role in determining personality and that damage to specific parts of the brain might induce specific personality changes, but the nature, extent, and duration of these changes have been difficult to establish. Only a handful of sources give direct information on what Gage was like (either before or after the accident), the mental changes p…
Life
Gage was the first of five children born to Jesse Eaton Gage and Hannah Trussell (Swetland) Gage of Grafton County, New Hampshire. Little is known about his upbringing and education beyond that he was literate.
Physician John Martyn Harlow, who knew Gage before his accident, described him as "a perfectly healthy, strong and active young man, twenty-five years of …
Factors favoring Gage's survival
Harlow saw Gage's survival as demonstrating "the wonderful resources of the system in enduring the shock and in overcoming the effects of so frightful a lesion, and as a beautiful display of the recuperative powers of nature", and listed what he saw as the circumstances favoring it:
1st. The subject was the man for the case. His physique, will, and capacity of e…
Harlow saw Gage's survival as demonstrating "the wonderful resources of the system in enduring the shock and in overcoming the effects of so frightful a lesion, and as a beautiful display of the recuperative powers of nature", and listed what he saw as the circumstances favoring it:
1st. The subject was the man for the case. His physique, will, and capacity of e…
Early medical attitudes
Barker notes that Harlow's original 1848 report of Gage's survival and recovery "was widely disbelieved, for obvious reasons" and Harlow, recalling this early skepticism in his 1868 retrospective, invoked the Biblical story of Doubting Thomas:
The case occurred nearly twenty years ago, in an obscure country town ..., wa…
Theoretical misuse
Though Gage is considered the "index case for personality change due to frontal lobe damage", the uncertain extent of his brain damage and the limited understanding of his behavioral changes render him "of more historical than neurologic interest". Thus, Macmillan writes, "Phineas' story is [primarily] worth remembering because it illustrates how easily a small stock of facts becomes …
Portraits
Two daguerreotype portraits of Gage, identified in 2009 and 2010, are the only likenesses of him known other than a plaster head cast taken for Bigelow in late 1849 (and now in the Warren Museum along with Gage's skull and tamping iron). The first portrait shows a "disfigured yet still-handsome" Gage with left eye closed and scars clearly visible, "well dressed and confident, even proud" and h…
See also
• Anatoli Bugorski – scientist whose head was struck by a particle-accelerator proton beam
• Eadweard Muybridge – another early case of head injury leading to mental changes
• Alexis St. Martin – man whose abdominal fistula allowed pioneering studies of digestion