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Science 20 May 1994:
Vol. 264. no. 5162, pp. 1102 - 1105
DOI: 10.1126/science.8178168
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Articles

Science, Vol 264, Issue 5162, 1102-1105
Copyright © 1994 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

The return of Phineas Gage: clues about the brain from the skull of a famous patient

H Damasio, T Grabowski, R Frank, AM Galaburda, and AR Damasio

Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City 52242.

When the landmark patient Phineas Gage died in 1861, no autopsy was performed, but his skull was later recovered. The brain lesion that caused the profound personality changes for which his case became famous has been presumed to have involved the left frontal region, but questions have been raised about the involvement of other regions and about the exact placement of the lesion within the vast frontal territory. Measurements from Gage's skull and modern neuroimaging techniques were used to reconstitute the accident and determine the probable location of the lesion. The damage involved both left and right prefrontal cortices in a pattern that, as confirmed by Gage's modern counterparts, causes a defect in rational decision making and the processing of emotion.


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