Language and the medial temporal lobe: Evidence from H.M.’s spontaneous discourse

• Published in: Journal of memory and language Vol. 53; no. 3; pp. 397 - 415
• Main Authors: Skotko, Brian G., Andrews, Edna, Einstein, Gillian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 01-09-2005; Elsevier; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Amnesia; Biological and medical sciences; Crosswords; Disorders of higher nervous function. Focal brain diseases. Central vestibular syndrome and deafness. Brain stem syndromes; Hippocampus; Language comprehension; Language production; Medical sciences; Memory; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Organic mental disorders. Neuropsychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Language comprehension; Language production; Amnesia; Memory; Crosswords; Hippocampus; Human; Memory disorder; Temporal lobe; Nervous system diseases; Verbal comprehension; Cognitive disorder; Central nervous system; Cognition; Verbal production; Cerebral disorder; Case study; Discourse; Language; Central nervous system disease; Neurological disorder
• ISSN: 0749-596X; 1096-0821
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jml.2005.05.003

Previous researchers have found it challenging to disentangle the memory and language capabilities of the famous amnesic patient H.M. Here, we present an original linguistic analysis of H.M. based on empirical data drawing upon novel spoken discourse with him. The results did not uncover the language deficits noted previously. Instead, H.M.’s level of oral usage was remarkably competent: he performed well within the normal range for his age and educational cohort. Thus, we found no support for the view that medial temporal lobe structures are critical for the maintenance of language comprehension and production.