A Mind-Blowing Story, Part Two

February 17, 2010

Whereas the old Phineas was known for his mild temperament and sensible ways, the new Phineas seemed to have been reincarnated as a rowdy frat boy. According to Dr. Harlow, Gage was now:

 … fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his custom), manifesting but little deference for his fellows, impatient of restraint of advice when it conflicts with his desires, at times pertinaciously obstinent, yet capricious and vacillating, devising many plans of future operation, which are no sooner arranged than they are abandoned in turn for others appearing more feasible. In this regard, his mind was radically changed, so decidedly that his friends and acquaintances said he was ‘no longer Gage.’

His personality was altered, to be sure, but Gage’s brain seemed to have adapted remarkably to the loss of a significant part of the frontal lobe. In a physical and mechanical sort of way, Gage went on rather well. He moved to South America and drove a stagecoach for several years. He lived nearly 11 more years, but his personality continued to deteriorate, and he also developed epilepsy following his accident.

Gage was eventually forced to quit working and move in with his mother, who had moved to California. He ultimately succumbed to a seizure in 1860 at the age of 36.

What scientists deduced by the so-called “crowbar case” was that the key to human personality (and self-control!) is contained in the brain’s front lobes. It was also discovered that this area of the brain is involved in epilepsy and spurred research into the use of brain surgery to treat the condition. We have Gage to thank for profoundly affecting the field of neurology. Continue reading…

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