Phineas Gage

The brain is the center of all aspects of cognitive function. The brain controls everything from taking in sensory information to controlling the body's coordination. Although much is known about the brain, a full understanding of cognitive functions may never be obtained.

Phineas Gage was a railroad worker who encountered a life changing accident for himself and for medical history. On September 13, 1848, an accidental explosion sent a railroad iron straight through the front part of the left side of Phineas Gage's head (Deakin University, 2006). It was a miracle that Gage did not perish in the accident but what made this a date for medical history to remember was the fact that Phineas' appeared to be functioning normally.

Gage went back to work in 1849 and it was then that his coworkers commented that he was no longer himself.

According to Deakin University (2006), Before the accident he had been their most capable and efficient foreman, one with a well- balanced mind, and who was looked on as a shrewd smart business man. He was now fitful, irrelevant, and grossly profane, showing little deference for his fellows. He was also impatient and obstinate, yet capricious and vacillating, unable to settle on any of the plans he devised for future action.

These problems were a clear indication that something had in fact occurred after Gage's accident. Although not obvious to those who were not close to Gage, the accident had caused Gage some significant behavioral changes. Gage became of interest to doctors because not much more than the physical aspect of the brain was studied and only the basics of brain stem injury were known. "He was struck through the forehead, and the iron must have pierced the frontal lobe of the cortex. If Phineas survived with a large piece of his cortex destroyed, then what does the cortex do" (Fleischman, 2002, p.34)?

Gage's injury started to raise many questions about brain. In order to answer these questions, further investigation into the brain and cognitive functions was warranted. "Cognition refers to a range of high-level brain functions; including the ability to learn and remember information; organize, plan, and problem-solve; focus, maintain, and shift attention as necessary; understand and use language; accurately perceive the environment, and perform calculations " (National Multiple Sclerosis Society, n.d.).

The brain has many parts and each part is responsible for a different function. The brain consists of the Cerebral Cortex, the Left and Right Hemispheres, the Corpus Callosum, the Frontal Lobe, the Parietal, Occipital, and Temporal Lobes, the Limibic System, and the Basal Ganglia. The Center for Neuro Skills states that, "One of the most common effects of frontal damage can be a dramatic change in social behavior. A person's personality can undergo significant changes after an injury to the frontal lobes, especially when both lobes are involved" (CNS, 2006).

Gage's injury showed us that not all brain injuries result in death and not all brain injury results in total loss of brain function. According to Fleischman (2002), A few theories about the brain came about due to Gage's injury as well. The theories of that time were mostly incorrect, however, they did bring some truth to the table. The people that believed the brain was a "whole intelligence" (the brain does not have sections responsible for certain actions, the whole brain is responsible for all actions) brought forth the idea that when a brain injury occurs, the functions of that area of the brain will then become functions of a different area of the brain. We now know that the brain will continue certain functions in other areas of the brain when injury occurs.

The other theorists (those that followed phrenology) opposed the idea that the brain was a "whole intelligence". Rather, they believed that the brain consisted of localized areas responsible for different functions. This theory is true. The brain is made up of several sections that are responsible for certain functions. The only part that the phrenologists could not figure out was what area of the brain was responsible for what function (Fleischman, 2002, p.35).

Gage's accident moved the study of the brain into action. The plasticity of the brain and the ability for it to compensate for certain injuries is truly a miracle. Although we now have a grasp on the brain and the functions that occur within it, it is and will probably remain, a mystery.

References:

Center for Neuro Skills, (2006). Frontal Lobes. Retrieved on May 4, 2008, from http://www.neuroskills.com/tbi/bfrontal.shtml

Deakin University, (2006). Phineas Gage's Story. Retrieved on May 4, 2008, from http://www.deakin.edu.au/hmnbs/psychology/gagepage/Pgstory.php

Fleischman, J., (2002). Phineas Gage: A Gruesome But True Story about Brain Science. Boston, MA. HMCo Children's Books.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society, (n.d). Cognitive Function. Retrieved on May 4, 2008, from http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/symptoms/cognitive-function/index.aspx