The Strange Case of Phineas

Gage

an unexpected experiment in neurological function

Phineas Gage

• Phineas Gage was working on blasting for a new rail line in Cavendish, Vermont -- mid 1800s

• he was putting dynamite into core drillings, using a tamping rod

• The tamping rod is made of iron, about 3 ft long, narrowed at one end

• accidentally, the dynamite charge blew up• this shot the tamping rod right through his skull

and out the other side

• note the “trap door” in the top of the skull

• this must have opened, and then snapped shut again, in order to allow the rod to pass through

• if the rod had been a few mm closer forward (anteriorly), it would have crushed his left eye

• note the “trap door” in the top of the skull

• this must have opened, and then snapped shut again, in order to allow the rod to pass through

• if the rod had been a few mm closer forward (anteriorly), it would have crushed his left eye

• note also his skull must have opened and then reshut at the line indicated in red

path sagittal• the rod probably went

between Phineas’s frontal lobe and his limbic system

• frontal lobe is responsible for higher-level thinking, reasoning, moral understanding, mathematical calculation, musical composition, etc.

limbic system

• limbic system is responsible for generating emotions such as anger, drives to protect one’s children; hunger; thirst; passion

• usually the limbic system has connections to the frontal lobe• usually the frontal lobe can have some control over the emotions

generated in the limbic system

Brain Parts

limbic system

Brain PartsCerebrum (cerebral cortex)

Hypothalamus

Pons

Medulla oblongata

Cerebellum

ventricle