{"id":547424,"date":"2023-10-28T08:19:37","date_gmt":"2023-10-28T14:19:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging-7b2a-cerebrodigitalnet.wpcomstaging.com\/?p=547424"},"modified":"2023-10-28T08:19:49","modified_gmt":"2023-10-28T14:19:49","slug":"phineas-gage-survive-destroyed-frotal-lobe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-7b2a-cerebrodigitalnet.wpcomstaging.com\/en\/phineas-gage-survive-destroyed-frotal-lobe\/","title":{"rendered":"Phineas Gage: How did he survive a steel rod that pierced and destroyed his frontal lobe?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Phineas<\/figure>\n\n\n

If someone manages to survive a more than one-meter-long metal rod <\/span>passing through their skull<\/b>, it’s no wonder they are still being talked about 150 years later. That was the case with <\/span>Phineas Gage<\/b>.<\/span> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1848, 25-year-old Gage suffered an accident where an explosion embedded a rod into his head<\/strong>. Astonishingly, his vital functions remained almost intact, making him one of the most famous cases in neuroscience.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phineas Gage’s Accident<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Gage was preparing a hole to place explosives<\/strong>. Unfortunately, he accidentally struck a rock, causing a spark that ignited the dynamite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, an iron rod of 1.25 meters shot through his head, penetrating his skull<\/a> and causing serious brain damage<\/strong>. The rod entered through his left cheek and exited through the top of his forehead, remaining embedded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s worth noting that before the accident, Phineas Gage was a responsible and hardworking<\/strong> person. But after the unfortunate event, he became impulsive and reckless<\/strong>. Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the rod destroyed his frontal lobe<\/strong>, which is associated with characteristics that distinguish us from other animals, such as directing behaviors towards a goal, planning, motivation, and attention. It also significantly interferes with other brain<\/a> functions; thus, damage to that area entirely alters the affected person’s personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the accident, Phineas Gage was never the same<\/strong>. His doctor stated:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“The equilibrium between his intellectual faculties and animal propensities had been destroyed.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Gage experienced notable changes in his personality, becoming capricious, brusque, and childlike. He also lost emotional stability, acting on immediate emotions, neglecting future consequences. Another significant change was his instability; he could have sudden fits of anger and lost all traces of empathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His life after the accident was a rollercoaster. He reportedly held jobs for short periods<\/strong>, lived in Chile, and worked as a horse-drawn carriage driver there. In 1861, 12 years after the accident, he began experiencing seizures, which eventually led to his death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Striking Case for Science<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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For decades, scientists have studied and debated Phineas Gage’s case due to the location of the brain damage and its effects. However, in 2012, a study from the University of California<\/strong> gained access to decade-old supposedly lost brain images via tomography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These images allowed for a 3D reconstruction of the damages caused by the accident. According to their explanation to the PLoS One magazine<\/a>, they found that 4% of the cerebral cortex was severed, and more than 10% of the brain’s white matter was damaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

White matter consists of fibers connecting different brain regions, responsible for reasoning and memory. The loss of a significant part of this “neuronal wiring” could explain the drastic change in Phineas Gage’s behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Gage’s case, the lost white matter connected his left frontal cortex with the rest of the brain. Yet, experts continue studying it; in fact, his skull is preserved at Harvard Medical School<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such occurrences help researchers map the brain and understand how the “neuronal map” is linked to the various functions performed by our most significant organ. Undoubtedly, a case that will remain in history.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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