In 1848,a Railroad Worker Named Phineas Gage Was Seriously Injured

Essay

In 1848,a railroad worker named Phineas Gage was seriously injured during an explosion on the job.A tapered metal rod ranging from 0.25 inches to 1.25 inches in diameter and over 3 feet long entered his skull just under his left cheek bone and exited through the top of his skull.The rod was found over twenty feet away.Amazingly,Gage lived even though he suffered massive damage to the left front of his brain.His personality and intellectual abilities changed,however.Before the accident,he was respected as a smart,capable and even-tempered man.After the accident,he was foul-mouthed and bad-tempered and could not make up his mind.In the years immediately preceding his death,he began to have epileptic seizures.Explain the changes observed in Mr.Gage based on your knowledge of the functional areas of the brain.