The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat Analysis
General Psychology 2301
Fall 2009
Pathology of Select Neurological Diseases
“The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” written by Oliver Sacks, is a book of
case studies in which individuals with neurological dysfunctions are described.
“Hippocrates introduced the historical conception of disease, the idea that diseases have a
course, from their first intimations to their climax or crisis, and thence to their happy or
fatal resolution.” (Sacks, Preface vii). The cases chronicled, possessing dysfunctions of
the cerebral area, also pose significant impairments to daily life actions. These
impairments include, but are not limited to, “loss of memory, loss of vision, and loss
of identity” (Sacks, 3). Impairments such as these …show more content…
Simple
addition and subtraction problems, however, eluded them. The twins displayed a concrete
understanding in their mathematical competence, obtaining the solution by “dividing a
compound into three equal parts” (Sacks, 200). Additionally, the twins sustained some
brain damage and could not speak plainly, as “normal” individuals do. Instead, they
developed their own form of language so they could communicate with each other.
Seemingly opposite to amnesia is the ability of iconic memory, or what is also
known as photographic memory. While most people associate iconic memory as simply
being photographic, in truth it may also include auditory elements. Music is the most
popular form of entertaining stimulus due to its accessibility. Music can represent
thoughts and emotions of either one person or of an entire community. A clinical study
entitled “Reminiscence” documented a Mrs O’M.. She complained of constantly hearing
not simply noise, but rather music in her head. Her initial complaint was of hearing
sounds while she was sleeping, but thought the radio had merely been left on. An
Fall 2009
Pathology of Select Neurological Diseases
“The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” written by Oliver Sacks, is a book of
case studies in which individuals with neurological dysfunctions are described.
“Hippocrates introduced the historical conception of disease, the idea that diseases have a
course, from their first intimations to their climax or crisis, and thence to their happy or
fatal resolution.” (Sacks, Preface vii). The cases chronicled, possessing dysfunctions of
the cerebral area, also pose significant impairments to daily life actions. These
impairments include, but are not limited to, “loss of memory, loss of vision, and loss
of identity” (Sacks, 3). Impairments such as these …show more content…
Simple
addition and subtraction problems, however, eluded them. The twins displayed a concrete
understanding in their mathematical competence, obtaining the solution by “dividing a
compound into three equal parts” (Sacks, 200). Additionally, the twins sustained some
brain damage and could not speak plainly, as “normal” individuals do. Instead, they
developed their own form of language so they could communicate with each other.
Seemingly opposite to amnesia is the ability of iconic memory, or what is also
known as photographic memory. While most people associate iconic memory as simply
being photographic, in truth it may also include auditory elements. Music is the most
popular form of entertaining stimulus due to its accessibility. Music can represent
thoughts and emotions of either one person or of an entire community. A clinical study
entitled “Reminiscence” documented a Mrs O’M.. She complained of constantly hearing
not simply noise, but rather music in her head. Her initial complaint was of hearing
sounds while she was sleeping, but thought the radio had merely been left on. An