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Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1982 Mar;45(3):243–247. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.45.3.243

Are hippocampal lesions sufficient to cause lasting amnesia?

B T Woods, W Schoene, L Kneisley
PMCID: PMC491345  PMID: 7086444

Abstract

A 57-year-old woman developed severe generalised amnesia following an embolic stroke. The amnesia persisted until her death nine months later. The left hemisphere had a large infarction of the medial temporal-occipital region, while the right showed only a small infarct limited to the posterior two-thirds of the hippocampus. If bilateral lesions are necessary for the production of permanent amnesia, the findings support the view that the hippocampus is itself a critical structure in the medial temporal diencephalic memory circuit.

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Selected References

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