A musician who suffered from encephalitis lost his hippocampus and much of the cerebral cortex that feeds into it. He still carries on everyday chitchat, but can recall virtually nothing from his past, nor can he learn what just happened in his life. Which of the following kinds of memory does it seem most likely still functions for him?
A) episodic
B) semantic
C) procedural
D) declarative

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Procedural memory is the type of memory responsible for learning and performing physical skills and habits, such as riding a bike or playing an instrument. The fact that the musician can still carry on everyday chitchat suggests that his ability to communicate and interact with others is intact, which relies on procedural memory. However, his inability to recall past events and learn new information suggests that his episodic and declarative memory are impaired. Semantic memory, which is the type of memory responsible for general knowledge and understanding, is less likely to be affected in this case since it does not rely on the hippocampus and is more widely distributed throughout the brain.

A Musician Who Suffered from Encephalitis Lost His Hippocampus and Much