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صفحة: 43
3 Read the article about Phineas Gage and find answers to the medical questions that doctors may have asked about the case . The Strange Tale of Phineas Gage 1 The tale of Phineas Gage is probably oneof the most famous cases in neurology . In 1 848 , Phineas Gage ' s incredible brain injury made the headlines in newspapers everywhere . His case puzzled neurologists well into the 20 century and it was taught in medical schools all over the world . It was only in the 1990 s that scientists were finally able to explain the mystery of Phineas Gage . Gage and his crew had been working with dynamite on a Vermont railroad line in the USA when he suffered a terrible injury . Dynamite suddenly exploded and a meter-long iron rod went into his skull . It went right through his brain and came back out of the top of his head . 3 Miraculously , Gage survived the terrible explosion . In fact , he remained conscious and was able to talk and answer questions . His crew immediately took him to a nearby doctor , who examined him and was concerned about infection getting in the wound . However , within two months , Gage appeared to be cured . He could walk , talk , think and do ordinary human activities . He did not seem to have lost any normal functions of the brain . The doctor and people who knew him did not see a change in his physical abilities or in his intelligence . 4 Yet , there was something not quite right with Gage . Although Gage had survived such a terrible injury to the brain and still functioned normally , his personality had changed . Before the injury , Gage had been a hard-working , dependable and polite worker . However , after the injury , he became a rude liar who cursed and got into arguments with his co-workers and family . Gage seemed to have lost his moral sense and the ability to make rational choices . As one of his friends put it , "Gage was no longer Gage . " 5 At the time , doctors and scientists could not explain how Gage's behavior could undergo such a drastic change . They did not understand that the brain controlled a person ' s personality : they just did not associate the brain with emotional and moral behavior . 6 In the 1990 s , two Portuguese neuroscientists , Doctors Hanna and Antonio Damasio , examined Gage ' s skull using MRI and CAT scans — modern scanning technology . They had also studied other patients who had damaged the same areas of their brain . They discovered that the frontal lobe of the brain is where moral behavior is learned and controlled . Injury to this area of the brain may cause difficulty in making moral decisions and controlling emotions . The mystery of Phineas Gage was finally solved . Medical Questions a . What damage did the injury cause to the head and the skull ? b . How did the injury affect Gage's physical and mental abilities ? c . What was different about Gage after the injury ? d . What partof the brain was injured in the accident ?
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