Stephen's surgery for epilepsy has made it very difficult for him to learn the names of new people he meets. It is most likely that Stephen's surgery affected the _______ in both of his temporal lobes.
A) hippocampus
B) locus coeruleus
C) hypothalamus
D) nucleus accumbens

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is involved in memory formation and consolidation, including the formation of new memories. As epilepsy surgery can involve removal of part of the temporal lobe, which encompasses the hippocampus, it is likely that Stephen's surgery affected this area and thus his ability to learn new information, such as people's names. The other brain structures listed (locus coeruleus, hypothalamus, and nucleus accumbens) are not typically associated with memory formation or learning of names.

Stephen's Surgery for Epilepsy Has Made It Very Difficult for Him