Phineas gage is a famous example of someone who sustained damage to their prefrontal cortex and lost the ability to

THE STORY OF A NORMAL FOREMAN ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILROAD HAS PAVED A WAY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEUROSCIENCE. PHINEAS GAGE(1823-1860) WAS WORKING AS FOREMAN ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF RUTLAND AND BURLINGTON RAILROAD IN VERMONT, USA. IN ORDER TO CLEAR THE BLOCKADE, THE WORKERS USUALLY DEPLOY EXPLOSIVE DYNAMITES. ON SEPT 13, 1848, GAGE WAS USING A TAMPING IRON TO COMPACT THE EXPLOSIVE POWDER INTO THE ROCK READY FOR THE BLAST. WHEN THE BLAST HAPPENED, THE IRON ROD PROPELLED GAGE'S SKULL THROUGH HIS LEFT CHEEK BONE AND WAS FOUND 30 YARDS AWAY FROM THE BLAST SITE. GAGE WAS SMEARED WITH BLOOD AND BRAIN WITH AGONIZING PAIN. DESPITE THIS HORRIFIC INCIDENT, GAGE WAS SITTING UPRIGHT IN THE CART AND BEING CONSCIOUS. HE WAS TAKEN BACK TO HIS LODGINGS AND HE WAS ATTENDED BY DOCTOR JOHN HARLOW. HE CAREFULLY EXAMINED AND DIAGNOSED HIM BY CLEANING HIS WOUNDS AND REMOVING THE FRAGMENTS OF THE RESIDUAL IRON PIECES. DESPITE THE DOCTOR'S EFFORTS, GAGE'S WOUND SOON BECAME INFECTED AND HE WENT INTO SEMI-COMATOSE STATE. HIS FAMILY LOST THE HOPE OF HIS SURVIVAL AND EVEN THEY ORDERED A COFFIN FOR HIM. A YEAR LATER HE WAS REVIVED PHYSICALLY WITH GOOD OUTCOME AND RETURNED TO HIS PARENT'S HOME IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. THOUGH GAGE WAS PHYSICALLY HEALTHY, HIS MENTAL CONDITION SOON STARTED TO DETERIORATE. HE SHOWED SIGNS OF UNCONDITIONAL TEMPER, ANGER, RAGE AND BEGAN TO ADOPT ANTISOCIAL SKILLS. IN 1868, DR JOHN HARLOW, WROTE A COMPLETE REPORT STATING THAT PHINEAS GAGE AS A IRREVERENT BEING. HIS ACQUAINTANCES STATED THAT PHINEAS GAGE WAS NO LONGER "GAGE". IT WAS LATER FOUND THAT THE DAMAGE TO GAGE'S FRONTAL CORTEX CAUSED BY THE IRON ROD CAUSED HIM TO LOSE HIS SOCIAL BEHAVIORAL SKILLS OR IN BETTER WORDS LOSS OF SOCIAL INHIBITIONS. HIS LATER LIFE WAS NOT KNOWN MUCH. IT WAS KNOWN THAT HE WORKED AS A COACH DRIVER IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND IN CHILE. IN 1859, HIS HEALTH STARTED TO DETERIORATE AND RETURNED TO NEW HAMPSHIRE TO LIVE WITH HIS MOTHER. HE DIED IN SAN FRANCISCO, USA ON 1860 DUE TO THE RESULT OF SEIZURES FROM HIS INJURY. HIS BODY WAS EXHUMED AND HIS SKULL WAS GIVEN TO DR JOHN HARLOW ON 1868. THIS INCIDENT GAVE A NEW ERA OF NEUROSCIENCE IN UNDERSTANDING THE FRONTAL CORTEX OF THE SKULL AND IT'S IMPORTANCE.