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Personality Unwired
16 September 2012

Personality Unwired

What makes a nice guy so nice? Neuroscientists suggest it could be the way their brains are wired. One of history’s most famous cases linking our brain to our personality was that of Phineas Gage. In 1848 Gage was involved in an accident that shot an iron rod through his head, severely injuring his brain. Gage survived but was left a more aggressive and rude man; changes doctors broadly attributed to brain damage. The case of Phineas Gage has now been resurrected using new technology to precisely track the trajectory of the iron rod (pictured) and create a ‘connectome’ of Gage’s brain to map all the connections between his neurons [nerve cells]. Researchers identified a significant loss of connections extending beyond the immediate injury site that may finally explain the extent of Gage’s behavioural changes.

Written by Lux Fatimathas

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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