Patient HM book cover Photo: supplied
Patient H.M. lived his life in 30 second increments.
After a lobotomy in 1953 to try and treat seizures, he was unable to hold memories any longer than half a minute. He became one of the most studied medical subjects in history.
Journalist Luke Dittrich knows the story well. His Grandfather performed the lobotomy. He explains the lasting impact of this surgery on his grandfather, the man without memories and brain research in his book, Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets.
