A car accident victim presents with no memory of the accident or events following the accident but can clearly recall events that occurred prior to the accident. Neurologists thus suspect damage to the __________.

• A. cerebral cortex
• B. frontal lobe
• C. primary somatosensory cortex
• D. amygdala
• E. hippocampus

Answer: (E)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Begin by understanding the role of the hippocampus in the brain. The hippocampus is crucial for forming new memories and is involved in the process of converting short-term memories into long-term memories.
2. Consider the symptoms presented by the car accident victim: they have no memory of the accident or events following it, but can recall events prior to the accident. This suggests an issue with forming new memories, which is a function of the hippocampus.
3. Evaluate the other options provided: the cerebral cortex is involved in higher brain functions such as thought and action, the frontal lobe is associated with decision making and problem solving, the primary somatosensory cortex processes sensory information, and the amygdala is involved in emotions. None of these are primarily responsible for forming new memories.
4. Recognize that the ability to recall events prior to the accident indicates that long-term memory storage is intact, which is consistent with the hippocampus being affected, as it is responsible for forming new memories rather than storing old ones.
5. Conclude that the symptoms align with damage to the hippocampus, as it is the brain region responsible for the formation of new memories, explaining the victim's inability to remember events after the accident.