A drop in the ocean: Musical memories in amnesia

When my sons are fighting, I always ask them not to hit each other’s head because the whole world is in it and injuries might lead to the loss of the world. 

Recently, scientists have found that musical memories have their own apartment in our head, different from that of other memories. In this BBC article you can find more details about the findings and their consequences.

Before you read it, try to find the definitions of the following words:

1. memory span
2. intact
3. lobe
4. to retain
5. to couple

Definitions to choose from:

•  to join or combine
• complete and in the original state
• a part of an organ in the body, especially the lungs or brain
• the length of time someone can remember something
•  to keep or continue to have something

After reading the article, answer the following questions:

1. What caused Clive Wearing’s amnesia?
2. What musical abilities does he bear?
3. What are the mentioned important functions of the brain’s medial temporal lobes?
4. Where might be musical memories stored?
5. If scientists can identify the part of the brain where musical memories are stored, what may be the relevance of the discovery?
6. Does practice affect the musical performance of Clive Wearing?

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