Retrieval of old memories: the temporofrontal hypothesis.

Extensive neuropsychological testing is reported on two chronic patients with combined temporopolar and prefrontal damage, dominantly left-hemispheric, and, as control, one chronic patient with bi-hemispheric prefrontal damage. The principal finding is that combined temporofrontal damage, but not substantial prefrontal damage alone, results in marked retrograde memory deficits while leaving intelligence and new learning relatively unimpaired. Although their general world knowledge was good, the temporopolar patients demonstrated retrograde memory impairments on several tests of past events and faces of previously famous people. With respect to retrograde autobiographical memory, one of the temporopolar patients was severely impaired and the other was judged to be moderately impaired. The control patient appeared to be normal. These results, together with corresponding data from related single case and dynamic imaging studies, strongly support a crucial role of the temporofrontal junction area in the ecphory of old memories.