Gage, Phineas

n. A man injured in a mining accident when an explosion shot a steel rod over 3 feet long and over 1 inch in diameter through his head, from below his left cheek out through the top behind his left eye, destroying the left prefrontal cortex. He survived but with a markedly altered personality. The case is important because it linked the forebrain to higher mental functions and showed it was not necessary for basic life support functions.