Clive Wearing

Clive Wearing is one of the most notable cases in neuropsychology. He is a British musicologist, conductor, and keyboardist who suffers from chronic anterograde amnesia and retrograde amnesia due to a severe case of herpes simplex encephalitis, a viral infection that caused damage to his hippocampus and other brain structures involved in memory.

Early Life and Career

Wearing was born on 11 May 1938 in Nottingham, England. He studied music at Downing College, Cambridge, and later became a specialist in early music at the BBC. His career as a conductor and musicologist was cut short by illness, but his case has been the subject of numerous medical studies and television documentaries.

Illness and Condition

In 1985, Wearing contracted herpes simplex encephalitis, which led to severe damage in his brain, particularly in the hippocampus, a region crucial for memory formation. This resulted in Wearing developing both anterograde amnesia, the inability to form new memories, and retrograde amnesia, the loss of pre-existing memories. He is unable to remember anything more than a few seconds, a condition described as "perpetual present".

Impact on Memory Studies

Wearing's case has provided valuable insights into the functioning of human memory. His condition demonstrates the role of the hippocampus in memory formation and retention. Despite his severe memory impairments, Wearing retained his ability to play the piano and conduct music, suggesting that procedural or muscle memory is stored separately from other types of memory.

Personal Life

Wearing is married to Deborah Wearing, who has written a book about her husband's condition, titled Forever Today. Despite his memory loss, Wearing's emotional attachment to his wife appears to remain intact.