Description

Shown printed at 3:4 scale Phineas Gage became the center of a landmark neuroscience case when an explosion forced a red-hot tamping iron through this railroad foreman’s brain and skull. He survived, but reportedly suffered a personality change. This was the first evidence suggesting that the frontal lobe of the brain was linked to one’s personality. A more complete story (https://legacy.countway.harvard.edu/menuNavigation/chom/warren/exhibits.html) is hosted at the website of the Warren Anatomical Museum (https://www.countway.harvard.edu/chom/warren-anatomical-museum) at Harvard Medical School (http://hms.harvard.edu/), which happens to be the current home of the original skull. It’s a fascinating case and an even more fascinating artifact. This anatomically accurate model can be printed to enable hands on exploration or to provide a source of inspiration. This work is a derivative of the CT scan made of the Phineas Gage Skull as discussed in The Tale of Phineas Gage, digitally remastered (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/089771504774129964) (Ratiu, P et. al., 2004), and is being shared with the kind permission of the Warren Anatomical Museum (https://www.countway.harvard.edu/chom/warren-anatomical-museum) at Harvard Medical School’s Countway Library (https://www.countway.harvard.edu/). This model was created by Graham Holt at the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience (http://www.childrenshospital.org/research-and-innovation/research/labs/laboratories-of-cognitive-neuroscience) at Boston Children’s Hospital (http://www.childrenshospital.org/) using 3DSlicer (https://www.slicer.org/) , MeshLab (http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/) and NetFabb Basic (http://www.netfabb.com/basic.php). This model is also being shared at Thingiverse.com (Skull of Phineas Gage (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1417528)). I’d like to thank the following individuals for making this project possible: Marianna Jakab of the Surgical Planning Laboratory within the Department of Radiology (http://www.brighamandwomens.org/departments_and_services/radiology/default.aspx) at Brigham and Woman’s Hospital (http://www.brighamandwomens.org/) for providing the original CT scan files and for interesting stories shared over a cup of tea. Peter Ratiu, first author of The tale of Phineas Gage, digitally remastered (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/089771504774129964), for his efforts to scan and explore this fascinating artifact as well as for his thoughts regarding this project. Dominic Hall of the Warren Anatomical Museum (https://www.countway.harvard.edu/chom/warren-anatomical-museum) for his enthusiasm for this project and for his kind permission to post this model. Ratiu, P., Talos, I. F., Haker, S., Lieberman, D., & Everett, P. (2004). The tale of Phineas Gage, digitally remastered. Journal of neurotrauma, 21(5), 637-643. (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/089771504774129964)