Clive Wearing: the man who only remembers the last half minute (5 photos)

Former British musicologist, tenor, conductor, keyboardist. He suffered from chronic anterograde and retrograde amnesia. He is not remembers facts from the past and cannot form new memories. Because of this phenomenon of double retrograde-anterograde amnesia, even called "30 Second Clive".





Wearing was born on May 11, 1938. On March 27, 1985, being a successful and recognized expert in the field of music, in the midst of of his career on BBC Radio 3, contracted herpesvirus encephalitis. Was the entire central nervous system was affected and from that moment on he could not store new memories and could not associate memories or control your emotions.

This is a case of severe total amnesia due to area damage. hippocampus, which is just supposed to transfer memories from short-term memory into long-term. Memory lasts from 7 to 30 seconds.



Every day he wakes up every 20 seconds, "restarting" his consciousness. every time his short-term memory expires (approximately 30 seconds). In those seconds he wonders why he hasn't been to the doctor, and Clive always thinks he's just woke up from a coma.





Wearing cannot carry on a conversation for more than several suggestions. When asked about his current state, he gets very upset because he cannot explain it and because of this feels very uncomfortable.

From his life before 1985, Clive remembers little: he has children from an earlier marriage, but the musician does not remember the names. Love to second wife, Deborah, whom Clive married the year before his illness, has changed. He is always very happy to see her and thinks he either hasn't seen her. years, or that they had never met before.

Clive remembers the names of some dishes.



The doctor suggested that Wearing write down his thoughts in a diary. This is what typical entries look like:

"8:31 am: Now I'm really, fully awake.

9:06 am. Now I am completely awake.

9:34 am: Now I am eminently, actually awake."

Early entries are usually crossed out because Clive doesn't know who wrote them, although he recognizes his own handwriting.



Wearing is able to learn new actions and even remember some facts through repetition. For example, after watching a video times in a row, he did not remember watching the video, but he could foresee events on the screen without remembering how he knows them.

And with all this, Wearing retained the ability to conduct, play complex pieces for organ and piano, and read music.

Clive Wearing's wife Deborah wrote a book about the man she loves called Forever Today.