The binding problem for syntax, semantics, and prosody: HM's selective sentence-reading deficits under the theoretical-syndrome approach

In this case study, a "hippocampal amnesic'' (H.M.) and memory-normal contr ols of similar age, background, intelligence, and education read novel sent ences aloud in tasks where fast and accurate reading either was or was not the primary goal. In four experiments, H.M. produced more misreadings than normal and cerebellar controls, usually without self-correction. H.M.'s mis readings typically reduced semantic and syntactic complexity and caused ung rammaticality by omitting short high-frequency function-words. H.M. also pr oduced each word more slowly and paused longer than controls at three point s: before beginning to produce a sentence, between words in unfamiliar phra ses, and at major syntactic boundaries unmarked by commas. H.M.'s selective sentence-reading deficits were unrelated to word-specific factors, ambigui ty, and sentence length, and were not attributable to his cerebellar damage , speed-accuracy trade-off, general slowing, general cognitive decline, lef t-to-right reading processes, or limitations in working-memory capacity. Ho wever, present results supported a "theoretical-syndrome approach'' under w hich all of H.M.'s deficits (in reading sentences, in comprehending and pro ducing spoken sentences, in reading isolated words and pseudo-words, in vis ual cognition, and in recall from episodic memory) form part of a general, theoretically coherent syndrome that generalises to other patients.