A skilled pianist can verbally report a particular piece's sequence of notes or she can execute the sequence with her fingers. There are two types of memory processes involved here: a memory that can be declared (naming the notes) and a procedural memory that can be implemented (pressing the keys in the correct order). The study of patients with medial temporal lobe lesions, such as HM, provides compelling evidence that these processes are neurally distinct. Patients such as HM are able to learn new motor skills and maintain those skills over time, without being aware that they have learned the skill (Scoville and Milner, 1957; Corkin, 1968). These studies were foundational in cognitive science, helping set forth productive literature exploring the domain and mechanisms associated with declarative and procedural learning.
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