Final answer:
The stroke has resulted in a condition known as Anterograde Amnesia, where Gerald can no longer form new episodic or semantic memories, but can still form procedural memories through repeated experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The condition described in the question is referred to as Anterograde Amnesia. Anterograde amnesia happens when a person is unable to form new memories after a traumatic event, in this case, the stroke suffered by Gerald. The individuals can still recall events prior to the trauma but cannot form or remember new episodic or semantic memories after.
A famous case of this is of patient H.M who, despite severe anterograde amnesia, was able to improve on a task that he had no memory of ever performing. This signifies that H. M. could still form new 'procedural memories', which are responsible for our skills and habits, despite not being able to remember the events themselves.
The story of H.M illustrates that even though Gerald may struggle to form new conscious memories of events, he can still learn from repeated experiences and potentially develop new skills or habits from them.
Learn more about Anterograde Amnesia