Final answer:
Damage to the hippocampal formation does not typically impact nondeclarative memories such as procedural memories or classical conditioning. These forms of memory are processed by other areas of the brain, including the cerebellum and the amygdala, which are not involved in declarative memory consolidation.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering if damage to the hippocampal formation affects nondeclarative memories, it's important to understand that nondeclarative memory, or implicit memory, includes various types of memory such as procedural memory, motor learning, and certain forms of conditioning.
Procedural memories involve skills and routines one might perform automatically, such as riding a bicycle or playing a piano. Damage to the hippocampal formation typically does not impair these types of nondeclarative memories because they are processed by different brain structures like the cerebellum and basal ganglia, not the hippocampus that is crucial for declarative or explicit memories. Classical conditioning, another form of nondeclarative memory, is also less likely to be impacted by hippocampal damage, as it involves emotional responses and reflexive behaviors that are mediated by the amygdala and cerebellum.
Known cases such as patient H.M. have demonstrated that after extensive damage to the hippocampus, individuals suffer from anterograde amnesia, where they are unable to form new declarative memories but can still acquire new procedural memories and improve on tasks through practice and repetition. This underscores the differentiation between the types of memory and their neurological underpinnings.