Final answer:
Coherent sentences improve recall by providing meaningful context, which aids memory encoding and retrieval. The young man's case suggests that the hippocampus and medial temporal lobe, crucial for forming new declarative memories, were affected by antibodies.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the string of words provided had actually been coherent sentences, this would have greatly affected your ability to recall them correctly. Coherent sentences are meaningful and provide context that aids in memory encoding and retrieval. When given prompts like 'bagpipe', 'ship christening', and 'parachutist', and then asked to recall after counting backward, the meaningful context of each sentence likely enhanced your memory performance. This exemplifies the principle that making material meaningful can greatly improve memory encoding and retention.
Regarding the case of the young man with memory issues, the temporary effects on memory and the elusiveness of his hospital stay suggest that regions of the brain involved in forming new memories, such as the hippocampus and related structures in the medial temporal lobe, were likely affected. This type of memory is usually referred to as declarative memory, which encompasses memory for facts and events that can be consciously recalled.