Leukotomy

Leukotomy, also known as leucotomy or lobotomy, is a form of psychosurgery, a neurosurgical treatment of a mental disorder that involves severing connections in the brain's prefrontal cortex. It was first performed on humans in the 1890s and was championed by some for most of the 20th century.

History

The procedure, also known as a prefrontal lobotomy, was first performed on humans in the 1890s. Portuguese neurologist António Egas Moniz developed the procedure in the 1930s, and it was widely used for more than two decades despite general recognition of its dangers.

Procedure

In a leukotomy, a surgeon would cut away most of the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex, the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain. The procedure was controversial from its inception, in part because it was often performed without the patient's consent, and in part because of its serious side effects, including personality changes, mental disability, and even death.

Criticism and Decline

The use of leukotomy declined in the 1950s and 1960s as new psychiatric drugs were introduced. The procedure is now considered unethical and is largely obsolete, although some modified forms of lobotomy are still performed.

See also

• Psychosurgery
• António Egas Moniz
• Prefrontal cortex
• Frontal lobe

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