Prefrontal lobotomy

Prefrontal Lobotomy is a form of psychosurgery, a neurosurgical treatment of mental disorder that involves severing connections in the brain's prefrontal cortex. Most of the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex, the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain are severed. It was used for psychiatric and occasionally other conditions as a mainstream procedure in some Western countries for more than two decades. The procedure, controversial from its inception, became increasingly so over time. Today, it is a rarely used therapeutic procedure.

History[edit | edit source]

The prefrontal lobotomy was first performed on humans in the 1890s. The procedure was pioneered by Egas Moniz, a Portuguese neurologist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1949 for this and other work on neurosurgery. Moniz's procedure involved drilling holes in the patient's skull to access the brain, and then injecting alcohol into the prefrontal cortex to destroy the nerve fibers.

Procedure[edit | edit source]

The prefrontal lobotomy involves severing connections in the brain's prefrontal cortex. This is done by inserting a sharp instrument, often a specially designed ice pick, through the eye socket. The instrument is then moved side-to-side to cut the connections between the prefrontal cortex and the rest of the brain.

Effects[edit | edit source]

The effects of a prefrontal lobotomy can be severe. They include changes in personality, reduced initiative and drive, emotional blunting, and decreased ability to empathize with others. In some cases, the procedure can also cause physical side effects, such as seizures, motor deficits, and changes in appetite and sleep patterns.

Criticism and Decline[edit | edit source]

The use of prefrontal lobotomy as a treatment for mental illness has been widely criticized. Critics argue that the procedure is inhumane, as it can cause severe and irreversible damage to the brain. Furthermore, the procedure was often used on patients without their informed consent. By the 1950s, the use of prefrontal lobotomy began to decline, as new psychiatric drugs were developed and became widely available.