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[Lobotomy].
1Oulun yliopiston diagnostiikan laitos, patologia.
Duodecim; Laaketieteellinen Aikakauskirja
|August 22, 2013
Summary
Lobotomy, an early psychosurgery, was widely used for schizophrenia in Finland until the 1960s. Medical records and brain samples from lobotomized patients are now at risk of disappearing.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Psychiatry
Context:
- Lobotomy, developed in 1935, was an early psychosurgical intervention.
- It was a prominent treatment for schizophrenia in Finland during the mid-20th century.
Purpose:
- To summarize the historical use of lobotomy in Finland.
- To highlight the decline of lobotomy with the advent of psychopharmacology.
- To note the impending loss of historical medical documentation.
Summary:
- António Egas Moniz pioneered lobotomy, the first psychosurgical technique.
- Approximately 1600 patients underwent lobotomy in Finland between the 1940s and 1950s.
- Psychopharmacological advancements in the 1960s led to the discontinuation of lobotomy.
Impact:
- The historical records, including brain specimens and radiological/neuropathological documents, associated with lobotomy are facing obsolescence.
- This represents a potential loss of valuable historical data in the fields of psychosurgery and psychiatric treatment.
- Understanding the history of lobotomy is crucial for contextualizing the evolution of mental health treatments.
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