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Historical overview of psychosurgery and its problematic
1Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
Acta Neurochirurgica. Supplementum
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Frontal leucotomy, initially used for psychiatric disorders and pain, evolved into precise limbic system surgery due to side effects. This approach, though under-utilized, offers treatment for chronic disability.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Psychiatry
- Neurology
Background:
- Frontal leucotomy was introduced in 1936 for psychiatric disorders and chronic pain.
- Early enthusiasm waned due to undesirable side effects, prompting surgical modifications.
- The field has shifted from radical frontal leucotomy to precise limbic system surgery.