Results of Prefrontal Leucotomy in Thirty Cases of Mental Disorder

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of treatment by prefrontal leucotomy in 30 cases of mental disorder. In view of the fact that this procedure is not only comparatively new, and uncertain in its ultimate effects, but is also after all a destructive operation, its trial was only felt to be justified, in the first instance at any rate, in a selected number of chronic patients with an apparently hopeless or very poor prognosis.

Psychological consequences of brain lesions and ablations.

“…Examination of the postoperative changes reveals that most of these studies show a decrement in IQ for operated patients which in several instances is quite large or statistically significant (172,197,214,238,304). Nonsignificant changes are reported in the others (191,199,200,220,262,272).…”

“…Preoperative tests were not administered by Robinson (83), but a significant 3.3-year difference in favor of a socially improved nonoperated psychotic control group over the lobotomized group was found. Two studies (153,262) show insignificant improvement following psychosurgery.…”

“…Some improvement on the colorform sorting test is reported by Jones (153), but no controls were used to determine the amount of gain attributable to practice. Hunt (81) and Strom-Olsen et al (262) report no change in pre-and posttesting with the Kohs Blocks while studies employing the Shipley-Hartford consistently report no impairment postoperatively (14,79,228,262).…”

An evaluation of prefrontal lobotomy through ward behavior.

“…The operation did not "cure" them but it enabled them to make better institutional adjustment. n, 15) fair, and five (3,8,10,13,14) poor.…”

What price lobotomy?

“…Strecker (45) writes of his patients, "Psychological testing did not reveal measurable postoperative intellectual deficit." Strom-Olsen, Lost, and Brody (46) administered a battery of eight tests on three occasions, one preoperatively, the others postoperatively at six weeks and four months intervals. With one minor exception, the means in the last administration were highest.…”