Lobotomy

• What is lobotomy?

  Lobotomy is a surgical procedure that severs nerve pathways in a lobe of the brain.
• What is the purpose of a lobotomy?

  Lobotomies are intended to calm patients with mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
• When was the first lobotomy performed?

  The first lobotomy was performed in the late 1880s.
• Who performed the first lobotomy and on whom?

  Swiss physician Gottlieb Burckhardt performed the first lobotomy on patients suffering from auditory hallucinations.
• What were the outcomes of Burckhardt's first lobotomy operations?

  One patient died, another committed suicide, but some patients were easier to manage afterward.
• What influenced Burckhardt's idea for lobotomy?

  Burckhardt was influenced by German physiologist Friedrich Goltz's brain ablation experiments on dogs.
• What significant event in 1935 contributed to lobotomy research?

  American neuroscientists Carlyle F. Jacobsen and John Fulton presented results of frontal lobe ablation in chimpanzees.
• What was the first human lobotomy performed by António Egas Moniz like?

  Moniz's first lobotomy involved drilling holes in the patient's head and injecting ethyl alcohol into the prefrontal cortex.
• What was the outcome of Moniz's first lobotomy operation?

  The operation was considered a success as it reduced symptoms of severe paranoia and anxiety.
• What instrument did Moniz create for lobotomy procedures?

  Moniz created a leukotome designed to disrupt neuronal fibers in the brain.
• What were the results of Moniz and Lima's operations by 1937?

  The results were mixed, with some patients improving, others showing no change, and some relapsing.
• How did Walter J. Freeman II modify the lobotomy procedure?

  Freeman renamed the procedure to "prefrontal lobotomy" and developed a standard protocol for it.
• What was the public perception of lobotomy in the 1940s?

  Lobotomy was promoted as a miracle procedure, capturing public attention and demand.
• What is transorbital lobotomy?

  Transorbital lobotomy involves inserting a picklike instrument through the eye sockets to sever brain connections.
• What was the duration of the transorbital lobotomy procedure?

  The transorbital lobotomy was performed very quickly, sometimes in less than 10 minutes.
• What were some effects observed in patients after lobotomy?

  Patients exhibited reduced tension or agitation but also showed apathy, passivity, and decreased emotional response.
• What prestigious award did Moniz receive for his work on lobotomy?

  Moniz was awarded the 1949 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.
• Why did the practice of lobotomy fall out of favor in the mid-1950s?

  Lobotomy fell out of favor due to the introduction of more effective mental health treatments like antipsychotics and antidepressants.
• Is lobotomy still performed today?

  Lobotomy is rarely performed today, but shock therapy and psychosurgery are occasionally used.