Am J Psychiatry 1976; 133:266-270
Copyright © 1976 by American Psychiatric Association
Psychosurgery: some current observations
SA Shevitz
The term "psychosurgery" encompasses a wide variety of different
neurosurgical procedures applied in the treatment of behavioral and
psychiatric disorders. Arguments about the effectiveness and ethicality of
psychosurgery are often based on studies using outdated procedures or
inappropriate patient populations. The debate over psychosurgery is also
obscured by the frequent confusion between its use in classical psychiatric
syndromes and in such controversial areas as aggression or violent behavior
associated with temporal lobe epilepsy. The author believes that such
factors need to be clarified so that practitioners can choose a personal
position based on sound medical fact.
