And why isn't this procedure performed anymore?
2007-07-14 16:18:50 · 6 answers · asked by Candi Apples 7 in Health ➔ Other - Health
The exact meaning is the removal of a lobe of the brain, and in practice, it is usually part of one of the frontal lobes. Other lobes may be excised for medical reasons (lesions, uncontrollable seizure activity, cancer), but the traditional lobotomy to correct behavior was done on part of the frontal lobes, which help with the actual planning and excuting of behaviors, as well as things such as judgement, language, problem solving and motor functions.
The procedure is no longer performed because it seriously reduces a person's mental capacity, often leaving them mentally retarded and unable to care for themselves. Additionally, most of the conditions for which lobotomies were traditionally performed can now be treated more effectively with psychoactive medications.
One sad thing is that many people were lobotomized, especially in the US, against their will. Parents who felt a daughter spent too much time or interest on men might have her lobotomized to reduce her interest in sex. Laws about placing people in mental institutions and also about performing lobotomies were different back when they were regularly performed, and patients did not generally need to give consent.
Thank goodness they are not performed anymore. I have seen documentary footage of vacant-eyed, drooling people who have to be helped to the toilet and have the mental capacity of a two year old because they were lobotomized for one reason or another.
I hope that helps you understand a bit better.
2007-07-14 16:34:07 · answer #1 · answered by Bronwen 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They basically disconnect the front half of the brain from the back by either cutting out the front half or severing the things that send signals back and forth.
They used to use it as a cure-all for any mental disease. However, the patient was often left confused most of the time, depressed, unable to form words... mostly dependent on someone else to live for them. This was obviously a stressful thing on both the patient and their dependent.
Since then there have been lots of better cures for mental diseases. The only thing I can think of that they'd use a lobotomy for is an extreme brain tumor case.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest describes a lobotomy patient well :(
2007-07-14 23:44:20 · answer #2 · answered by Leafy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Lobotomy is cutting the connections to and from, or simply destroying, the prefrontal cortex of the brain. It was used in the past to treat a wide range of mental illnesses including schizophrenia, clinical depression, and various anxiety disorders. With the development of such antipsychotic drugs lobotomies become obsolete.
2007-07-14 23:24:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
A lobotomy (Greek: lobos: Lobe of brain, tomos: "cut/slice") is a form of psychosurgery. It is a surgical procedure in which the nerve pathways in a lobe or lobes of the brain are severed from those in other areas. The procedure formerly was used as a radical therapeutic measure to help grossly disturbed patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses
2007-07-14 23:25:49 · answer #4 · answered by catherine 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
well, they either cut out a part of the brain, or cut the electrodes and such that connect the two halves of the brain.
They don't use it any more because it would basically turn the person into a vegetable.
2007-07-14 23:24:44 · answer #5 · answered by Rose 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobotomy
2007-07-14 23:24:16 · answer #6 · answered by emtd65 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋