In a message dated 2/23/2001 9:40:40 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Subj: Preventive lobotomies?
Date: 2/23/2001 9:40:40 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Jeff Ricker)
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (TIPS)
Last night, a student mentioned that a previous psychology teacher
("Professor Bob") had told his class that, during the 1940s, people
without any mental disorder sometimes had lobotomies done as a sort of
preventive measure--or perhaps to improve their mental functioning, I
wasn't sure from her description. I have read some on the history of
biological treatments (such as Elliot Valenstein's book, "Great and
Desperate Cures..."), but I don't recall ever coming across this claim
before. It sounds somewhat outrageous to me, but given that some people
are performing trepanations nowadays in order to expand their
consciousness, you just never can tell what people might do to
themselves in the name of "personal development."
I know that we have some marvelous historians on this list, either by
vocation or avocation. Does anyone know whether or not preventive
lobotomies were ever performed?
Jeff
>>
Hi Jeff,
How are you? . . . The following is from Elliot Valenstein's earlier book,
"Brain Control" (p 317), and may have provided the original seed for your
student's comments. :
"The problem of evaluation of the newer psychosurgical techniqies remains
difficult, since many of the shortcomings of the earlier lobotomy studies are
still evident. It is also necessary to recognize that there has been a clear
shift in the type of patients selected for psychosurgery. Originally, only
chronic psychotic patiuents who were considered otherwise hopeless were
picked for surgery. Gradually it became clear that the prognosis was very
poor for such patients. Today the patients considered to be the best
candidates are those with tensions, anxieties, phobias, depressions,
obsessions, compulsions, and severe hypochondriacal symptoms/ As a group the
patients are not nearly as deterioriated as the earlier lobotomy patients,
but this does not mean that their symptoms are mild. The patients may be
constantly anxious or depressed and suicide attempts are not uncommon. In
some, the phobias, obsessions, or physical complaints may completely block
any kind of normal existence. . . .the comment has been made on several
occasions that psychosurgery should not be considered a last effort to help a
patient. In contrast it has been suggested by Freeman that it may be
dangerous to wait too long:
"I would seem that lobotomy rather than being a final heroic remedy, marks
the turning point in effective therapy. . . frontal lobotomy is more
successful in early cases of schizophrenis. In the chronic case it has
limited value. In a dangerous disease such as schizopphrenia it may prove
safer to operate than to wait."
So the record I am aware of indicates a movement toward the use of
psychosurgery to 'prevent' further deterioration, but not toward the
inclusion of patients free of mental disorder.
Sandra
****************************
Sandra Nagel Randall, Ph.D.
Psychology
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, MI
