Lobotomy Procedures Info

The brain is separated into different regions called lobes. According to the lobotomy definition in Stedman's Medical Dictionary, a lobotomy is an incision into a lobe or when one or more nerve tracts in a lobe are severed. A lobotomy is related to a lobectomy, which is when a lobe of the brain is removed. Whether the connections to the lobe have been cut (lobotomy) or the lobe is removed (lobectomy), that lobe of the brain no longer participates in the brain function.

The term lobotomy has negative connotations-some of them well deserved. Lobotomies were performed historically as a way of controlling criminals and "maniacs," that is, people with severe, incurable cases of mental illness. This practice occurred in the United States as late as the mid 1900s. It was noticed that by cutting the prefrontal lobe (very front of the brain) away from of the rest of the brain, the unlucky subject was less quick to anger and permanently sedate. Sadly, undergoing a lobotomy in this way meant that the patient was forever "lobotomized" and lost a number of abilities and personality traits.

Most lobotomy procedures are no longer performed because of their permanent and severe consequences. However, some lobotomy procedures are still performed today on a controlled, limited basis. For example, patients with severe epilepsy that cannot be adequately helped with medication often require lobectomy or lobotomy procedures to treat the disease.

Epilepsy is a disease in which brain cells (neurons) activate uncontrollably. This abnormal electrical energy spreads across the brain and causes seizures, convulsions, and often a loss of consciousness. Most people can be treated with medicine, but some have such severe and frequent seizures that a lobotomy is the only treatment.

One of the main lobotomy procedures that is used to treat intractable epilepsy involves cutting the corpus callosum. In effect, the two halves of the brain are separated from each other in this procedure. Any epileptic activity that starts on one side of the brain cannot spread to the other. This means that people do not fall unconscious during a seizure and the convulsions are much less severe. While there are some subtle deficits that the patient must overcome with this lobotomy, the patient is certainly not left "lobotomized" in the traditional sense.

Even a lobotomy for the treatment of epilepsy has to be carefully considered and performed. There have been some unfortunate consequences from older lobotomy procedures used to treat epilepsy. For example, one of the early surgeries involved a lobotomy (or lobectomy) of the temporal lobe of the brain.

The temporal lobe is a very common source of epileptic activity in the brain. When the temporal lobe is removed on one side of the brain, seizures can be stopped permanently. However, when both temporal lobes are removed, patients experience severe memory disturbances. It turns out that having at least one functioning temporal lobe is critical to the formation of new memories. Performing a lobotomy on one temporal lobe results in few problems, but a lobotomy of both lobes can be devastating to the patient.