Lobotomy Dash, also known as leucotomy, is a form of brain surgery developed in 1935 by António Egas Moniz, a Portuguese neurologist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1949 for his work on the therapeutic benefits of leucotomy in specific psychoses. The procedure involved severing connections from the prefrontal cortex (front part of the frontal lobes) to the rest of the brain. Initially considered a success, lobotomy fell out of favor over time and is now rarely performed.
Moniz primarily applied this method to treat certain mental illnesses that lacked alternative therapies. Initially used for patients with obsessive behavior, it was later employed for conditions such as schizophrenia and clinical depression.
One significant drawback of lobotomies was the lasting alteration of an individual's personality and behavior. While some patients experienced positive outcomes, such as a reduction in violent tendencies, long-term studies not conducted by Moniz revealed severe damage to personalities, resulting in reduced motivation and drive.
In contemporary times, antipsychotic drugs like chlorpromazine are commonly used to address symptoms associated with such disorders. Lobotomies are no longer a common or accepted practice in modern medicine.
