History of the prefrontal lobotomy, psychosurgery, and Rosemary Kennedy explained by a neurosurgeon

Let’s talk about the history of the prefrontal lobotomy, psychosurgery, and Rosemary Kennedy.
Frontal lobotomy, the sectioning of the prefrontal cortex, and leucotomy, the severing of the underlying white matter, for the treatment of mental disorders, reached a peak of popularity after World War II. But development of this surgery began in the 1930s with the work of the celebrated Egas Moniz, who also made his mark in neuroradiology as the father of cerebral angiography. Moniz and Lima performed their first frontal leucotomy in 1935. The following year Dr. Moniz presented a series of 20 patients, and by 1949 he had received the Nobel Prize for his pioneering work on frontal leucotomy in which, specifically, the white matter connections between the prefrontal cortex and the thalamus were sectioned to alleviate severe mental illness, including depression and schizophrenia in long-term hospitalized patients.
#neurosurgery #lobotomy #history #rosemarykennedy #prefrontallobotomy #icepicklobotomy #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #psychosurgery

[@makeuplover6852]

it is horrific to think that Rosmarry was forced to endure so much pain and suffering at the hand of her own father and from one of the wealthiest most "pretigious" families in the world.

[@linw7320]

Wealth and social status do not predicate ethics.

[@fragilefleur]

And all to protect their public image.

[@cwhyharris7473]

Prestigious my eye Joe Kennedy was a bootlegger during prohibition that's how he got rich. Now he did have plans for his sons to be in politics and that's why he didn't want Rosemary too many chance tarnish the Kennedy name.

[@EricWGagnonEZE]

Is this something you experienced? Or, are you trying to sympathize?

[@luluwachedjari3299]

I knew that while women were freed from forced marriage, no right to inheritance etc thanks to Mohammed pbuh in Middle East the churches on the west were debating wether women are human or not…awful…but this! Did western women ever be happy?! And today extreme right movements are coming back it’s like amnesia or what?! Women in the west should unite and never trust the RN in France etc as this is what will happen, poor men won’t be spared…don’t forget that the expression fat as a catholic monk is because while people were struggling and starving the church aka extreme right today was living in wealth, laziness and corruption

[@susquahallasmiley3262]

Just a tragedy. So grateful for developments in neuroscience.

[@geroldy4546]

It’s unbelievable how far neuroscience has progressed even just 20 years ago

[@medusafire4124]

You know I Love your down to earth personality and the fact that your not afraid to speak about certain things like this. Also grateful that you explain in a way that is understandable to a non neurologist😊

[@MarSmiles]

Dr. Grunch, You are an Excellent teacher!! Thank you for taking the time out of your already extremely busy life to make content that is educating. I love how you explain in layman terms so anyone even a child can understand how our brain, spine and nerves function. I lost my husband in 2007 to a GBM. I thought I fully understood how a GBM infiltrates the brain until I watched the video you did about it. I understand it much better now. Thank You!!

[@HappyComfort]

A doctor gave a lobotomy to my Aunt illegally, without my grandmothers consent. She was quirky, but went on to marry , have a daughter and hold a job. The court’s decision was that the doctor had to give my aunt free medical care for the rest of her life. But my grandmother nor my aunt wanted this doctor whom l think they considered like a Frankenstein doctor, anywhere near her! When she was old and was visiting my aunt, she had to get a medical procedure done, doctors found out about her and wanted to study her but she basically fled back home from them and didn’t want them anywhere near her.

[@rosephinebakerson2701]

TW: SA, violence, disturbing medical history There is a long history of forced lobotomization of vulnerable and minority groups in the US. My paternal great grandmother (African American from NJ) was forcefully lobotomized at Trenton Paychiatric Hospital (then called New Jersey State Lunatic Asylum) in the mid-1950s. She was severely mentally disturbed beforehand, likely some type of schizo-typal/psychotic disorder woth postpartum involvement as she had her first child @ 14 by way of r*pe. She was never violent and kept to herself. She was in a fugue/psychotic state and was turned over to state care after giving birth on the street to my Great Uncle. Unfortunately, she was released from the hospital post-op onto the streets, where she was SAd, trafficked, and eventually left for dead in an alley after a failed coat-hanger abortion behind a dumpster in the middle of winter. /TW Rosemary Kennedy's story is a tragedy and is just one instance in a long, long history of the American mission to eradicate the disabled and mentally ill. Never forget, support one another, and take care of yourselves ❤ Edit: spelling

[@fragilefleur]

And was she actually mentally ill or was something going on behind closed doors that they wanted to put away forever. So horrific.

[@inkbold8511]

She became mentally ill due to the lobotomy.

[@thecelticcrone7927]

Sadly, back Then…I’m not entirely sure that the Mother’s Consent or Knowledge was ‘needed’. I mean..women couldn’t even have a Bank Account WITHOUT Their Husband’s Signature.

[@spledydid7590]

I would like to know more about how the idea for procedures really comes to fruition...like what was the actual discussion(s) that led to "yeah, I think if we just do this stabbing thing then the patient will be all good".

[@55tranquility]

I have a work colleague who had a leucotomy (as it was called in the UK) in 1986!! It was one of the last times it was carried out in England (a tiny number still happening in Scotland and Wales). She was given it for OCD and in her words it did nothing whatsoever to help her. She has two holes you can feel in the top of her head. Luckily she did not experience the horrific side effects that many do, and now works to highlight OCD and psychological interventions. She told me that even in the mid 80s the Dr or in this case psychiatrist was regarded as unchallengeable particularly if you were young, and this was in the days before the internet etc. it really is beyond belief that these things were carried out not even that long ago. One other thing, she became friends with Dr Claire Weekes who used to phone her from Australia!

[@spledydid7590]

@55tranquility Wow! This is an incredible story! How tragic, but yet incredible to know someone who not only had this procedure, but lived to tell about it! Did you say that they are still doing the procedure in some places of Scotland & Wales??

[@zenakassab5455]

Omg thanks for sharing!

[@NJSMKMMS]

An old friend of my grandmother apparently had a forced lobotomy in Australia in the early 50’s. Apparently she was a raging,violent alcoholic that had constant run ins with law enforcements and psych institutions in much of her early adult life. Of course from a huge Catholic family full of raging, violent alcoholics herself she was a victim all her life. Apparently it did stop her drinking but apparently she was left a shell of a human being. I do remember meeting her as a young child when she would visit my Grandmother. Apparently after the lobotomy she held down a cleaning job in a nursing home for decades and lived on her own. Apparently she was able to look after herself completely. I just recall her as a sweet kindly old lady that would repeatedly tell me that I had such lovely curly hair then tell everyone else in the room the same thing and ask if they agreed. Oh and tell my mother “Gee you look nice today Net” every time there was a break in the conversation. Thats all I remember about her but I certainly remember her very sad story.

[@cherrieblossom5393]

Thanks for sharing this information, imagine what they did in the former colonies!!!!

[@johnincinncinnatti-bp8lv]

How bad do the photos have to be to do it today? What's considered severe OCD in 2024, doctor? When's the last time you found a patient whose symptoms required it? Not a PFL but a subcautal. When was it?

[@faukerconsulting835]

🙋🏻‍♀️LOOKING BACK...💁🏻‍♀️Do you ever wonder if psych meds mirror the effect of a lobotomy and if so, which ones??🤔

[@fragilefleur]

Interesting question.

[@Angelaaa1015]

I wouldn’t surprised if certain ones do

[@juliabouzan1739]

Well it’s now known there is not ‘chemical imbalance’ and Antidepressants numb emotions, although we are not sure how. After 10 years I felt like I had had a chemical lobotomy, I couldn’t do math in my head and barely felt emotions anymore. Glad Ive since tapered off.

[@MaRiAm936]

That's so sad

[@snudder.s.m.l.5026]

I'm wondering if they do this surgery today and if.. Why. 😊 Thank you so much. Big hugs from Denmark ❤

[@snuff-lh1zt]

Yeah that's a good question because many people think electroshock therapy is not used anymore and while it's definitely not popular anymore it is still used in some instances I believe

[@snudder.s.m.l.5026]

@@snuff-lh1zt Thank you so much fore your answer.. 😊 Big hugs from Denmark 💝

[@StudioseMeF]

They dont do it anymore i think, for a long while now

[@マイ9188]

People always mention lobotomy in memes lately but I never knew what it was, this is so sad! Poor Rosemary. 😢

[@ruthvermeulen2098]

AAAAGH the eye lobotomy illustration is so incredibly cursed. Makes my body crawl, so creepy.😟😟

[@Notcasualhere]

Fire In the hole

[@Zee-Thirteen]

Great, a kid.

[@Notcasualhere]

@@Zee-Thirteen it was a joke back when it was popular hop off my meat

[@Notcasualhere]

@@Zee-Thirteen it's not that deep it was a dumb joke from when it was popular

[@Lola-Lola88]

Omg how cruel 😭😭😭

[@daniwarner119]

It's just hard to believe that they thought this was a good idea😢

[@Zee-Thirteen]

this is honestly disturbing 😳

[@LauretteCandace]

Wonder if you ever seen a person with a pineocytoma??

[@zenzen1916]

I'm 66 now, I had an orbital backroom illegal lobotomy at 14. Raised by monsters. Their associates daughter had the same surgery, she was left blind in one eye and a brainless nymphomaniac. We were both prostituted as young children and beyond. It ruined my life and ability to make decisions . I was once at the top of my class but afterwards I suffered deficits and problems with my memory. Memories come back in pieces and must be put in order. I hope the doctor who did this to us is burning in Hell.

[@victorious_nowy]

Freeman dosen't need to hear all this he's a highly trainer proffesional (half life refrence)

[@agnesblome1953]

I wish there was a surgery to cure mental illness, because most of the mentally ill forget or refuse medication and live on the streets. There is ver little care for the mentally ill.

[@juliabouzan1739]

I don’t think most mentally ill forget or refuse to take their meds and live on the streets. There are millions of people with depression and anxiety and you would never know it. But yes there are mental illnesses that are more severe and hard to treat or ‘untreatable’. We have a long way to go in understanding and treating mental illness.

[@Waffle1549]

Geometry dash reference

[@DaxtonKnight]

CIA still does them but it stays on the hush. Just like MKUltra. Other countries do it too. It's so cruel.

[@uNkLeRaRa4]

😬

[@imaginanalyst3317]

what an awfully disruptive method

[@Warlord_Megatron]

Awful for whom? For the people around the person who got lobotomized? 'cause I doubt the person who got lobotomized would have any senses to understand that they had lost their personality

[@PleatherJacket]

Jesus fucking Christ