Psychosurgery: Should it be allowed? | Homework Helpers
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Psychosurgery: Should it be allowed?
Different diseases and disorders have facilitated the advancement and invention of different forms of treatment. One of the most controversial treatments in the medical field is psychosurgery. Psychosurgery (also called Neurosurgery for Mental Disorder NMD) is a neurosurgical operation performed to people with mental disorders such as aggression and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder OCD (George, Erin and Robert 410). Various studies have been carried out in different parts concerning this type of treatment. The concept of how this technique functions has also been captured in various pieces of literature such as in the novel One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest by Kessey. The novel provides some insights of how this concept works. This discussion delineates on the concept of psychosurgery and provides an opinion on whether this kind of medical treatment ought to be permitted or not.
In order to understand better the concept of psychotherapy, this discussion covers on the development of the concept and the different types of psychosurgery that have been created. The paper further explains how they work and gives an overview of how different countries approach this concept. Furthermore, examples of people who have gone through this kind of treatment are also provided, and a conclusion on whether the concept should be adopted fully.
The concept of psychosurgery in the modern history is approximated to have come into shape in the 1800s, under Gotlieb Burckhardt, a Swiss psychiatrist. Not much came out of his studies until the 20th century, in the 1930s, when Egas Moniz, a Portuguese neurologist came up with an operation known as leucotomy (George, Erin and Robert 410). This operation was instrumental and it triggered interest among other psychiatrists and neurologists. The practice became of interest in the U.S. when Walter Freeman, a neuropsychiatric, and James Watts, a neurosurgeon, developed a procedure / technique called lobotomy. This operation was referred to as leucotonomy in U.K. The year 1949 saw Moniz awarded a Noble price for his input and research in the concept. From 1950, no further developments were experienced in the field until 1970 when it again was revived but adopted progressively (George, Erin and Robert 412). Most of the countries had already given up with the concept as the U.S. and U.K. used it in treatment of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and schizophrenia among other disorders.
Psychosurgery requires the collaboration of neurosurgeons and psychiatrists. During the process of operations, steretactic and general anesthetic methods are applied. In the operation, the neurosurgeons remove or destroy small piece of brain believed to cause mental problems to the patient. This is the reason why it is a process that is undertaken by these two kinds of practitioners: psychiatrists and neurosurgeons.
Currently, there are a number of psychosurgery methods used by various hospitals to help people with mental disorders. These include cingulatomy, capsulotomy, subcaudate, limbic leucotomy, and tractotomy. Anterior cingulotomy, developed in the U.S. by Ballantine, was first used in the U.K. by Hugh Caims. However, it is mostly used in U.S. (George, Erin and Robert 413). This operation targets the anterior cingualte cortex whereby posterior frontal and thalamic regions are disconnected in an operation as the anterior cingualte region is damaged. On the other hand, anterior capsulotomy was created and developed in Sweden, and it is the most popularly used procedure where thalamic nuclei and orbitofrontal cortex are disconnected. Limbic leucotomy is a combination of anterior cingulotomy and subcaudate tractotomy, and it was used in 1960s in the Atkinson Morley Hospital in London as well as in Massachusetts General Hospital.
Students have indicated that out of the patients subjected to this kind of operation, a third of them show significant improvement in terms of their symptoms. There have been advances in the field, which reduced the number of people who succumb to death and those who sustain serious damages from the operation. However, some risks yet to be aIDressed include decreased initiative and drive, seizures, cognitive and affective problems, and weight gains. Despite these limitations, there seems to be shifts in the treatment of these mental illnesses as practitioners are moving from the usual ablative psychotherapy, which aims at destroying brain tissues, to another way of operation named deep brain stimulations, where the aim is to stimulate the brain areas that are implanted with electrodes (George, Erin and Robert 417).
For the operation to be performed, a lot of care is required to avoid tempering with important veins in the head. Therefore, it is prudent to understand the neurological effects to be in a position to determine whether the operation is advisable or not. In the brain, the frontal lobe is in charge of controlling advanced motor and cognitive functions. The motor control is found in the rear of the frontal lobe, and this part is not affected when psychosurgery operation is carried out. The prefrontal or anterior part of the frontal lobe is in charge of controlling impulse and judgment, involving everyday situations, memory, language, motor function, sexual behaviors, problem solving, spontaneity, and socialization. Furthermore, the frontal lobe is responsible for assisting in planning, controlling, coordinating, and executing behavior (Sachdev 98).
When it comes to application of psychosurgery, different countries have made various decisions about it. For instance, China has used these operations in making lesions in their nucleus acumens, which they use in treatment of alcohol and drug dependent aIDicts. It is also applied in the treatment of depression and schizophrenia, among other mental disorders (Stone 10). It is not regulated in China; however, its continued use has been criticized by the West.
India has also used the operation in the treatment of aggressive behaviors and aIDiction among children and adults. Currently, cingulotomy and capsulotomy for OCD and depressions are used in hospitals such as BSES MG in Mumbai. Australia and New Zealand are also some of the countries that use the method in the treatment of mental disorders. The number of operations in 1980s ranged from 10-20 every year but reduced to one or two cases in 1990. However, between 2007 and 2012, around 12 applications requiring deep brain simulation were received at the Victoria psychosurgery review board. In Europe, countries such as Netherlands, Belgium, Russia, and Spain also embraced these operations, as they used them to treat a number of people with various disorders (Sachdev 97). In North America, the cases of institutions using the operations are low. Massachusetts General Hospital is one of the centers that provides psychosurgery program. Operations are also done in other few centers in other locations. In Mexico, the operation is popularly used in the treatment of aggression and anorexia. In South America, the operations are done at Venezuela, which carries out operations aimed at treating aggression and OCD (Pitman 1). Some of the people that have undergone psychosurgery include president John Kennedys sister, Rosemary Kennedy, Lena Zavaroni, and Josef Hassid, a polish violinist. Lena and Josef passed on after few weeks of undergoing this operation.
Having extrapolated on the psychosurgery concept, I support the operation. The operation has proved that it can be efficient. The countries that have embraced the concept so far have experienced positive outcome, especially in treatment of aggression and OCD. There are a number of people that have undergone through the operation and succeeded; therefore, this is further evidence that the concept is functioning. I believe that psychosurgery is like any other treatment, and sometimes the outcomes may not be positive like other surgical operations. My take is that more research and investigation should be carried out to acquire more information and how it can be improved. The operation has come from far and as time has elapsed, improvements have been done. Therefore, people should be optimistic that psychosurgery is a positive development, which can help to manage mental disorders and restore hope in many peoples lives. Furthermore, studies indicate that the number of people dying and those incurring severe injuries has reduced. This is a positive development, which shows that the operation can be improved further to ensure that such incidences are eradicated. Other developments aimed at shifting from ablative psychosurgery to deep brain stimulation whereby the brain is stimulated with the implanted electrodes are further indications that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that the operations will be of important in restoring hope and reviving the lives of many people.
Even though there are cases of patients losing their lives and others experiencing injuries, and also other limitations such as incontinence, weight gain, seizures, and affective and cognitive problems, they do not override the benefits. Furthermore, these challenges can be improved and mitigated. Therefore, I vehemently support this kind of treatment, as it is a source of hope, and it restores and improves the quality of life among many people.
Works Cited
George Mashour, Erin Walker, and Robert, Martuza. Psychosurgery: past, present, and future. Brain research review 48(2005): 409-419. Print.
Pitman, Michael. Psychotherapy is delicate psychosurgery. South African Journal of Psychology 32.4(2002):1. Print.
Sachdev, Perminder. Is deep brain stimulation a form of psychosurgery? Australasian Psychiatry, 15.2(2007): 97-99. Print.
Stone, James. Dr. Gottlieb Burckhardt The Pioneer of Psychosurgery. Journal of the History of the Neurosciences 10. 1(2001): 9-92. Print.
