Patient populations undergoing psychosurgery

Abstract

A close examination of which types of patients, if any, benefit from psychosurgery is a crucial first step in any critical assessment. However, at the outset it should be emphasized that many inconsistencies in diagnosis are encountered in reports from different periods of time, different countries and different psychiatrists; there can even be inconsistencies within the same reports. Such diagnostic variations constitute a major “stumbling block” in the evaluation of psychosurgery. Conflicting opinions regarding prognosis constitute another related difficulty. The implications of problems with diagnosis and prognosis will be carefully reviewed in the present chapter. In particular, their bearing on the popular contemporary assertion that operations of the “second wave” offer better treatment prospects than the older procedures will be critically examined.