Psychosurgery AO3 Flashcards
(5 cards)
EFFECTIVENESS PEEL FOR RESEARCH
P - Psychosurgery is effective according to some research.
E - A review of research conducted by Cosgrove and Rauch
(2001) found that cingulotomy surgery was 56% successful
for patients with obsessive compulsive disorder compared
to 67% success rate for another form of stereotactic surgery
called a capsulotomy.
E – This shows that for certain mental illnesses, psychosurgery works, which is beneficial because if
psychosurgery works, the patient can live a much better life
than they did with their illness.
L – However, the success rate of psychosurgery is not
100%, therefore it cannot be said to be fully effective. Such
research indicates that no physical therapies may need
to be used with psychosurgery in order for it to be fully
effective.
EFFECTIVENESS PEEL AGAINST
Mary Lou Zimmerman received a cingulotomy for untreatable OCD. However, the surgery led to brain damage rather than an alteration in behaviour
Comer (2002)
Early lobotomies had a fatality rate of 6% and a range of severe side effects such as brain seizures, a lack of emotional responsiveness and changes in personality
EFFECTIVENESS PEEL FOR OVER TIME
P – Advances in technology and scientific knowledge have
made psychosurgery more effective over time.
E - Modern psychosurgery techniques that are used
today target the problem area in the brain and will only
manipulate the specific area where there is an issue,
because advanced technology can be used. This is different
to past techniques which were ineffective because the brain
could not be viewed so psychosurgery was based on ‘guess’
work.
E – This means there is more chance that patients today will
not only survive psychosurgery but will be somewhat ‘cured’
of their mental illness without fear of death or a ‘vegetative’
state.
L – This means that psychosurgery can be effective if
carried out with recent techniques.
ETHICS PEEL FOR
P – Psychosurgery is more ethical today because valid/
informed consent is always given.
E - Since 1983 in the UK, informed consent needs to be
given under the Mental Health Act, for a person to undergo
psychosurgery. Psychosurgery is now not used if a more
ethical treatment, such as drug therapy, could be used
instead.
E – This means that the therapy is fully explained to the
patient, or a responsible adult will agree to the therapy for
the patient.
L – Therefore, given that consent is valid, the therapy
is ethical and patients, or their family, can take some
responsibility for the treatment.
ETHICS PEEL AGAINST
P – Psychosurgery can, in some cases, be unethical because
of the damage caused to a patients’ brain.
E - The effects of psychosurgery cannot be reversed, which
is unethical. Early procedures resulted in significant changes
to a patient’s memory as well as the severe blunting of
emotions. Early methods such as prefrontal lobotomy left
some patients in a permanently ‘vegetative state’.
E – This causes physical harm and can mean that the
individual may end up with side effects from surgery that
are worse than the original mental illness.
L – Therefore, even though psychosurgery can help to treat
an individual, it is unethical due the risk of harm, so the
costs often outweigh the benefits
