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Prefrontal Lobotomy

Definition

A prefrontal lobotomy is a surgical procedure that was once used to treat mental illness, in which the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex, the front part of the brain, are severed.

Analogy

Think of your brain as a bustling city with roads (neural pathways) connecting different districts (brain regions). A prefrontal lobotomy is like closing off all roads leading to and from downtown (the prefrontal cortex), isolating it from other parts of the city. This can change traffic patterns (thought processes) and disrupt normal functioning.

Related terms

Frontal Lobe: The frontal lobe is one of four major divisions of each cerebral hemisphere that contains areas concerned with behavior, learning, personality, and voluntary movement.

Psychosurgery: Psychosurgery refers to any surgical operation for mental disorder that involves therapeutic destruction of brain tissues or neural pathways.

Anterior Cingulate Cortex: The anterior cingulate cortex is a part of the brain located in the frontal lobe that plays a role in various cognitive functions such as decision-making, emotion regulation, and impulse control.