The lobotomy patient--a decade later: a follow-up study of a research project started in 1948.

One hundred and fifty patients with chronic mental illness were treated with prefrontal lobotomy between 1948 and 1952 as part of a research study. Follow-up assessments were made by the author in 1952 and again in 1962. One hundred and sixteen patients of the original 150 were available for the follow-up study which provides the basis for this report. Sixty-seven per cent improved sufficiently to live out of hospital, although 26% did have periods of relapse requiring further treatment. The maximum postoperative response usually occurred at six months and was usually maintained subsequently. Most significant complications of lobotomy were epilepsy (12%) and a personality defect (91%). The results of this lobotomy study were examined in relationship to current psychiatric therapy, with particular reference to recent clinical experience with lobotomy. It was concluded that if prefrontal lobotomy is used for selected cases of intractable mental disorder only, it has probably found its proper place in psychiatric treatment.