ethical issues in psychosurgery

During the recent years, the medical community has witnessed a resurgence of a historically and ethically controversial interventions in anatomically normal brain to alter its functions and treat the psychiatric disorders. Despite the widespread of psychosurgical practice during the early 20th century, it has been the subject of scrutiny and criticism due to the lack of evidence of the outcomes and the horrific techniques that raised serious ethical questions which lead to restriction and even banning the performance of psychosurgery in some regions. However, due to the dramatic advancements in neuroscience, neuroanatomy and neurosurgical techniques and technologies, interventions on brain with normal tissue structure to restore or alter the functions on neuronal circuits has reemerged with the practice of functional neurosurgery with evidence that support the results. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the field of psychosurgery as “the selective surgical removal or destruction of nerve pathways for the purposes of influencing behavior. ” Simply put, psychosurgery is brain surgery performed to treat psychiatric disorders.