psychosurgery

American  

[sahy-koh-sur-juh-ree] / ˌsaɪ koʊˈsɜr dʒə ri /

noun

1. treatment of mental disorders by means of brain surgery.

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psychosurgery British  

/ ˌsaɪkəʊˈsɜːdʒɪkəl, ˌsaɪkəʊˈsɜːdʒərɪ /

noun

1. any surgical procedure on the brain, such as a frontal lobotomy, to relieve serious mental disorders

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Other Word Forms

• psychosurgeon noun
• psychosurgical adjective

Etymology

Origin of psychosurgery

First recorded in 1935–40; psycho- + surgery

Example Sentences

In Moniz's midcentury heyday, lobotomies became an accepted part of medical practice at asylums, and Moniz even won the Nobel Prize in 1949 for his advances in psychosurgery.

From Salon • Aug. 1, 2021

Initially shocked that his method of pacifying a chimpanzee had been applied to humans, Fulton later became a proponent of psychosurgery.

From Scientific American • Oct. 1, 2017

Anyway: Dr. Scoville became a pioneer in psychosurgery, and as time wore on, he became bolder, removing structures of the brain whose functions were still mysterious.

From New York Times • Aug. 24, 2016

Amanda Pustilnik, who teaches law at the University of Maryland, has compared neurolaw to phrenology, Cesare Lombroso’s biological criminology, and psychosurgery.

From Slate • Oct. 12, 2015

Modern surgical procedures target smaller portions of the brain, Adam explains, but “the principle of psychosurgery has remained the same for more than a century: let’s cut here and hope for the best.”

From Washington Post • Jan. 22, 2015