Some Reflections on the Nature of Affective Disorders, Arising from the Results of Prefrontal Leucotomy

Abstract

For the use of the term “affective disorder” there is good literary warrant. Shakespeare, writing in the last decade of the sixteenth century, or just before it, uses the word thus:“Necessity will make us all forswornThree thousand times within this three years' space;For every man with his affects is born,Not by might mastered, but by special grace” (92).

‘A matter for conjecture’: leucotomy in Western Australia, 1947–70

“…Using leucotomy to treat affective disorders, predominantly in women of middle age, is consistent with UK practice, given the accepted diagnosis of 'involutional melancholia' -'a condition occurring in chronic worriers at the climacteric' (Partridge, 1949: 796) -although none of the women in the data set were diagnosed specifically with this condition. Pippard (1962: 549) noted that while leucotomy in the UK was used more often to treat people with schizophrenia, this produced poorer results, and it is possible that this outcome -and the eventual preference for using leucotomy to treat affective disorders -was also reflected in WA practice.…”

‘A matter for conjecture’: leucotomy in Western Australia, 1947–70

“…Using leucotomy to treat affective disorders, predominantly in women of middle age, is consistent with UK practice, given the accepted diagnosis of 'involutional melancholia' -'a condition occurring in chronic worriers at the climacteric' (Partridge, 1949: 796) -although none of the women in the data set were diagnosed specifically with this condition. Pippard (1962: 549) noted that while leucotomy in the UK was used more often to treat people with schizophrenia, this produced poorer results, and it is possible that this outcome -and the eventual preference for using leucotomy to treat affective disorders -was also reflected in WA practice.…”

Cognitive Appraisals of Life Stress and Depression in the Elderly: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Asians and Caucasians

“…The focus in this study is upon depressive mood and the behavioral symptomatology (Beck and Hurvich 1959;Beck 1967Beck , 1970) associated with it. There is no attempt here to distinguish between endogenous versus reactive depressions (Mendels 1970;Partridge 1949) nor between clinical versus subclinical manifestations of such depressive mood states. It is recognized that depressive symptomatology can be associated with a range of diagnostic categories and pathological and nonpathological conditions.…”

The structural basis of timing.

“…Temporal confusion has been reported following lesion of the prefrontal lobes (Hyde & Wood, 1949;Partridge, 1950). The prefrontal lobes are noted for their planning function.…”

‘A matter for conjecture’: leucotomy in Western Australia, 1947–70

“…Using leucotomy to treat affective disorders, predominantly in women of middle age, is consistent with UK practice, given the accepted diagnosis of 'involutional melancholia' -'a condition occurring in chronic worriers at the climacteric' (Partridge, 1949: 796) -although none of the women in the data set were diagnosed specifically with this condition. Pippard (1962: 549) noted that while leucotomy in the UK was used more often to treat people with schizophrenia, this produced poorer results, and it is possible that this outcome -and the eventual preference for using leucotomy to treat affective disorders -was also reflected in WA practice.…”

Cognitive Appraisals of Life Stress and Depression in the Elderly: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Asians and Caucasians

“…The focus in this study is upon depressive mood and the behavioral symptomatology (Beck and Hurvich 1959;Beck 1967Beck , 1970) associated with it. There is no attempt here to distinguish between endogenous versus reactive depressions (Mendels 1970;Partridge 1949) nor between clinical versus subclinical manifestations of such depressive mood states. It is recognized that depressive symptomatology can be associated with a range of diagnostic categories and pathological and nonpathological conditions.…”

The structural basis of timing.

“…Temporal confusion has been reported following lesion of the prefrontal lobes (Hyde & Wood, 1949;Partridge, 1950). The prefrontal lobes are noted for their planning function.…”

‘A matter for conjecture’: leucotomy in Western Australia, 1947–70

“…Using leucotomy to treat affective disorders, predominantly in women of middle age, is consistent with UK practice, given the accepted diagnosis of 'involutional melancholia' -'a condition occurring in chronic worriers at the climacteric' (Partridge, 1949: 796) -although none of the women in the data set were diagnosed specifically with this condition. Pippard (1962: 549) noted that while leucotomy in the UK was used more often to treat people with schizophrenia, this produced poorer results, and it is possible that this outcome -and the eventual preference for using leucotomy to treat affective disorders -was also reflected in WA practice.…”

Cognitive Appraisals of Life Stress and Depression in the Elderly: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Asians and Caucasians

“…The focus in this study is upon depressive mood and the behavioral symptomatology (Beck and Hurvich 1959;Beck 1967Beck , 1970) associated with it. There is no attempt here to distinguish between endogenous versus reactive depressions (Mendels 1970;Partridge 1949) nor between clinical versus subclinical manifestations of such depressive mood states. It is recognized that depressive symptomatology can be associated with a range of diagnostic categories and pathological and nonpathological conditions.…”

The structural basis of timing.

“…Temporal confusion has been reported following lesion of the prefrontal lobes (Hyde & Wood, 1949;Partridge, 1950). The prefrontal lobes are noted for their planning function.…”