António Egas Moniz and Psychosurgery

What did António Egas Moniz invent that improved the detection of brain tumors?

Which mental illnesses did Moniz believe could be alleviated through psychosurgery?

What was the primary method used by Moniz to visualize blood vessels?

In which year was Moniz awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine?

How many patients reportedly benefited from Moniz's lobotomy procedure?

What device did Moniz develop for performing his psychosurgery?

What was a significant consequence of Moniz's lobotomy procedure?

What was Moniz's primary aim in using X-ray techniques for blood vessel visualization?

António Egas Moniz

Moniz, University of Lisbon's first neurologist, invented the angiogram in 1927.
The angiogram, a type of X-ray, was used to check blood vessels.
Moniz believed this improved the chance of identifying and removing brain tumors.
He experimented with X-rays and radiopaque dyes in human subjects.
Moniz's technique used a 25 percent sodium iodine solution.
This became the primary method for imaging vessels and identifying blocked arteries before CT scans in 1975.

Psychosurgery and Lobotomies

Moniz pioneered psychosurgery.
He believed that operating on the frontal lobes of the brain could treat conditions like depression and obsession.
He developed a leucotome (a needle with a wire loop) for precisely cutting through brain tissue.
The procedure became a standard treatment for mental illness in the US, even as far as the 1960s.
However, it only benefitted about a third of patients, while others suffered serious harm.

Moniz's Contributions

Moniz's work on vascular imaging began in 1902.
He published his first angiography paper in 1927.
He was shot by a patient in 1939, yet continued his work.
Moniz received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1949 for the invention of prefrontal lobotomy.
His invention of angiograms were a crucial tool before scanners were created.

Explore the groundbreaking contributions of António Egas Moniz in the fields of neurology and psychosurgery. Learn about his invention of the angiogram and the development of lobotomies, including the impact these procedures had on mental health treatment. Understand both the advances and the controversies surrounding his techniques.