A controlled study of the effects of leucotomy.

Previous Studies Although the operation of leucotomy is now over 20 years old only a few attempts at a controlled assessment of its therapeutic effect have been made (Penrose, 1944; Mettler, 1949, 1952; Friedman, Moore, Ranger, and Russman, 1951; Livingston, 1953; Jenkins and Holsopple, 1953; Freeman, Davis, East, Tait, Johnson, and Rogers, 1954; Jenkins, Holsopple, and Lorr, 1954; Medina, Pearson, and Buchstein, 1954; Powell, 1955; Crandell, Zubin, Mettler, and Kugelmass, 1956). Of these, moreover, a number have suffered from either (a) a poor matching of control and treatment groups (e.g., Mettler, 1949; Friedman et al., 1951; Freeman et al., 1954; Powell, 1955) or (b) too short a period of follow-up (e.g., Penrose, 1944; Mettler, 1949; Jenkins and Holsopple, 1953; Livingston, 1953; Freeman et al., 1954; Jenkins et al., 1954) so that their validity is suspect. Finally, the conclusions of these studies are conflicting. While intramural improvement is generally reported (Mettler, 1949; Friedman et al., 1951; Jenkins and Holsopple, 1953; Jenkins et al., 1954; Medina et al., 1954) di,charge rates are reported as improved by some (Penrose, 1944; Freeman et al., 1954; Friedman et al., 1951), as unchanged (Mettler, 1949; Jenkins and Holsopple, 1953; Medina et al., 1954; Crandell et al., 1956), or even as worse by others (Powell, 1955).