Abstract
Although the utilization of psychosurgery has commenced in early 19th century, when
compared with other neurosurgical fields, it faced many obstacles resulting in the
delay of advancement of this type of surgical methodology. This was due to the insufficient
knowledge of both neural networks of the brain and the pathophysiology of psychiatric
diseases. The aggressive surgical treatment modalities with high mortality and morbidity
rates, the controversial ethical concerns, and the introduction of antipsychotic drugs
were also among those obstacles. With the recent advancements in the field of neuroscience
more accurate knowledge was gained in this field offering new ideas for the management
of these diseases. Also, the recent technological developments aided the surgeons
to define more sophisticated and minimally invasive techniques during the surgical
procedures. Maybe the most important factor in the rerising of psychosurgery is the
assemblage of the experts, clinicians, and researchers in various fields of neurosciences
implementing a multidisciplinary approach. In this article, the authors aim to review
the latest concepts of the pathophysiology and the recent advancements of the surgical
treatment of psychiatric diseases from a neurosurgical point of view.
Keywords
deep brain stimulation - neural networks - neuromodulation - psychiatric disorders
- psychosurgery
