| Abstract: | Reviews the book, "Psycho-chirurgie et Fonctions Mentales" (1954), by J. Le Beau. Written by one of France's leading brain surgeons, the book deals with the general topic of psychosurgery from many angles. The author treats all the anatomical, physiological, clinical, and psychological principles involved, as well as different surgical techniques, particularly those related to selective ablations, medical complications, and postoperative treatment. Much space is given over to the results of psychosurgery in the treatment of neuroses, psychoses, mental disorders associated with epilepsy, the mental difficulties of children, and intractable pain. To the psychologist, the main contribution of the book will center in the later chapters dealing with the psychological aftereffects of different types of operation. By tracing out the detailed behavioral aftereffects of operations involving different parts of the cortex, and relating these changes to personality dimensions identified in terms of factor analysis, Le Beau has given us extremely interesting hypotheses, linking such factors as extraversion, neuroticism, etc., with definite Brodmann areas. The reviewer hopes that this book will be widely read and translated into English. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
