{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,4]],"date-time":"2026-07-04T11:59:05Z","timestamp":1783166345310,"version":"3.54.6"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group (JNSPG)","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>In Japan, there has been no neurosurgical treatment for psychiatric disorders since the 1970s. Even deep brain stimulation (DBS) has not been studied or used for psychiatric disorders. Neurosurgery for psychiatric disorders has been thwarted by social taboos for many years, and psychiatrists today seem to simply ignore modern developments and therapies offered by neurosurgery such as DBS. As a result, most patients and their families do not know such \u201clast-resort\u201d options exist.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>Historically, as in other countries, frontal lobotomies were widely performed in Japan in the 1940s and 1950s, and some Japanese neurosurgeons used stereotactic methods for the treatment of psychiatric disorders until the 1960s. However, in the 1960s and 1970s such surgical treatments began to receive condemnation based on political judgment, rather than on medical and scientific evaluation. Protest campaigns at the time hinged on the prevailing political beliefs, forming a part of the new \u201cleft\u201d movement against leading authorities across a wide range of societal institutions including medical schools. Finally, the Japanese Society for Psychiatry and Neurology banned the surgical treatment for psychiatric disorders in 1975. Even today, Japan\u2019s dark history continues to exert an enormous negative influence on neurosurgery for psychiatric disorders.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3171\/2017.6.focus17255","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,9,1]],"date-time":"2017-09-01T03:36:47Z","timestamp":1504237007000},"page":"E13","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":14,"title":["A brief note on the history of psychosurgery in Japan"],"prefix":"10.3171","volume":"43","author":[{"given":"Jiro","family":"Nudeshima","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Bioethics Policy Study Group, Minato-ku; and"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Takaomi","family":"Taira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, Tokyo Women\u2019s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1754","reference":[{"key":"b1","first-page":"281","article-title":"The Lobotomist","author":"El-Hai J","year":"2005","unstructured":"El-Hai J: The Lobotomist. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2005, p 281"},{"key":"b2","series-title":"Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi","first-page":"1341","article-title":"[Evaluation of prefrontal lobotomy in schizophrenia.]","volume":"60","author":"Hirose S","year":"1958","unstructured":"Hirose S: [Evaluation of prefrontal lobotomy in schizophrenia.] Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 60:1341\u20131351, 1958 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b3","series-title":"Am J Psychiatry","first-page":"1194","article-title":"Orbito-ventromedial undercutting 1957-1963. Follow-up study of 77 cases","volume":"121","author":"Hirose S","year":"1965","unstructured":"Hirose S: Orbito-ventromedial undercutting 1957-1963. Follow-up study of 77 cases. Am J Psychiatry 121:1194\u20131202, 1965"},{"key":"b4","series-title":"Modern Concepts in Psychiatric Surgery","article-title":"Past and present trends of psychiatric surgery in Japan","author":"Hirose S","year":"1979","unstructured":"Hirose S: Past and present trends of psychiatric surgery in Japan, in Hitchcock ER, Ballantine HT, Myerson BA (eds): Modern Concepts in Psychiatric Surgery. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1979"},{"key":"b5","series-title":"Proceedings of the IV World Congress of Psychiatry","first-page":"1156","article-title":"Present trends in psychosurgery","author":"Hirose S","year":"1968","unstructured":"Hirose S: Present trends in psychosurgery, in L\u00f3pez Ibor JJ (ed): Proceedings of the IV World Congress of Psychiatry. New York: Excerpta Medical Foundation, 1968, pp 1156\u20131166"},{"key":"b6","first-page":"138","article-title":"Psychosurgery 1947-60: evaluation of 450 patients treated by prefrontal lobotomy and a new methof oforbito-ventromedial undercutting, in Proceedings of the Third World Congress of Psychiatry","author":"Hirose S","year":"1962","unstructured":"Hirose S: Psychosurgery 1947-60: evaluation of 450 patients treated by prefrontal lobotomy and a new methof oforbito-ventromedial undercutting, in Proceedings of the Third World Congress of Psychiatry. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1962, pp 138\u2013141"},{"key":"b7","series-title":"Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi","first-page":"848","article-title":"[Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Dr. Ishikawa\u2019s accusation of Dr. Utena.]","volume":"75","author":"Ishikawa K","year":"1973","unstructured":"Ishikawa K: [Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Dr. Ishikawa\u2019s accusation of Dr. Utena.] Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 75:848\u2013895, 1973 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b8","series-title":"Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi","first-page":"225","article-title":"Beobachtung ueber die frontallobektomierten Patienten","volume":"46","author":"Itai S","year":"1942","unstructured":"Itai S: Beobachtung ueber die frontallobektomierten Patienten. Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 46:225, 1942 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b9","series-title":"Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi","first-page":"541","article-title":"[Resolution denying psychosurgery.]","volume":"77","year":"1975","unstructured":"Japanese Society for Psychiatry and Neurology: [Resolution denying psychosurgery.] Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 77:541, 1975 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b10","series-title":"Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi","first-page":"91","article-title":"[The results of lobotomy and its critical consideration.]","volume":"55","author":"Koshika K","year":"1953","unstructured":"Koshika K: [The results of lobotomy and its critical consideration.] Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 55:91\u2013105, 1953 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b11","series-title":"Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi","first-page":"1225","article-title":"[The study of the neurosurgical procedures to handle the oligophrenic and psychotic patients with restlessness and agitation.]","volume":"61","author":"Matsuo Y","year":"1959","unstructured":"Matsuo Y: [The study of the neurosurgical procedures to handle the oligophrenic and psychotic patients with restlessness and agitation.] Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 61:1225\u20131249, 1959 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b12","series-title":"Confin Neurol","first-page":"364","article-title":"Beginning and development of stereotaxic surgery in Tokyo","volume":"37","author":"Narabayashi H","year":"1975","unstructured":"Narabayashi H: Beginning and development of stereotaxic surgery in Tokyo. Confin Neurol 37:364\u2013373, 1975"},{"key":"b13","series-title":"Arch Neurol","first-page":"1","article-title":"Stereotaxic amygdalotomy for behavior disorders","volume":"9","author":"Narabayashi H","year":"1963","unstructured":"Narabayashi H, Nagao T, Saito Y, Yoshida M, Nagahata M: Stereotaxic amygdalotomy for behavior disorders. Arch Neurol 9:1\u201316, 1963"},{"key":"b14","article-title":"[The sealed past: history of psychosurgery], in Seishin wo Kiru Shujutsu","author":"Nudeshima J","year":"2012","unstructured":"Nudeshima J: [The sealed past: history of psychosurgery], in Seishin wo Kiru Shujutsu. Tokyo: Iwanami-Shoten, 2012 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b15","first-page":"205","article-title":"[History of Psychiatry in Japan.]","author":"Okada Y","year":"2002","unstructured":"Okada Y: [History of Psychiatry in Japan.] Tokyo: Igaku-Shoin, 2002, pp 205\u2013206 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b16","series-title":"Clin Eval","first-page":"147","article-title":"[The establishment of neurosurgery as a discipline in Japan and its contact with psychosurgery.]","volume":"36","author":"Sano K","year":"2008","unstructured":"Sano K: [The establishment of neurosurgery as a discipline in Japan and its contact with psychosurgery.] Clin Eval 36:147\u2013152, 2008 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b17","series-title":"J Neurosurg","first-page":"689","article-title":"Results of stimulation and destruction of the posterior hypothalamus in man","volume":"33","author":"Sano K","year":"1970","unstructured":"Sano K, Mayanagi Y, Sekino H, Ogashiwa M, Ishijima B: Results of stimulation and destruction of the posterior hypothalamus in man. J Neurosurg 33:689\u2013707, 1970"},{"key":"b18","article-title":"50 Years of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (1995\u20132005)","author":"van Alpen HA","year":"2005","unstructured":"van Alpen HA: 50 Years of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (1995\u20132005). Vaud, Switzerland: World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies, 2005 (http:\/\/www.wfns.org\/WFNSData\/Document\/Chapter2-4.pdf) [Accessed July 12, 2017]"},{"key":"b19","article-title":"[Lobotomy and Temporal Lobectomy.]","author":"Watanabe S","year":"1957","unstructured":"Watanabe S: [Lobotomy and Temporal Lobectomy.] Tokyo: Kanehara Shuppan, 1957 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b1","first-page":"281","article-title":"The Lobotomist","author":"El-Hai J","year":"2005","unstructured":"El-Hai J: The Lobotomist. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2005, p 281"},{"key":"b2","series-title":"Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi","first-page":"1341","article-title":"[Evaluation of prefrontal lobotomy in schizophrenia.]","volume":"60","author":"Hirose S","year":"1958","unstructured":"Hirose S: [Evaluation of prefrontal lobotomy in schizophrenia.] Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 60:1341\u20131351, 1958 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b3","series-title":"Am J Psychiatry","first-page":"1194","article-title":"Orbito-ventromedial undercutting 1957-1963. Follow-up study of 77 cases","volume":"121","author":"Hirose S","year":"1965","unstructured":"Hirose S: Orbito-ventromedial undercutting 1957-1963. Follow-up study of 77 cases. Am J Psychiatry 121:1194\u20131202, 1965"},{"key":"b4","series-title":"Modern Concepts in Psychiatric Surgery","article-title":"Past and present trends of psychiatric surgery in Japan","author":"Hirose S","year":"1979","unstructured":"Hirose S: Past and present trends of psychiatric surgery in Japan, in Hitchcock ER, Ballantine HT, Myerson BA (eds): Modern Concepts in Psychiatric Surgery. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1979"},{"key":"b5","series-title":"Proceedings of the IV World Congress of Psychiatry","first-page":"1156","article-title":"Present trends in psychosurgery","author":"Hirose S","year":"1968","unstructured":"Hirose S: Present trends in psychosurgery, in L\u00f3pez Ibor JJ (ed): Proceedings of the IV World Congress of Psychiatry. New York: Excerpta Medical Foundation, 1968, pp 1156\u20131166"},{"key":"b6","first-page":"138","article-title":"Psychosurgery 1947-60: evaluation of 450 patients treated by prefrontal lobotomy and a new methof oforbito-ventromedial undercutting, in Proceedings of the Third World Congress of Psychiatry","author":"Hirose S","year":"1962","unstructured":"Hirose S: Psychosurgery 1947-60: evaluation of 450 patients treated by prefrontal lobotomy and a new methof oforbito-ventromedial undercutting, in Proceedings of the Third World Congress of Psychiatry. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1962, pp 138\u2013141"},{"key":"b7","series-title":"Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi","first-page":"848","article-title":"[Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Dr. Ishikawa\u2019s accusation of Dr. Utena.]","volume":"75","author":"Ishikawa K","year":"1973","unstructured":"Ishikawa K: [Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Dr. Ishikawa\u2019s accusation of Dr. Utena.] Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 75:848\u2013895, 1973 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b8","series-title":"Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi","first-page":"225","article-title":"Beobachtung ueber die frontallobektomierten Patienten","volume":"46","author":"Itai S","year":"1942","unstructured":"Itai S: Beobachtung ueber die frontallobektomierten Patienten. Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 46:225, 1942 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b9","series-title":"Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi","first-page":"541","article-title":"[Resolution denying psychosurgery.]","volume":"77","year":"1975","unstructured":"Japanese Society for Psychiatry and Neurology: [Resolution denying psychosurgery.] Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 77:541, 1975 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b10","series-title":"Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi","first-page":"91","article-title":"[The results of lobotomy and its critical consideration.]","volume":"55","author":"Koshika K","year":"1953","unstructured":"Koshika K: [The results of lobotomy and its critical consideration.] Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 55:91\u2013105, 1953 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b11","series-title":"Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi","first-page":"1225","article-title":"[The study of the neurosurgical procedures to handle the oligophrenic and psychotic patients with restlessness and agitation.]","volume":"61","author":"Matsuo Y","year":"1959","unstructured":"Matsuo Y: [The study of the neurosurgical procedures to handle the oligophrenic and psychotic patients with restlessness and agitation.] Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 61:1225\u20131249, 1959 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b12","series-title":"Confin Neurol","first-page":"364","article-title":"Beginning and development of stereotaxic surgery in Tokyo","volume":"37","author":"Narabayashi H","year":"1975","unstructured":"Narabayashi H: Beginning and development of stereotaxic surgery in Tokyo. Confin Neurol 37:364\u2013373, 1975"},{"key":"b13","series-title":"Arch Neurol","first-page":"1","article-title":"Stereotaxic amygdalotomy for behavior disorders","volume":"9","author":"Narabayashi H","year":"1963","unstructured":"Narabayashi H, Nagao T, Saito Y, Yoshida M, Nagahata M: Stereotaxic amygdalotomy for behavior disorders. Arch Neurol 9:1\u201316, 1963"},{"key":"b14","article-title":"[The sealed past: history of psychosurgery], in Seishin wo Kiru Shujutsu","author":"Nudeshima J","year":"2012","unstructured":"Nudeshima J: [The sealed past: history of psychosurgery], in Seishin wo Kiru Shujutsu. Tokyo: Iwanami-Shoten, 2012 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b15","first-page":"205","article-title":"[History of Psychiatry in Japan.]","author":"Okada Y","year":"2002","unstructured":"Okada Y: [History of Psychiatry in Japan.] Tokyo: Igaku-Shoin, 2002, pp 205\u2013206 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b16","series-title":"Clin Eval","first-page":"147","article-title":"[The establishment of neurosurgery as a discipline in Japan and its contact with psychosurgery.]","volume":"36","author":"Sano K","year":"2008","unstructured":"Sano K: [The establishment of neurosurgery as a discipline in Japan and its contact with psychosurgery.] Clin Eval 36:147\u2013152, 2008 (Jpn)"},{"key":"b17","series-title":"J Neurosurg","first-page":"689","article-title":"Results of stimulation and destruction of the posterior hypothalamus in man","volume":"33","author":"Sano K","year":"1970","unstructured":"Sano K, Mayanagi Y, Sekino H, Ogashiwa M, Ishijima B: Results of stimulation and destruction of the posterior hypothalamus in man. J Neurosurg 33:689\u2013707, 1970"},{"key":"b18","article-title":"50 Years of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (1995\u20132005)","author":"van Alpen HA","year":"2005","unstructured":"van Alpen HA: 50 Years of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (1995\u20132005). Vaud, Switzerland: World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies, 2005 (http:\/\/www.wfns.org\/WFNSData\/Document\/Chapter2-4.pdf) [Accessed July 12, 2017]"},{"key":"b19","article-title":"[Lobotomy and Temporal Lobectomy.]","author":"Watanabe S","year":"1957","unstructured":"Watanabe S: [Lobotomy and Temporal Lobectomy.] Tokyo: Kanehara Shuppan, 1957 (Jpn)"}],"container-title":["Neurosurgical Focus"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/thejns.org\/view\/journals\/neurosurg-focus\/43\/3\/article-pE13.xml","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/thejns.org\/downloadpdf\/journals\/neurosurg-focus\/43\/3\/article-pE13.xml","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/thejns.org\/downloadpdf\/journals\/neurosurg-focus\/43\/3\/article-pE13.xml","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,23]],"date-time":"2026-05-23T09:07:08Z","timestamp":1779527228000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/thejns.org\/view\/journals\/neurosurg-focus\/43\/3\/article-pE13.xml"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2017,9]]},"references-count":38,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3"},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3171\/2017.6.focus17255","relation":{},"ISSN":["1092-0684"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1092-0684","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2017,9]]}}}