Neurosurgical treatment of neuropsychiatric illness.
Neurosurgical treatment of neuropsychiatric illness has evolved considerably since its inception in 1935. The most common psychiatric indications for the procedure, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and major depression, are conceptualized as disorders involving the basal ganglia and limbic system. In this article, the various operations and their contemporary applications are discussed. Neurosurgical treatment represents a viable option in appropriate candidates suffering from severe and otherwise treatment-refractory neuropsychiatric diseases.