Stereotactic amygdaloidotomy for aggressive behaviour

Abstract

Amygdaloidotomy was performed bilaterally on 15 and unilaterally on 3 patients exhibiting severe aggressive or self mutilating behaviour. Nine subjects (50%) were improved a year after operation, and improvement was maintained in 7 (39%) for periods ranging from 27 mth to nearly 6 yr. Four non epileptic cases had convulsions during the period of review, one having a persistent mild hemiparesis dating from the postoperative period. There was a tendency for epileptics to respond better than nonepileptics and for mentally retarded patients to respond poorly, but none of the differences was statistically significant.