Moniz's Cortical Lab

Moniz's Cortical Lab refers to the pioneering work of Portuguese neurologist António Egas Moniz, who explored the functions of the cerebral cortex, the brain's outer layer responsible for higher cognitive functions. In the 1930s, he developed the technique of lobotomy, a surgical procedure that involved cutting connections in the brain's cortex, aiming to treat severe mental disorders. While this method was groundbreaking and led to the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1949, it later faced significant ethical scrutiny due to its questionable efficacy and serious side effects, highlighting the complexities of brain treatment in psychiatric care.