ᴀ ʟᴏʙᴏᴛᴏᴍʏ (ғʀᴏᴍ ɢʀᴇᴇᴋ λοβός (ʟᴏʙᴏs) 'ʟᴏʙᴇ' ᴀɴᴅ τομή (ᴛᴏᴍē) 'ᴄᴜᴛ, sʟɪᴄᴇ') ᴏʀ ʟᴇᴜᴄᴏᴛᴏᴍʏ ɪs ᴀ ᴅɪsᴄʀᴇᴅɪᴛᴇᴅ ғᴏʀᴍ ᴏғ ɴᴇᴜʀᴏsᴜʀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴘsʏᴄʜɪᴀᴛʀɪᴄ ᴅɪsᴏʀᴅᴇʀ ᴏʀ ɴᴇᴜʀᴏʟᴏɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴅɪsᴏʀᴅᴇʀ (ᴇ.ɢ. ᴇᴘɪʟᴇᴘsʏ, ᴅᴇᴘʀᴇssɪᴏɴ) ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪɴᴠᴏʟᴠᴇs sᴇᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʀᴀɪɴ's ᴘʀᴇғʀᴏɴᴛᴀʟ ᴄᴏʀᴛᴇx.[₁] ᴛʜᴇ sᴜʀɢᴇʀʏ sᴇᴠᴇʀs ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs ᴛᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴇғʀᴏɴᴛᴀʟ ᴄᴏʀᴛᴇx, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴᴛᴇʀɪᴏʀ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ғʀᴏɴᴛᴀʟ ʟᴏʙᴇs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʀᴀɪɴ.

ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ₁₉₃₀s ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ₁₉₇₀s, ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴜsᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ ʜᴀɴᴅʟɪɴɢ ᴘsʏᴄʜɪᴀᴛʀɪᴄ ᴅɪsᴏʀᴅᴇʀs ᴀs ᴀ ᴍᴀɪɴsᴛʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴘʀᴏᴄᴇᴅᴜʀᴇ ɪɴ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛʀɪᴇs. ᴀ ᴘʀᴇᴏᴄᴄᴜᴘᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟ ʀᴇsᴘᴏɴsɪʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴘᴀᴛɪᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴇʟʟ-ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀɪʙᴜᴛɪɴɢ ғᴀᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴠᴀʟᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏғ ʟᴏʙᴏᴛᴏᴍɪᴇs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴɪᴛᴇᴅ sᴛᴀᴛᴇs.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʀɪɢɪɴᴀᴛᴏʀ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴄᴇᴅᴜʀᴇ, ᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɢᴜᴇsᴇ ɴᴇᴜʀᴏʟᴏɢɪsᴛ ᴀɴᴛóɴɪᴏ ᴇɢᴀs ᴍᴏɴɪᴢ, sʜᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴏʙᴇʟ ᴘʀɪᴢᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴘʜʏsɪᴏʟᴏɢʏ ᴏʀ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄɪɴᴇ ᴏғ ₁₉₄₉ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ "ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴠᴇʀʏ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴀᴘᴇᴜᴛɪᴄ ᴠᴀʟᴜᴇ ᴏғ ʟᴇᴜᴄᴏᴛᴏᴍʏ ɪɴ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴ ᴘsʏᴄʜᴏsᴇs", ᴀʟᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴡᴀʀᴅɪɴɢ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀɪᴢᴇ ʜᴀs ʙᴇᴇɴ sᴜʙᴊᴇᴄᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏᴠᴇʀsʏ.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴄᴇᴅᴜʀᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴍᴏᴅɪғɪᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʜᴀᴍᴘɪᴏɴᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴡᴀʟᴛᴇʀ ғʀᴇᴇᴍᴀɴ, ᴡʜᴏ ᴘᴇʀғᴏʀᴍᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ ʟᴏʙᴏᴛᴏᴍʏ ᴀᴛ ᴀ ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴɪᴛᴇᴅ sᴛᴀᴛᴇs ɪɴ ₁₉₃₆. ɪᴛs ᴜsᴇ ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴀsᴇᴅ ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀᴛɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴀʀʟʏ ₁₉₄₀s ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ₁₉₅₀s; ʙʏ ₁₉₅₁, ᴀʟᴍᴏsᴛ ₂₀,₀₀₀ ʟᴏʙᴏᴛᴏᴍɪᴇs ʜᴀᴅ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴘᴇʀғᴏʀᴍᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜs ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀᴏᴘᴏʀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴋɪɴɢᴅᴏᴍ. ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʟᴏʙᴏᴛᴏᴍɪᴇs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴘᴇʀғᴏʀᴍᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴏɴ ᴍᴇɴ: ᴀ ₁₉₅₁ sᴛᴜᴅʏ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɴᴇᴀʀʟʏ ₆₀% ᴏғ ᴀᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀɴ ʟᴏʙᴏᴛᴏᴍʏ ᴘᴀᴛɪᴇɴᴛs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪᴍɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴅᴀᴛᴀ sʜᴏᴡs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ₇₄% ᴏғ ʟᴏʙᴏᴛᴏᴍɪᴇs ɪɴ ᴏɴᴛᴀʀɪᴏ ғʀᴏᴍ ₁₉₄₈ ᴛᴏ ₁₉₅₂ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴘᴇʀғᴏʀᴍᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ғᴇᴍᴀʟᴇ ᴘᴀᴛɪᴇɴᴛs. ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ₁₉₅₀s ᴏɴᴡᴀʀᴅ, ʟᴏʙᴏᴛᴏᴍʏ ʙᴇɢᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀʙᴀɴᴅᴏɴᴇᴅ, ғɪʀsᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴏᴠɪᴇᴛ ᴜɴɪᴏɴ, ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴄᴇᴅᴜʀᴇ ɪᴍᴍᴇᴅɪᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ɢᴀʀɴᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴇxᴛᴇɴsɪᴠᴇ ᴄʀɪᴛɪᴄɪsᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀs ɴᴏᴛ ᴡɪᴅᴇʟʏ ᴇᴍᴘʟᴏʏᴇᴅ, ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ʙᴀɴɴᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴅᴇᴄᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ₁₉₅₀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴇᴜʀᴏᴘᴇ. ᴅᴇʀɪᴠᴀᴛɪᴠᴇs ᴏғ ɪᴛ sᴜᴄʜ ᴀs sᴛᴇʀᴇᴏᴛᴀᴄᴛɪᴄ ᴛʀᴀᴄᴛᴏᴛᴏᴍʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʙɪʟᴀᴛᴇʀᴀʟ ᴄɪɴɢᴜʟᴏᴛᴏᴍʏ ᴀʀᴇ sᴛɪʟʟ ᴜsᴇᴅ.