A surgical procedure in which part of the cingulate gyrus, a region of the brain involved in emotion and pain processing, is removed.
From cingulum (Latin for 'belt') because the cingulate gyrus wraps around the brain like a belt, plus -ectomy (Greek for 'cutting out'). Developed as a neurosurgical technique in the 20th century.
Before modern psychiatric medications became available, doctors thought removing parts of the brain might 'cure' mental illness—cingulectomy was attempted for severe depression and pain disorders, showing how desperation can drive risky medical innovations.
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