Lunchtime lobotomies, microchips implanted inside bulls' brains, presidential daughters, a lifesaving piece of household wire and CIA-funded research
Into the Brain is the story of brain surgery. More than any other surgery, operating on the brain, from misguided psychosurgery to pioneering neurosurgery, has taught us who we are. But the most complex organ in the body hides its secrets well, and surgeons have ended up travelling some dark roads on their extraordinary journey to map the human mind.
The brain is our most complex organ. One hundred years ago, cutting into the brain was a terrifying prospect for both patient and surgeon. Harvey Cushing, the so-called "father of neurosurgery", revolutionised brain surgery. Before him, it was little more than bloody butchery which killed around 70% of patients.
Michael travels to Yale University to see Cushing's archive: a collection of over 1,000 perfectly preserved human brains. The infamous Walter Freeman was responsible for the lobotomisation of thousands of individuals. His brutal operations - often using ice picks driven into the brain through the eye socket - left many patients with life-long psychiatric problems.
Michael meets one of Freeman's victims, 59-year-old Howard Dully, who was lobotomised at the age of 12. Michael also takes part in a "mind control" experiment at University College London to help surgeons map the brain. Using "transcranial magnetic stimulation" or TMS, the experiment asks how it will affect Michael's ability to perform even the most simple of tasks.
Finally, Into the Brain shows an extraordinary operation on 28-year-old florist Kathryn, who has a malformed blood vessel in her brain. Incredibly, Kathryn must remain fully conscious as her brain is operated on to ensure no damage is caused. This remarkable operation would have been impossible without some of the pioneering surgeons of the past.
Note: This BBC production not available in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, USA, Canada.
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