Introduction
The F-L Fergus Falls Lobotomy Scale, based upon eight easily obtained items, is useful in predicting the chances for improvement and for decreasing the number of poor results of lobotomies on long-term public psychiatric hospital patients. Easily used prognostic ratings or predictive scales have not, to our knowledge, been published. The items include length of hospitalization, leaves from the hospital, remissions, response to electroshock treatment, education, occupation, prepsychotic adjustment, and L-M Fergus Falls Behavior Rating Scale * average. All items are listed routinely in any psychiatric facility except the last, which can be determined by any two untrained ward personnel.
Material and Methods
Original Data.—
A study for prediction of results of the standard prefrontal lobotomy on long-term public psychiatric hospital patients was started in 1951. Twenty-six items were recorded; three of these were later eliminated because of lack of data or insufficient number of applications to the group under