The origin of lobotomy can be traced back to the early 20th century, with the procedure gaining popularity in the 1930s and 1940s as a supposed treatment for various mental illnesses. The procedure involved severing connections in the brain's prefrontal lobe in an attempt to alleviate symptoms of mental disorders. Portuguese neurologist Egas Moniz is often credited with inventing the procedure, for which he received a Nobel Prize in 1949. Despite initially being embraced by the medical community, lobotomy fell out of favor due to its harmful side effects and lack of scientific evidence supporting its efficacy. Today, lobotomy is widely considered an outdated and barbaric practice, with more humane and effective treatments available for mental health conditions.