Elliot Spiro Valenstein (December 9, 1923 – January 12, 2023) was an American psychologist who was
professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...
of
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...
and
neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developme ...
at the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
. He is a noted authority on
brain stimulation and
psychosurgery.
Biography
Valenstein was born in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
on December 9, 1923, to Louis and Helen Valenstein (formally Spiro). He fought in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. After returning from the war he attended
City College of New York for his
B.S.
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...
and
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...
for his
M.A and
PhD.
Valenstein was the chief of the neuropsychology section at
Walter Reed
Walter Reed (September 13, 1851 – November 22, 1902) was a U.S. Army physician who in 1901 led the team that confirmed the theory of Cuban doctor Carlos Finlay that yellow fever is transmitted by a particular mosquito species rather than ...
Institute Research from 1957 to 1961. He started teaching at
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
in 1970.
Valenstein was married to Thelma Lewis from 1947 until her death on December 13, 2020. They have two children together; Paul and Carl. Valenstein died in
Ann Arbor, Michigan, on January 12, 2023, at the age of 99.
Published books
* ''Brain Control: A Critical Examination of Brain Stimulation and
Psychosurgery'' (1973)
* ''Brain Stimulation and Motivation: Research and Commentary'' (Ed.) (1973)
* ''Great and Desperate Cures: The Rise and Decline of psychosurgery and other Radical Treatments for Mental Illness'' (1986)
* ''Blaming the Brain: The Truth About Drugs and Mental Health'' (1998)
* ''The War of the Soups and the Sparks: The Discovery of Neurotransmitters and the Dispute over how Nerves Communicate'' (2005)
See also
*
Biopsychiatry controversy
The biopsychiatry controversy is a dispute over which viewpoint should predominate and form a basis of psychiatric theory and practice. The debate is a criticism of a claimed strict biological view of psychiatric thinking. Its critics include dis ...
*
Chemical imbalance theory
*
Psychiatric drugs
A psychiatric or psychotropic medication is a psychoactive drug taken to exert an effect on the chemical makeup of the brain and nervous system. Thus, these medications are used to treat mental illnesses. These medications are typically made of ...
References
External links
Faculty Page at University of Michigan- 'Better Living Through Lobotomy: What can the history of psychosurgery tell us about medicine today? An Interview with Elliot Valenstein', Allison Xantha Miller (Fall, 2003)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valenstein, Elliott
1923 births
2023 deaths
20th-century American psychologists
21st-century American psychologists
American neuroscientists
University of Michigan faculty
American military personnel of World War II
City College of New York alumni
University of Kansas alumni
People from New York City