Elliot Valenstein

Elliot Spiro Valenstein (December 9, 1923 – January 12, 2023) was an American psychologist who was professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Michigan.^[1][2] He is a noted authority on brain stimulation, psychosurgery and the history of psychiatry.

Elliot Valenstein
Born	Elliot Spiro Valenstein (1923-12-09)December 9, 1923 New York City, U.S.
Died	January 12, 2023(2023-01-12) (aged 99) Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Neuroscientist, psychologist

Biography

Valenstein was born in New York City on December 9, 1923, to Louis and Helen Valenstein (formally Spiro).^{[citation needed]} He fought in World War II. After returning from the war he attended City College of New York for his B.S. and University of Kansas for his M.A and PhD.^[3]

Valenstein was the chief of the neuropsychology section at Walter Reed Institute Research from 1957 to 1961. He started teaching at University of Michigan in 1970.^[4]

Valenstein was married to Thelma Lewis from 1947 until her death on December 13, 2020.^[5] They have two children together; Paul and Carl. Valenstein died in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on January 12, 2023, at the age of 99.^[6]

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), ISBN 0465027113
• 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

• Biography portal

• Biopsychiatry controversy
• Chemical imbalance theory
• Psychiatric drugs