Biological Contemporary Debate - Ethics Of Neuroscience Flashcards
(20 cards)
Why is the ethics of neuroscience a debate?
- Fuchs (2006) identifies brain processes involved in many different aspects of behaviour and provided benefits in increasing our understanding of human functioning
- brain processes become accessible to modifying techniques, raises ethical questions about consequences of being able to manipulate our minds
- whether problems that arise will exceed any benefits, if benefits outweigh costs, neuroscience can be considered ethical
What are the three main areas of using neuroscience in this debate?
- to enhance brain/neural function
- to understand and treat criminal behaviour
- developing our understanding of human brains
What is TDCS?
Trans cranial direct current stimulation, improve cognitive abilities of ‘normal’ individuals and those with psychiatric conditions, anode to stimulate targeted brain areas by a small electrical current, cathode to inhibit targeted brain areas,
What research from kings college London supports the use of TDCS?
174 participants aged 18+m diagnosed with at least moderate depression, randomly assigned to either active TDCS or inactive TDCS (which used the same device but no current), 10 week course, 3 weeks of 5x 30min sessions a week, 7 weeks if 3x 30mins a week, participants in active condition showed significant improvements in severity of depression compared to those in inactive TDCS placebo group, 44.9% in active TDCS group demonstrated remission, 21.8% of control group
What research from Kadosh supported the use of TDCS?
Found that TDCS led to improvements in mathematical problem solving, language, attention and memory capabilities, suggests it is ethical as it can be used by students to do better in exams and workplace to improve ability to do their jobs.
What are some ethical limitations of the use of TDCS?
- unethical to use neuroscience to help people artificially improve performance
- exact way TDCS works is not fully understood and research evidence is problematic
What study on a cadaver shows concerns about using neuroscience to enhance brain/neural function?
Found that only 10% of the current reached the brain tissue (though not representative of how it affects live brain), other studies are only pilot versions with small samples that have not been replicated
What evidence from Fuchs argues TDCS may be unethical?
May involve significant costs, once techniques become widespread, increasing pressure to enhance cognitive abilities in areas of social competition e.g. schools/university entrance exams, exams, improve performance in one’s job, lead to a need to establish controls and regulation, (like sports industry for performance enhancing drugs), increase disadvantages already faced by people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in education and employment, unethical as misused to help people cheat to do better, people who can’t afford are further disadvantaged in areas such as education and employment
What evidence is there by Raine to support the use of neuroscience to understand and treat criminal behaviour?
Pet scans to identify brain abnormalities in murderers pleading ngri, one of first studies to identify violent offenders have reduced activity in prefrontal cortex and abnormal activity in other key areas of brain such as amygdala
What evidence from coccaro supported neuroscience being used to understand and treat criminal behaviour?
Used fmri scans, found undivusks with intermittent explosive disorder (IED) showed increased amygdala activity compared to control group, ethical as helped develop other ways of dealing with criminal behaviour e.g. cherek found SSRIs reduced impulsivity and aggression in males with a history of criminal behaviour compared to those given a placebo, therefore ethical as helped understand possible causes of criminal behaviour and treatments to reduce reoffending
What evidence is there to do with social freedom and being unethical to use neuroscience to understand and treat criminal behaviour?
Farah (2004) previously offenders have been denied rights to social freedom (put in prison) but still have control over own mind and body, the use of neurological interventions (drugs) deny offender control over mind and body which is arguably unethical, serious costs when applied to offenders
What evidence is there to say the use of neuroscience to understand and treat criminal behaviour is unethical in the courtroom?
Brain scans as evidence in the courtroom is increasing but no regulations or rules to guide judges and juries in his to use as evidence, Raine was cautious to say we cannot use brain scans to determine guilt as they only demonstrate brain activity/structure, may arise ethics, issues because brain scans alone should not be used to determine someone’s guilt, damaging as may be used by offenders to excuse actions and remove personal responsibility, may lead to individuals believe there is no point changing their behaviour as criminality is their destiny
What is a ‘mini brain’?
Human brain organoid, miniature brain structure, generated from stem cells, capacity to produce new, complex, developing neuronal tissue, potential to provide neuroscientists with models of parts of functioning human brain for research, removes some ethical issues associated with full scale human scanning, enhances understanding of brain at relatively low cost
What evidence is there to say it is ethical as it is developing our understanding of human brains?
Mini brauns grown in a lab from stem cells, first produced in 2013, to study microcephaly, genetic disorder where brain is too small, since been used for research into brain development, in 2022, dr Brett Kagan published findings of research demonstrating brains appear to be able to ‘think’ when plugged into and interacted with a video game
What did the research team from dr Brett kagans research do?
- grew human brain cells from stem cells and mouse embryos
- connected mini brain to video game ‘pong’ via electrodes, revealing which side ball was on and how far away from the paddle
How did the mini brain respond to what dr Brett kagans research team did?
Produced electrical activity of their own, expended less energy as game continued, but when ball passed a paddle the game restarted with ball at a random point, expended more recalibrating to a new unpredictable situation, learnt to play in 5mins, often missed the ball but success rate was well above random chance.
What does dr Brett kagan hope coming off this research?
Technology may be used to test treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s “tapping into their true function unlocks so many more research areas that can be explored”
Why is it not ethical in developing our understanding of human brains?
Article from British medical journal raises following ethical concern, ”cerebral (brain) organiods exhibit neural connections and electrical activity raising the question they are or will one day be somewhat sentient (have ability to think and feel). If brain organiods were to show a glimpse of sensibility, an ethical discussion in their use in clinical research and practice would be necessary”, at what point would they have the right to consent to being used in research? How is this possible? At what point is it ‘human’ and given same ethical protection as human participant? Complex controversial dilemma must be addressed by neuroscience
What are the social implications of the ‘is neuroscience ethical’ debate?
- using drugs to treat criminal behaviour, reduce criminal behaviour so safer society
- lack of regulation of TDCS, may disadvantage people who can’t afford it
What are the economic implications of the ‘is neuroscience ethical’ debate?
- understanding and treating criminal behaviour will benefit economy, cheap way of reducing reoffending which currently costs UK £9.5 billion a year
- use of mini brains help develop more efficient cost effective methods of treating some disorders such as Alzheimer’s reducing need for costly care
