Psychology Neuroscience Contemporary Debate

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

• Neuroscience is scientific study of brain and nervous system
• allows for alterations to behav
• manipulate behaviour (with or without knowledge)
• Ethical- significant benefits
• Unethical- society not aware of potential benefits/ benefits not real/ go on to create difficulties

Question 2

Point 1- Brain implant BBC article 2021- “Brain implant may lift the most severe Depression”

Answer 2

-Article suggests neuroscience used to treat depression using brain implant
-Electrical implant sits in the skull, wired into brain

-Surgery- small holes drilled to fit wires that monitor and stimulate brain

• small box contains battery and pulse generator- tucks into bone beneath scalp
• Depression circuits (ventral straitum) located and area stimulated consistently to eliminate feelings of dep

Question 4

Brain implant (ethical) benefits individual

Answer 4

-36 yr old Sarah severe dep
-Life took “immediate upward turn”
-Life “pleasant again”
-Prior felt “restricted” and “tortured” by dep
-Severe suicidal thoughts “disappeared” in weeks
-Woke up all day surgery felt “euphoric”
- After 1 yr- no side effects

Explanation: patients dep eliminated , happier fulfilled lives, no dep limiting them drug therapies fail to do this.

Question 5

However to Brain implant (unethical)

Answer 5

Point- all day surgery, risks to patient, doesn’t benefit masses

e.g invasive surergy (holes drilled into patients skull and device under scalp)

Under general anesthetic for long period of time- risk of harmful side effects

Question 6

Brain implant unethical- benefits of neuroscience not real for the masses

Answer 6

Experimental study, only one ppt used (severe form of dep)
Implant only trialled once
Cannot generalise effectiveness to all severities of dep (less severe)
Unvaried sample and lack of trials- success not guaranteed for other forms, harmful side effects
More trails and varied sample needed to drive effective with limited side effects

Question 7

Social Implications of the brain implant

Answer 7

Social- NHS, long waiting lists (on them for months) really feasible on NHS?
-Having to wait could have negative impacts- no access to other treatments that are effective as brain implant last resort for severe dep.
-Leads to further harm, patients seeking meds are potentially at risk for suicide and too dep to function normally

Question 8

Economic implications of the brain implant (ethical and unethical)

Answer 8

1) Workplace benefits for people with severe dep having it
Severe dep, time off work
Companies pay sick pay and cover for employees for long periods of time
Brain implant- no time off as symptoms permanently eliminated
Increase incomings and decrease outgoings expenses

2) Damage economy by ploughing £ into something that doesn’t benefit masses (Unethical)
Most have moderate not severe dep
Used as last resort
Should we plough money into something that only benefits few to ensure it’s effcetiveness? More useful to use on treatemnt that benefits majority

Question 9

Social implication Brain implant (2)

Answer 9

Only wealthy can afford Brian implant if only available privately

Treatment that only benefits few is unethical, exclusive, people who cant afford have to use other therpies which aren’t effective

Question 10

Conclusion for Brain implant

Answer 10

Ethical- life changing, better life, eliminate p