1.1.5 Biological Debate Flashcards by pathto medicine

What do neuroscientists study?

The brain and its impact on behaviour and cognitive functions

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What has modern technology allowed with regard to neuroscience?

Allowed neuroscientists to find out more about the brain

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What is the debate surrounding neuroscience?

Wether the knowledge it produces is being used ethically

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Where did crick and Koch (1998) claim the seat of consciousness was?

The claustrum - a sheet of neurons found at the centre of the brain

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How does the seat of consciousness work?

Like a conductor in an orchestra it combines info from different brain regions

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What evidence is there for the claustrum being seat of consciousness?

Koubeissi et al 2014 research on 54 year old woman with severe epilepsy

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During the brain test what happened?

Electrode placed near her claustrum was stimulated causing her to stop responding

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What happened when stimulation of the electrode stopped?

She regained consciousness with no recollection of the event

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What happened when stimulated was repeated?

The same thing - she lost consciousness

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How could the research into seat of consciousness be beneficial?

Alternative to anaesthetic
Potential treatment for comas
further research
removing life support
diagnosis for locked in patients

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How could the research into the seat of consciousness be considered unethical?

based on 1 woman with abnormal brain function

* doctor pressure forcing people to turn off life support

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How might the research into the seat of consciousness save or cost the uk economy?

Removing life support for patients you know won’t recover could save the nhs a lot of money

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How can neuroscience enhance neurological function?

Improve abilities of normal individuals in complex academic tasks

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What are TDCS?

Trans directional current stimulation

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What do TDCS do?

Pass small electric current across specific brain regions

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What did Kadosh et al find about TDCS?

Led to improvement in problem solving, mathematical, language, memory and attention abilities

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Where can TDCS kits be bought?

£100 online sites such as Amazon

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Why might neuroenhancement be considered beneficial?

Improve and aid ability of students

People will achieve more and work better

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Why might neuroenhancement be considered unethical?

not everyone can afford it
cheating and achieving better than others
dishonesty not own abilities
feel forced to use it
possible effects

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What is the cost of depression alone in 2001? (Thomal and Morris)

£9.1 billion

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What do neuroscientists link mental illness to?

Neurological imbalances

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What should treatment of mental illness therefore do?

aim to correct biological imbalances through drug therapy

Why might treating those with mental illness with drug therapy be considered beneficial?

Helps them function better in society
Take part in other forms of therapy once balanced
Improved their quality of life

Why might treating patients with mental illness with drug therapy be considered unethical?

people unable to give full informed consent
forced treatment of sectioned patients
side effects

How could research into treatment of mental illness cost or save the uk economy?

Costs a lot to administer drugs | Save money - depression alone costed £9.1 billion in 2001

What is the role of any criminal justice system?

Rehabilitation of offenders to prevent further criminal behaviour

Where do some neuroscientists believe criminal behaviour stems from?

Abnormal neurotransmitter levels or brain activity

If criminal behaviour stems from abnormal brain activity what can be used to treat criminals?

Drugs

What did cherek et al investigate?

Levels of impulsivity and aggression in males with history of conduct disorder and criminal behaviour

What happens in chereks investigation?

Hale given placebo Half given SSRI paroxetine Those receiving paroxetine showed significant decrease in impulsive response and aggression

Why might treating criminals with drug therapy be considered beneficial?

Prevent further crime making safer society | Improve life of prisoners

Why might treating prisoners be unethical?

Forces treatment Feeling they have little choice - prisoners Side effects

How could research into treating criminals save or cost the uk economy?

Save criminal justice system money | Costs £40,000 to imprison someone for a year

What is neuromarketing? Give an example

Using neuroscience in advertising and marketing e.g eye tracking techniques to provide evidence o what catches a persons eye when looking at adverts or shopping

When did sands research use neuromarketing and what was the result?

Used when devising Volkswagen advert which upped traffic to site by half and led to successful sales year

Why might neuromarketing be considered beneficial?

Encouraging people to spend improves the economy

Why might neuromarketing be considered unethical?

Watching people | Encouraging people to spend money they don't have

How might neuromarketing save or cost the U.K. Economy?

Encouraging people to spend improves the economy

(Criminals) raine designed an enrichment programme based on what?

Research into brain dysfunction in criminals

(Criminals) who were the sample in Raines research?

83 children in Mauritius | 355 controls

(Criminals) children from the age of 3 were educated in a special facility with a staff child ratio of what?

5:1

(Criminals) raine the programme focused upon what?

Nutrition Education Activity

(Criminals) raine - assessment at age 17 showed what?

Less antisocial behaviour than controls

(Criminals) Raine - assessment at age 23 showed less what than controls?

Criminal behaviour

(Criminals) Raines research suggests crime can be prevented by what?

Early intervention

(Criminals) how does Raines research challenge free will?

Questions the accountability of murderers for their actions

(Criminals) measures could be taken to prevent what?

Criminal activity

(Criminals) there is an ethical issue of neuroscientists intervening with brain surgery on who?

Children who haven't committed a crime yet

(Criminals) Fontaine - what is more effective than punishment?

Behavioural modification

(Alzheimer's) why is there a growing urgency to understand more about Alzheimer's?

Increasing ageing population

(Alzheimer's) the world wide Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging was set up to do what?

Predict and monitor the disease | Sharing data with the rest of the world using PET and MRI scans

(Alzheimer's) the new info could do what?

Be used to treat, prevent and slow Alzheimer's

(Alzheimer's) what economic benefit could the research have?

Saving billions on care

(Alzheimer's) the research has to be on conducted on those already having Alzheimer's raising issues of what?

Full informed consent | They have confusion and memory loss