Contemporary Debate: Neuroscience Flashcards
Intro to C.D 2
- Neuroscience is scientific study of the brain and nervous system
- Study enables alterations to be made ti change human behaviour
- Means behaviour is manipulated, with or without person’s knowledge
- Some unsure if neuroscience is actually beneficial or if the benefits go on to create future difficulties
First point: ‘Brain Implant’
- BBC 2021 article, Sarah in her 30s given brain implant for her severe depression
- Sits in skull and wired to the brain. Drills into skull to fit wires that monitor and stimulate the brain. Box contains a battery and pulse generator that tucks into the bone
- Depression circuits located: for Sarah, this was in her ventral striatum. Constant Stimulation eliminates feelings of depression.
Ethical because of Sarah’s inmediate improvement, feeling ‘euphoric’, all suicidal thoughts left. Unethical because the surgery can be very risky since its all day.
First point: ‘Brain Implant’ - Implications
ECONOMIC:Researchers more likely to fund if they see the massive improvement from Sarah.
SOCIAL: Considering if it is feasible to provide a brain implant due to long waiting lists - many will seek this out as they have exhausted all other options
ECONOMIC: Workplaces won’t have to fund sick days causes by depression.
First point: ‘Brain implant’- Conclusion
- Ethical because of its life changing effects on patients eith severe depression.
- More research must be done to better understand any side effects that we don’t know about.
Secons point: ‘EEGs and Antidepressants’
- Neuroscience can help find an effective antidepressant to treat depression
- Etkin (uni of california) used EEGs to measure the electrical activity of the brain via electrodes placed on skull
- AI finds a distinctive signature to see if they’ll suit sertraline
- 65% responded to the treatment, considered groundbreaking since trial and error leads to patients stuck on ineffective drugs for 6-8 weeks. Only 40% respond to first drug
- Activity on left hemisphere means more likely suited for the drug
Ethical because it prevents patients from experiencing long wait times. This version increases liklihood of improvement as soon as possible. Unethical because AI only trained on 1 drug, we don’t know if it is effective for all.
Second point: ‘EEGs and Antidepressants’ - Implications
ECONOMIC: 109 million days lost due to depression every year in UK. This treatment could decrease this number, leading to increased profit as cover doesn’t have to be provided.
SOCIAL: The more people at a workplace, the better the environment and the more efficient it is.
ECONOMIC: NHS does not waste time prescribing ineffective treatments and leaving more empty slots for people who need them.
Second point: ‘EEGs and Antidepressants’ - Conclusion
- Ethical as it will save workplaces time and money from sick days taken due to depression
- NHS will reap the benefits of less people being admitted for ineffective drugs
- Unethical as we don’t know if the AI used is actually effective on every drug.
Third point: ‘Crime and tDCS’
- 6.74 million crime offences reporter in 2022/2023 in England and Wales
- Prison/Community sentences, , restorative justice/education programmes and cognitive behaviour treatments
- Raine argues theres a Biological contribution to criminal behaviours
- Raine: 20 mins ot tDCS (electrical Stimulation to prefrontal) cab reduce intention of aggression but has not been tested on criminals.
Ethical because it might solve severe overcrowding and reoffending rates in prisons. Unethical because we don’t know if it works on criminals, only in normal citizens. May increase violent or non violent crime.
Third point: ‘Crime and tDCS’ - Implications
WIDER: Might make wider society safer if effective on criminals due to reduced rate of violent behaviour and reoccurrence rate.
ECONOMIC: Reduced government costs of sending people to prison, especially if they are reoffending.
Third point: ‘Crime and tDCS’ - Conclusion
- Ethical choice for criminals as less of the reoffend. Also may reduce individuals at risk of becoming criminal’s intentions too.
- However we don’t know if the treatment will actuslly make criminal behaviour worse.
