Neuroethics Flashcards
ethics
concerns how we live - a sense that there is a right and wrong way to how we should live
an ethical problem
one where we are not sure what to do, there is no clear sense of what the correct decision is
bioethics
the ethics of medical and biological sciences
neuroethics
the ethical, legal, and social impact of neuroscience
principle of autonomy
having the freedom to determine one’s own actions and behaviours. it applies in both medical and research settings.
a key aspect of autonomy
informed consent
informed consent
having all the information to be able to weigh the costs and benefits before agreeing
neuro-restoration
the use of manipulations to restore cognitive, affective, or behavioral functioning
neuro-enhancement
the use of manipulation to enhance cognitive, affective or behavioural functioning
psychosurgery
surgical removal or disruption of parts of the brain in an attempt to control psychiatric conditions or severe behavioural problrms
neurosurgery
surgical removal of a tumor or to stop bleeding - there is physical identifiable cause for he surgery
frontal lobotomy
became a common treatment in the 50s for psychosis, depression and neuroses.
it resulted in relief from anxiety and reduced symptoms. however, people were often left impaired.
problems with frontal lobotomy
- patients and families were not informed of the potential consequences
- the procedure was performed disproportionally on women
- was performed involuntarily on children
cingulotomy
more precise surgeries with fewer adverse effects than frontal lobotomy. has a reusable cost/benefit ratio.
reduced anxiety, depression and mostly commonly used for OCD or depression
deep brain stimulation
has become a common treatment for Parkinson’s disease and for OCD.
there are accidental neuroenhancements during the neurorestorative procedure.
OCD DBS (where do the electrodes go?)
electrodes are placed in the NAcc
principle of desperation
if treatment is used as last-resort, and so patients place more emphasis on the benefits over the costs
principle of anticipation
patient has unrealistic expectations of how good the results may be
principle of equity
equal access between people for treatment and solutions
extensive brain damage
may have far-reaching consequences, such as concussion, abuse during childhood, and people’s personalities transformed by damage across certain brain regions
Phineas Gage
had a rode penetrate his frontal lobe. Notable behavioral changes following includes changes in personality, low mood, anti-social, he became a liar, had bad manners, and was unable to make plans.
Parkinson’s disease therapy - possible effects
Some have reported developing artistic talents due to taking dopamine-enhancing medication. However, medication-induced changes are frequently not positive - dopamine medication can induce compulsive behavior
is fMRI invasive?
no
Brain-computer interfaces
enable actions without moving the body.
the BCI records the brain signal, sends the signal to a recording amplifier, which is based on training from previously collected data decodes the brain state, sends the information to an external controller which senses and actuates the motion.
open-loop system
records the sensory signal and produces a motor response, but that is all.
data security and privacy
data needs to be secure, and have legal protections and measures
closed-loop system
bidirectional feedback.
it allows for feedback from the environment and from the patient to be considered in a future environment
issues with bidirectional CBIs
- patient autonomy,
- potentially false expectations,
- responsibility for actions and data security and privacy
mental monitoring privacy
there is a lot of potential for the detection of mental states that a subject may not want to share
nudging (BCIs)
indirect suggestions to influence behavior based on information about us
