Neuroscience and Clinical Semester 1 Week 5: Ethical issues in neuroscience and clinical psychology

Question 1

What do researchers need in order to perform animal research?

Answer 1

1) Obtain a Home Office Personal License: Researchers need this license to perform any animal research.

2) Work under a Project License: valid for five years.

3) Conduct Research in a Licensed Establishment

Question 2

What is the local governance structure for animal research?

Answer 2

• AWERB – Animal Welfare and ethical review body
• PAAC1 and 2 – Procedures on animals assessment committee – reviews project license applications before they go to the Home office.
• 3Rs committee – overseas mid term reviews of grants and promotes good practice
• BSMB – Biological services management board – Ensures compliance with law, charges for animals, looking at the current and future estate.

Question 3

Replace, reduce, refine

Answer 3

• Replace: Methods which avoid or replace the use of animals
• Reduce: Methods which minimise the number of animals used per experiment
• Refine: Methods which minimise animal suffering and improve welfare

Question 4

Why is technology at the forefront of neuroscience ethics?

Answer 4

The mind was once seen as beyond external control. Advances in neural engineering and neurotechnology have made it more accessible, bringing benefits but also potential misuse that could threaten individual freedom of thought and behaviour.

Question 5

What is disruptive technology?

Answer 5

Disruptive technology in neuroscience refers to innovative tools or methods that significantly change or improve how we study and understand the brain.
E.g. optogenetics

Question 6

What are the main ethical issues arising from new technologies?

Answer 6

1. How to deal with what we learn about cognitive enhancement.
   Prioritise treatment of neurological disorders
   Make sure people have equal access to tools that could enhance brain function, so as not to worsen inequality
2. How to deal with the need to do research on people who can’t properly consent, including patients with traumatic brain injuries and dementia.
   Responsibly including these patients in studies by having legally authorised representatives to speak for them
3. How to incorporate what we learn about neuroscience into the legal system.
   Including new technology such as fMRI as a lie detector
   Ensuring that these aren’t heavily relied on as they aren’t foolproof

AI - will it replace humans?

Driverless vehicles - they will need to make ethical decisions

Question 7

What are some reasons why ethics can fail?

Answer 7

Conflict of interest: If a person who reviews grants has any conflict of interest, they should leave the room

Fabrication - creating false data or information

Falsification - altering or manipulating data

Plagiarism - presenting another’s work as your own

Confidentiality - leaking results or ideas before it’s published

Failure to acknowledge significant contribution

Professional competition - it can take lots of time and effort to get a paper in a top journal, so sometimes people cut corners

Commercial pressures on universities - pressure on universities to perform to get sufficient funding

Bias - if something you have a theory on is then proved wrong, you need to accept it and move on

Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation:
Intrinsically motivated scientists: finding out about how the world works is the end – happier
Extrinsically motivated scientists: finding out about how the world works is the means –career advancement is the end – less happy

Whistleblowing - detection of any misconduct is reported by anyone

Question 8

The British government’s chief scientific advisor has set out a universal ethical code for scientists.

Answer 8

• Act with skill and care, keep skills up to date
• Prevent corrupt practice and declare conflicts of interest
• Respect and acknowledge the work of other scientists
• Ensure that research is justified and lawful
• Minimise impacts on people, animals and the environment
• Discuss issues science raises for society
• Do not mislead; present evidence honestly

Question 9

Ethical principles in clinical psychology

Answer 9

Core principles: Protecting the rights, dignity, and welfare of research participants

Central principles: Informed consent, minimisation of harm, and privacy and confidentiality

Ethics is a methodological issue

Question 10

Informed consent

Answer 10

• Should be voluntary, no coercion
• Participants should understand what they are going to do
• Consider influences on freedom of choice e.g. fear that refusal may result in withdrawal of treatment or care, or offering large financial incentives
• Procedures for consent: patient information sheet and patient consent form

Question 11

Minimisation of harm

Answer 11

• Some studies may include necessary exposure to potential harm in order to test new medical procedures of medicines
• Direct harm:
  Asking participants about difficult experiences etc.
  Should have sufficient debriefing
• Indirect harm:
  Withholding of benefit: randomised controlled trials, some patients get help after a delay
  This also deprives them of a choice
  Inclusion criteria may cause excluded patients to feel invalidated or helpless

Question 12

Privacy and confidentiality

Answer 12

Privacy = participants have the right to not provide information to the researcher
Confidentiality = right to withhold information from third parties

• Confidentiality:
  Anonymity - becomes more important with greater sensitivity
  Specify in participant information sheet who will have access to data

Question 13

British psychological society: Code of Ethics and Conduct

Answer 13

Four general principles: Respect, competence, responsibility and integrity

Question 14

Steps for ethical decision making

Answer 14

Ethical sensitivity
Ethical reasoning
Ethical motivation
Ethical implementation