biological

• why is this a debate?

  neuroscience research provides benefits in increasing our understanding of human functioning however it raises ethical questions through the modifying techniques
• the three themes:

  • enhance brain function
  • treat criminal behaviour
  • understanding of consciousness
• NS is ethical to enhance brain function:

  • TDCS involves using an anode to stimulate targeted brain areas by electrical currents to improve cognitive ability
  • Kadosh = TDCS led to improvements in maths, problem solving , language, attention and memory
  • meta analysis of 289 patients shows TDCS helped treat depression
• NS is not ethical to enhance Brain function:

  • cadaver found that only 9% of the current reach the brain tissue- not representative to live brain though
  • TDCS is relatively cheap however still unfair to those who can't afford it = form of cheating
• NS is ethical to treat criminal behaviour:

  • Raine- PET scans to identify brain abnormalities in murderers pleading NGRI = reduced activity in pre frontal cortex
  • Coccaro - FMRI scans and found people with IED showed increased amygdala activity
• unethical to use NS to treat criminal behaviour:

  • Farah- offenders denied right to social freedom and neurological inventions would deny them control over body and mind
  • NS shouldn't be used to determine someones guilt
• NS is ethical to understand consciousness:

  • Crick and Koch - claustrum is where the conscious lies and neutrons bring together information from brain regions to form consciousness
  • Owens- vegetative station imagined game of tennis and found movement in the motor cortex
• NS isn't ethical with withdrawing life support:

  • patients who don't show signs of consciousness using current neuroscientific techniques may with further developments
  • used to determine wether life support should be withdrawn and if we have the moral right to withdraw it
• social implication:

  • using drugs to treat criminal behaviour = safer society
  • lack of regulation of TDCS may disadvantage people in society who cannot afford it
• economic implication:

  • cheap way of reducing reoffending that currently costs £9.5 billion
  • TDCS could help people perform better in their jobs