Which of the following questions areraised regarding the use of nootropics?
A. How will these enhancers affect performance gaps between family income classes?
B. Will it become necessary to use an enhancing drug simply to remain competitive in society?
C. How does society distinguish between what is an acceptable substance (e.g. caffeine) & an unacceptable substance to alter one's mind?
Do people have the right to experiment with substances to modify their own cognition?
Cognitive enhancers may include:
Adderall
B. Ritalin
C. dimethylamylamine
D. racetams such as piracetam, oxiracetam, & aniracetam
Some bioethicist believe that neurological treatments may alter "brain identity".
A. Neuroscience has led to a deeper understanding of the chemical imbalances present in a disordered brain. In turn, this has resulted in the creation of new treatments & medications to treat these disorders. When these new treatments are first being tested, the experiments prompt ethical questions.
B. First, because the treatment is affecting the brain, the side effects can be unique & sometimes severe. A special kind of side effect that many subjects have claimed to experience in neurological treatment tests is changes in "personal identity".
C. Although this is a difficult ethical dilemma because there are no clear & undisputed definitions of personality, self, and identity, neurological treatments can result in patients losing parts of "themselves" such as memories or moods.
D. Yet another ethical dispute in neurological treatment research is the choice of patients. From a perspective of justice, priority should be given to those who are most seriously impaired and who will benefit most from the intervention. However, in a test group, scientists must select patients to secure a favorable risk-benefit ratio. Setting priority becomes more difficult when a patient's chance to benefit and the seriousness of their impairment do not go together.
What is the developing history of brain–computer interface (BCI)?
A. Professor Phillip Kennedy built the first intracortical brain–computer interface by implanting neurotrophic-cone electrodes into monkeys in 1987. After conducting initial studies in rats during the 1990s, Professor Miguel Nicolelis at Duke University developed BCIs that decoded brain activity in owl monkeys & used the devices to reproduce monkey movements in robotic arms. Following years of animal experimentation, the first neuroprosthetic devices implanted in humans appeared in the mid-1990s.
B. In 1999, researchers led by Yang Dan at the University of California, Berkeley decoded neuronal firings to reproduce images seen by cats. In 2009, the NCTU Brain-Computer-Interface-headband was reported. In 2011, researchers reported a cellular based BCI with the capability of taking EEG data & converting it into a command to cause the phone to ring.
C. In 2015, the BCI Society was officially launched.
D. In 2017, Neurostyle launched the first commercially available BCI system called Neurostyle Brain Exercise Therapy Towards Enhance Recovery (NBETTER) for stroke rehabilitation. It comprises a system that detects motor imagery with virtual reality feedback mechanism & optional additional physical feedback using a Continuous Passive Movement device.
Ethical issues with disorder of consciousness (DOD) include:
A. Patients in coma, vegetative, or minimally conscious state pose ethical challenges. The patients are unable to respond, therefore the assessment of their needs can only be approached by adopting a third person perspective. DODs present a variety of ethical concerns. Most obvious is the lack of consent in any treatment decisions. Social issues arise from the enormous costs that are caused by people with DOD.
B. Neuroscience & brain imaging have allowed us to explore the brain activity of these patients more thoroughly. Recent findings from studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging have changed the way we view vegetative patients.
C. The images have shown that aspects emotional processing, language comprehension, & even conscious awareness might be retained in patients whose behavior suggests a vegetative state. If this is the case, it is unethical to allow a third party to dictate the life & future of the patient.
Defining death is an issue that comes with patients with severe traumatic brain injuries. The decision to withdraw life-sustaining care from these patients can be based on uncertain assessments about the individual's conscious awareness. Case reports have shown that these patients in a persistent vegetative state can recover unexpectedly. This raises the ethical question about the premature termination of care by physicians.
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