Brain Research

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses brain imaging which may be able to answer questions about the brain, such as about human thoughts, emotions and actions. It also discusses some of the moral and ethical issues that must be considered when using this new technology. The paper focuses on research into the brain activity of criminals spending time in correctional facilities. It discusses whether it is too early to use neuroscience research, such as brain fingerprinting, as a definite substitute for the polygraph, to determine guilt or innocence, without first looking at ethical considerations.

From the Paper:

"Farah and Wolpe (35) state that neuroethics encompasses a variety of bioethical issues. Some are these are the same as the ones in the past as in biomedicine, such as the safety of advanced research and treatment methods, the rationing of promising approaches, and predictive testing for future illnesses when no cure is available. Other neuroethical concerns, however, are unique to neuroscience due to the subject matter. The brain is the organ of the mind and consciousness, the location of human of being and thought. Interventions here thus have different ethical considerations than those in other parts of the body. Also, expanding knowledge of mind-brain connections may impact determinations of competence, mental health and illness and death. Further, moral and legal conceptions of responsibility most likely will be susceptible to change as knowledge of the physical mechanisms of behavior becomes more enhanced. The whole concept of privacy and confidentiality of thought processes could be threatened by instruments that can actually show neural connections of innermost thoughts."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Annas, G. J. Terrorism and human rights. In the wake of terror: Medicine and morality in a time of crisis. J. D. Moreno (Ed.), Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 2003, 33-49.
• Coady, C. A. J. Politics and the problem of dirty hands. A companion to ethics P. Singer (Ed) Oxford, UK: Blackwell, 1991, 373-383.
• Davis, Matthew. World's biggest prison system. April 7, 2006. BBC News. 8 April 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4858580.stm
• Farah, M. J. Emerging ethical issues in neuroscience. Nature Neuroscience, 5.11 (2002), 1123-1129.
• Happel, Mark. Neuroscience and the detection of deception. The Review of Policy Research 22.5 (Sept 2005): 667(19).

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