Intervening in the Brain: Changing Psyche and Society(29 Ethics of Science and Technology Assessment)

The Europäische Akademie is concerned with the study of the consequences of scientific and technological advance both for the individual and for society at large as well as for the natural environment. One important pillar of its work is to assess the consequences of advances in medical research and technology. In recent years, neuroscience has been a particularly prolific discipline stimulating many innovative treatment approaches in medicine. However, when it comes to the brain, new techniques of intervention do not always meet with a positive public response, in spite of promising therapeutic b- efits. The reason for this caution clearly is the brain’s special importance as “organ of the mind”. As such it is widely held to be the origin of mankind’s unique position among living beings. Likewise, on the level of the individual human being, the brain is considered the material substrate of those traits that in combination render each person unique. In view of this preeminent significance of the brain, it is understandable that, in general, interventions into the brain are considered a delicate issue and that new techniques of intervention are scrutinised with particular care. However, in doing so it is important not to go to the opposite extreme and shy away from promising new therapeutic approaches for debilitating disorders of the brain. With respect to the new techniques of brain intervention a broad int- disciplinary perspective is required to discern irrational fear from justified concern.

Table of Contents:
General Introduction.- General Introduction.- Techniques of Intervention.- Developmental Psychopharmacology.- Neurotransplantation and Gene Transfer.- Central Neural Prostheses.- Electrical Brain Stimulation for Psychiatric Disorders.- Societal, Ethical, and Legal Challenges.- Person, Personal Identity, and Personality.- Treatment — Prevention — Enhancement: Normative Foundations and Limits.- Conclusions and Recommendations.- Zusammenfassung.- Zusammenfassung.

Review :
From the reviews: "Written jointly by the study group, this book provides the group’s ethical, legal, and social analyses, as well as its recommendations for preliminary guidelines and further study. … The authors do a commendable job of reviewing analyses by other scholars and recommendations by expert panels in several other countries … . The authors have written thoughtful and though-provoking analyses of several important issues in neuroethics that deserve careful study by clinicians, scientists, philosophers, and policy-makers." (James L. Bernat, New England Journal of Medicine, November, 2007) "This book undertakes to examine the expected outcomes of intentional interventions in the brain. … The clear structure of the voluminous book allows to use it as a reference book … . The entire book gives a sober analysis of the techniques at stake; the discussion of conceptual and ethical problems is written in a clear and structured way, helping readers to form their own opinions on brain interventions which are meant to enhance human beings." (Jan-Christoph Heilinger, Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy, Vol. 10 (4), 2007) "The authors undertake a comprehensive and advanced analysis of current and approaching neuro-interventions, as well as an extensive discussion of the moral and legal questions about these interventions. … The book is directed at anyone with a background in neuroscience who is also interested in its ethical dimensions. … The book is remarkably sophisticated both in terms of its scientific exposition and philosophical analysis, a combination that is rare." (Erica Rangel, Doody's Review Service, August, 2007)