June 24, 2013

Nuffield Council on Bioethics report, ‘Novel neurotechnologies: intervening in the brain’

Many people live with conditions that affect the brain such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, stroke, chronic pain and depression. New technologies that intervene in the brain offer potential to help people with severe forms of these conditions, where other treatments have proved ineffective. 

Following an 18-month enquiry, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics has published a report on the ethical issues raised by the development and use of four types of technologies that intervene in the brain: neural stem cell therapies, deep brain stimulation, transcranial brain stimulation and brain-computer interfaces. Given the special status of the brain, important questions arise in relation to how the potential health benefits of the technologies weigh up against potential harms, how the treatments can be delivered effectively and communicated responsibly in the media, and possible unintended consequences of their use.

At this briefing, members of the Working Party presented recommendations about the development, regulation, use and communication of novel neurotechnologies in a number of settings including: 

• Care of patients and research participants
• Responsible research and innovation
• Regulation of medical technologies
• Non-medical applications including gaming, educational ‘enhancement’ and military purposes
• Communication and the media

Speakers:

Tom Baldwin (Chair of the Working Party), Professor of Philosophy, University of York

Graeme Laurie, Professor of Medical Jurisprudence and Director of Research, School of Law, University of Edinburgh

Ilina Singh, Professor of Science, Ethics and Society, Department of Social Science, Health and Medicine, King’s College London

Hugh Whittall, Director, Nuffield Council on Bioethics