Ethical Issues in Neuroscience Research

This book is a set of recommendations from the Bioethics Commission in response to a request from President Obama to review the ethical issues associated with the conduct and implications of neuroscience research; and President Obama's request related to the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. Specifically the President asked the Bioethics Commission to "identify proactively a set of core ethical standards both to guide neuroscience research and to address some of the ethical dilemmas that may be raised by the application of neuroscience research findings." This book focuses on the integration of ethics into neuroscience research across the life of a research endeavor; and on the analysis on three particularly controversial topics that illustrate the ethical tensions and societal implications of advancing neuroscience and technology: cognitive enhancement, consent capacity, and neuroscience and the legal system. The book seeks to clarify the scientific landscape, identify common ground, and recommend ethical paths forward.