Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 3 |
| Pages (from-to) | 140-149 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | AJOB Neuroscience |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 3 Oct 2016 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Abstract
Recent developments in neuroscience have inspired proposals to perform deep brain stimulation on psychopathic detainees. We contend that these proposals cannot meet important ethical requirements that hold for both medical research and therapy. After providing a rough overview of key aspects of psychopathy and the prospects of tackling this condition via deep brain stimulation, we proceed to an ethical assessment of such measures, referring closely to the distinctive features of psychopathic personality, particularly the absence of subjective suffering and a lack of moral motivation. Scrutiny of these factors reveals that two essential bioethical criteria, individual medical benefit and voluntary informed consent, cannot be met in performing neurosurgical experiments or treatments on psychopathic inmates.
Keywords
- bioethics, deep brain stimulation, harm, human subjects, informed consent, neurosurgery
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Cite this
- Standard
- Harvard
- Apa
- Vancouver
- BibTeX
- RIS
In: AJOB Neuroscience, Vol. 7, No. 3, 3, 2016, p. 140-149.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Neurosurgery for Psychopaths?
T2 - An Ethical Analysis
AU - Hübner, Dietmar
AU - White, Lucie Alexandra
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Recent developments in neuroscience have inspired proposals to perform deep brain stimulation on psychopathic detainees. We contend that these proposals cannot meet important ethical requirements that hold for both medical research and therapy. After providing a rough overview of key aspects of psychopathy and the prospects of tackling this condition via deep brain stimulation, we proceed to an ethical assessment of such measures, referring closely to the distinctive features of psychopathic personality, particularly the absence of subjective suffering and a lack of moral motivation. Scrutiny of these factors reveals that two essential bioethical criteria, individual medical benefit and voluntary informed consent, cannot be met in performing neurosurgical experiments or treatments on psychopathic inmates.
AB - Recent developments in neuroscience have inspired proposals to perform deep brain stimulation on psychopathic detainees. We contend that these proposals cannot meet important ethical requirements that hold for both medical research and therapy. After providing a rough overview of key aspects of psychopathy and the prospects of tackling this condition via deep brain stimulation, we proceed to an ethical assessment of such measures, referring closely to the distinctive features of psychopathic personality, particularly the absence of subjective suffering and a lack of moral motivation. Scrutiny of these factors reveals that two essential bioethical criteria, individual medical benefit and voluntary informed consent, cannot be met in performing neurosurgical experiments or treatments on psychopathic inmates.
KW - bioethics
KW - deep brain stimulation
KW - harm
KW - human subjects
KW - informed consent
KW - neurosurgery
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84989810312&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/21507740.2016.1218376
DO - 10.1080/21507740.2016.1218376
M3 - Article
VL - 7
SP - 140
EP - 149
JO - AJOB Neuroscience
JF - AJOB Neuroscience
IS - 3
M1 - 3
ER -