An overview of the ethical issues across the Human Brain Project

We prepared an overview of the ethical issues across the Human Brain Project, compiled in the context of the Ethics Rapporteur Programme and in our Ethics Trilateral Meetings. In the overview, we summarise some of the ethical issues and challenges identified by Ethics Rapporteurs across the Human Brain Project during the last phase of the…

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Inconsistencies in the treatment of disorders of consciousness: 200+ professionals surveyed

Research on patients who have impaired consciousness, especially those who acquired severe brain injury or who have suffered from prolonged disorders of consciousness, has exploded in the last decade, not least within the Human Brain Project. With two international guidelines (one from Europe and one from the United States) available to facilitate care for these…

Neuroethics & philosophical reflection in the Human Brain Project

In the Human Brain Project, neuroethics and philosophical reflection have provided an interface between empirical brain sciences, philosophy of mind, moral philosophy, ethics, psychology, and social sciences. The efforts made to include conceptual and normative reflection on the ethical, social, cultural, and philosophical issues that drive and arise from brain research are unique. Over the…

Consciousness, cognition and neuroethics in the clinical context

Neuroscience is making tremendous progress in the field of consciousness. With new knowledge on Disorders of Consciousness (i.e., Vegetative State/Unaware Wakefulness Syndrome, Minimally Conscious State, Cognitive-Motor Dissociation) coming out of the Human Brain Project, neuroethical reflection on both foundational and practical issues becomes imperative. Foundational issues include the definition of consciousness and its possible use…

Brain-inspired AI, neuroethics and responsible neuroscience: an AI ethics training module

Interest in artificial intelligence, and the field of AI ethics, has exploded in the last 10 years. We have developed a training module on the potential synergies between AI ethics and neuroethics. Using brain-inspired AI as a case study the course analyses two aspects: emerging issues and methodology. The goal is to raise awareness of…

Eye, photo by Swapnil Potdar on Unsplash

Identify, assess and better manage ethical issues raised by brain research!

Ethical reflection can actively contribute to maximising the public benefit derived from research and reduce (and hopefully help close) the gap that exists between science and society. Given the impressive advancement of scientific research on the brain, specifically on consciousness, and the rate of AI development and its translation in commercial applications, it is extremely…

Brain. Image by Meo from Pexels

Measuring & describing consciousness: clinical tool and theoretical model prove compatible

The debate on how to describe consciousness is lively in the research community. A recent paper in Neuroscience of Consciousness develops an analytical comparison between a clinical tool for assessing residual conscious activity, the so-called Perturbational Complexity Index, and a theoretical model of consciousness that is different from the one that inspired it, the Global…

Brain. Photo by David Matos on Unsplash

Broadening the debate on neurorights

Awareness of the need for neurotechnology governance has led to calls for a new set of ‘neurorights.’ The neurorights proposal, however, has sparked a lively debate. In a new book several experts reflect on the challenges and promises of neurotechnologies and on existing and proposed regulatory frameworks. One suggestion is that the neurorights proposal would…

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Responsibility key to implementing guidelines for treating disorders of consciousness

A disorder of consciousness is a state where consciousness has been affected by devastating damage to the brain. The diagnosis and health care of patients suffering from these disorders raise several clinical as well as ethical issues. And researchers are still looking for ways to solve them. Recent guidelines, European and American, offer important recommendations…