A preparatory neuroethical approach to assessing developments in neurotechnology.

Abstract

Incising the Brain, Mind, and Self The intricate—and still not fully understood—relationship of the structures and functions of the brain to the properties of consciousness, cognition, emotion, and behavior that define what it is to be a human person represents an important philosophical and pragmatic construct of neurosurgery. Of course, any surgical intervention involves possibilities of changing the physical structure of the body to alter some subjective or objective qualities that are regarded to represent “the self” (one need only consider cosmetic surgery, perhaps the most obvious example). And, like all forms of surgery, neurosurgery possesses certain inherent risks (e.g., infection, hemorrhage), which are of concern when balancing benefits, burdens, and harms. Increasingly, neurosurgical intervention is being regarded as a valid, viable, and valuable option for the treatment of a number of neurological disorders and psychiatric conditions [1-4].