Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, UC Riverside School of Medicine, Riverside, California, USA.
Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Stereotact Funct Neurosurg. 2024;102(5):308-324. doi: 10.1159/000539757. Epub 2024 Jul 10.
This scoping review aimed to synthesize the fragmented evidence on ethical concerns related to the use of electrical and magnetic neuromodulation technologies, as well as brain-computer interfaces for enhancing brain function in healthy individuals, addressing the gaps in understanding spurred by rapid technological advancements and ongoing ethical debates.
The following databases and interfaces were queried: MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science, PhilPapers, and Google Scholar. Additional references were identified via bibliographies of included citations. References included experimental studies, reviews, opinion papers, and letters to editors published in peer-reviewed journals that explored the ethical implications of electrical and magnetic neuromodulation technologies and brain-computer interfaces for enhancement of brain function in healthy adult or pediatric populations.
A total of 23 articles were included in the review, of which the majority explored expert opinions in the form of qualitative studies or surveys as well as reviews. Two studies explored the view of laypersons on the topic. The majority of evidence pointed to ethical concerns relating to a lack of sufficient efficacy and safety data for these new technologies, with the risks of invasive procedures potentially outweighing the benefits. Additionally, concerns about potential socioeconomic consequences were raised that could further exacerbate existing socioeconomic inequalities, as well as the risk of changes to person and environment.
This scoping review highlights a critical shortage of ethical research on electrical and magnetic neuromodulation technologies and brain-computer interfaces for enhancement of brain function in healthy individuals, with key concerns regarding the safety, efficacy, and socioeconomic impacts of neuromodulation technologies. It underscores the urgent need for integrating ethical considerations into neuroscientific research to address significant gaps and ensure equitable access and outcomes.
本范围综述旨在综合与使用电和磁神经调节技术以及脑机接口来增强健康个体大脑功能相关的伦理关注的零散证据，以解决由快速技术进步和持续的伦理辩论引发的理解空白。
查询了以下数据库和接口：MEDLINE（通过 PubMed）、Web of Science、PhilPapers 和 Google Scholar。通过纳入引文的参考文献目录确定了其他参考文献。参考文献包括在同行评议期刊上发表的实验研究、综述、观点论文和致编辑的信件，这些研究探讨了电和磁神经调节技术以及脑机接口在健康成年或儿科人群中增强大脑功能的伦理影响。
共有 23 篇文章被纳入综述，其中大多数以定性研究或调查以及综述的形式探讨了专家意见。两项研究探讨了公众对该主题的看法。大多数证据表明，这些新技术缺乏足够的疗效和安全性数据，存在潜在风险，侵入性程序的风险可能超过益处。此外，还提出了对潜在社会经济后果的担忧，这可能进一步加剧现有的社会经济不平等，以及人与环境发生变化的风险。
本范围综述突出表明，关于电和磁神经调节技术以及脑机接口在增强健康个体大脑功能方面的伦理研究严重不足，主要关注神经调节技术的安全性、疗效和社会经济影响。它强调了将伦理考虑纳入神经科学研究的紧迫性，以解决重大差距并确保公平获得和结果。
