News and analysis on the implications of brain science.

The Paradox of Addiction Neuroscience

by Daniel Z. Buchman, Judy Illes, & Peter B. Reiner

Neuroethics

A paper published by the journal Neuroethics looks at the unintended consequences of labeling addiction as a “brain disease.”

Enhancing Brains

What Are We Afraid Of?

by Henry T. Greely

Cerebrum | July 14, 2010

In 2008, Henry T. Greely, a professor at Stanford Law School, co-authored a commentary in Nature that it concluded that “safe and effective cognitive enhancers will benefit both the individual and society.” In this new essay for Cerebrum, he argues that only some concerns about the use of cognitive enhancements are justified; it's proper to give attention to address these issues. But rather than banning cognitive enhancements, as some have suggested, we should determine rules for their use.

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From M.S. Patients, Outcry for Unproved Treatment

by Denise Grady

The New York Times | June 28, 2010

Medical professionals worry as MS patients clamor for a new, unproven treatment that involves opening veins to treat blocked heart arteries.  Though the research is only in the beginning stages, some patients are taking matters into their own hands, finding doctors abroad and in the U.S. who are willing to perform the procedure, despite its potential risks.

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Current Brain Imaging May Identify Memory, but Not Truth

by Tom Valeo

June 24, 2010

Studies using fMRI imaging to identify when a person recognizes a face are “only as good as a person’s memory,” reports one researcher. “All we could identify was a person’s belief that he or she had seen a particular face before,” but this belief could be strong even for faces the person had never seen.

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Economics Analysis Shows That Brain Imaging Research Can Accidentally Save Lives

Medical News Today | June 23, 2010

University of British Columbia researchers question existing recommendations for how to handle unexpected finds in brain imaging studies.

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School of Hock

by Misha Angrist

Slate | June 23, 2010

A “recovering geneticist” addresses the concerns over Berkeley and Stanford’s plans to analyze student DNA.

The Anosognosic’s Dilemma: Something’s Wrong but You’ll Never Know What It Is

by Errol Morris

The New York Times | June 20, 2010

In the first part of a five-part series for the New York Times, writer and award-winning filmmaker Errol Morris looks into the question, “Can you be too incompetent to understand just how incompetent you are?”

We Mustn’t Rush into a New MS Treatment – but We Mustn’t Waste Time, Either

by Julie Robillard and Judy Illes

Vancouver Sun | June 8, 2010

In a special to the Vancouver Sun, Dr. Julie Robillard and Dana Alliance member Dr. Judy Illes discuss the implications of promoting unproven health treatments through social networking sites and individual success stories in the media.  Referencing the recent media enthusiasm over an encouraging MS pilot study, Robillard and Illes note that such promotion can give false hope to patients and lead to irresponsible marketing practices by health care providers.

Neuroethics Society Annual Meeting

November 12, 2010, in San Diego, CA — The Neuroethics Society will hold its second meeting at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego on Friday, Nov. 12, the day before the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting begins. Activities begin on Thursday evening and span the full day on Friday. The program features a mix of talks, posters, panel discussions, and break-out groups.  Topics include Addiction Neuroethics, Global Mental Health and Neuroethics, and Teaching Neuroethics. See the Society's webpage for details. 

Past Annual Meeting held Nov. 13-14, 2008

The conference, attended by more than 200 people, also was held in Washington, DC. Dana Press blogged from the meeting.
See an album of pictures taken by attendees, as well as more photos courtesy of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which hosted the meeting at its headquarters.

 Listen to podcast interviews (mp3 format) with some of the featured speakers:
•Turhan Canli
•Martha Farah
•Hank Greely
•Steven Hyman
•Judy Illes

Webcasts
• Mind and Matter: Ethical Challenges of Deep Brain Stimulation (11/13/2008, Dana Center in Washington, DC)