The ability to interfere with the structure of the human brain is advancing at a very fast pace. Advances in psychiatry, neurology and neurosurgery have provided fresh insights into the neurobiological basis of human thought and behaviour. Technologies such as MRI and PET can detect early signs of mental disorders before symptoms appear. Electrical and magnetic stimulation of the brain can non-invasively alleviate symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression and other treatment-resistant conditions, and implanting neuroelectrodes can help patients with Parkinson's disease and other motor control disorders. New drugs can help regenerate neuronal connections that would otherwise be severed by schizophrenia and similar diseases. All these procedures and drugs alter the neuronal correlates of the mind and raise fascinating and important ethical questions about their benefits and harms. In a sense, these are some of the most profound bioethical questions facing society, as these techniques can affect the deepest aspects of the human mind: free will; personal identity; the self and the soul. This is the first book by a single author on what has become known as neuroethics. Walter Glannon uses a philosophical framework that is fully informed by cutting-edge neuroscience, as well as contemporary legal cases, to offer readers an introduction to this fascinating subject. He begins by describing the state of the art in neuroscientific research and treatment and provides the reader with an up-to-date picture of the brain. Glannon then looks at the ethical implications of different types of treatment, such as whether brain imaging will lead to a change in our views on free will and moral responsibility; whether patients should always be told that they are at risk of neurological disease in the future; if erasing unconscious emotional memories associated with depression can go too far; whether forcing behaviour-modifying drugs or surgery on violent criminals can ever be justified; the implications of cognitive enhancement drugs; and how to define brain death and the criteria for withdrawing life-sustaining drugs. Although Glannons' work is not exhaustive, it covers a wide range of fascinating issues.
