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Versace J, Tazrin S, O'Connor E, Sekibo J, Morey E, Kasinopoulou A, O'Donoghue D, Simblett SK. The role of spirituality and identity formation in personal recovery from traumatic brain injury: A qualitative analysis through the personal experiences of survivors. Neuropsychol Rehabil 2024; 34:1110-1140. [PMID: 38006578 DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2023.2274624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a type of acquired brain injury (ABI) that happens when a sudden, external, physical assault damages the brain. TBI can cause long-term cognitive impairments and other lifestyle changes that may affect psychological wellbeing. Among the psychological challenges people recovering from TBI often face is the subjective loss of their pre-injury identity. Quantitative and qualitative research suggests that spirituality can play a positive role in recovery from TBI, increasing the quality of life and overall mental health. However, thus far, the research into this topic has not directly addressed the relationship between identity and spirituality after TBI. The present study sought to do this by thematically analyzing 22 public podcasts featuring interviews of people recovering from TBI telling their stories. The authors review the spiritual themes discussed in the podcasts and then propose a hypothesis about how, through a sense of connection to something self-transcendent, spirituality may enable people to test new meanings and identities, relatively free from the consequences of discrepancy in meaning and identity after TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Versace
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - S Tazrin
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - E O'Connor
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - J Sekibo
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - E Morey
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - A Kasinopoulou
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - D O'Donoghue
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - S K Simblett
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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2
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Krug H, Scharf A, Weber K, Kühn AA, Krause P, Haug S. [Pacemaker, organ or walking stick? Pre-op association with and post-op subjective perception of a deep brain stimulation device]. FORTSCHRITTE DER NEUROLOGIE-PSYCHIATRIE 2023. [PMID: 38113904 DOI: 10.1055/a-2202-9772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
AIM OF THE STUDY This study was conducted in a pre-post design with a survey of patients who had undergone deep brain stimulation (DBS) as treatment for a neurological movement disorder. The aim of the study was to compare patients' expectations and beliefs before a DBS intervention with patients' subjective experience of this intervention. METHODOLOGY The longitudinal study of patients (n=132) with an indication for DBS therapy was based on a written survey at the time points of preoperative screening (pre-op) and one-year follow-up (post-op). RESULTS Preoperatively, a clear majority of respondents believed DSB to be similar to a pacemaker intervention, but one year after the intervention less than one third did so, as they compared DBS to using a walking stick or glasses. CONCLUSION The experience of DBS in the patient's own body seems to be comparable by means of individually different associations, whereby the comparison with non-invasive aids predominates postoperatively. The discussion of these descriptions in the educational interview can contribute to a realistic horizon of patients' expectations before DBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henriette Krug
- Fakultät Gesundheitswissenschaften, MSH Medical School Hamburg University of Applied Sciences and Medical University, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anna Scharf
- Institut für Sozialforschung und Technikfolgenabschätzung, Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Karsten Weber
- Institut für Sozialforschung und Technikfolgenabschätzung, Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Andrea A Kühn
- Klinik für Neurologie, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Patricia Krause
- Klinik für Neurologie, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sonja Haug
- Institut für Sozialforschung und Technikfolgenabschätzung, Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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3
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Lyreskog DM. Withering Minds: towards a unified embodied mind theory of personal identity for understanding dementia. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2023; 49:699-706. [PMID: 34509984 PMCID: PMC10579458 DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2021-107381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A prominent view on personal identity over time, Jeff McMahan's 'Embodied Mind Account' (2002) holds that we cease to exist only once our brains can no longer sustain the basic capacity to uphold consciousness. One of the many implications of this view on identity persistence is that we continue to exist throughout even the most severe cases of dementia, until our consciousness irreversibly shuts down. In this paper, I argue that, while the most convincing of prominent accounts of personal identity over time, McMahan's account faces serious challenges in explanatory power of dementias and related neurodegenerative conditions. Particularly, this becomes visible in the face of emerging methods for neural tissue regeneration, and the possibility of 're-emerging patients'. I argue that medical professionals' neglecting qualitative aspects of identity risks resulting in grave misunderstandings in decision-making processes, and ethically objectionable outcomes in future practices. Finally, I propose revisions which could potentially salvage the great benefits that Embodied Mind Theory still can bring to the field of dementia care in terms of understanding life, death, and identity across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Lyreskog
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities, Oxford, UK
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4
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Trang A, Kelly-Hedrick M. Inviting Clinicians to Become Neuroethicists: The Value of Shared Language for Integration in Neuroethics. AJOB Neurosci 2023; 14:408-410. [PMID: 37856357 DOI: 10.1080/21507740.2023.2257164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
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5
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Ishida S, Nishitsutsumi Y, Kashioka H, Taguchi T, Shineha R. A comparative review on neuroethical issues in neuroscientific and neuroethical journals. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1160611. [PMID: 37781239 PMCID: PMC10536163 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1160611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
This study is a pilot literature review that compares the interest of neuroethicists and neuroscientists. It aims to determine whether there is a significant gap between the neuroethical issues addressed in philosophical neuroethics journals and neuroscience journals. We retrieved 614 articles from two specialist neuroethics journals (Neuroethics and AJOB Neuroscience) and 82 neuroethics-focused articles from three specialist neuroscience journals (Neuron, Nature Neuroscience, and Nature Reviews Neuroscience). We classified these articles in light of the neuroethical issue in question before we compared the neuroethical issues addressed in philosophical neuroethics with those addressed by neuroscientists. A notable result is a parallelism between them as a general tendency. Neuroscientific articles cover most neuroethical issues discussed by philosophical ethicists and vice versa. Subsequently, there are notable discrepancies between the two bodies of neuroethics literature. For instance, theoretical questions, such as the ethics of moral enhancement and the philosophical implications of neuroscientific findings on our conception of personhood, are more intensely discussed in philosophical-neuroethical articles. Conversely, neuroscientific articles tend to emphasize practical questions, such as how to successfully integrate ethical perspectives into scientific research projects and justifiable practices of animal-involving neuroscientific research. These observations will help us settle the common starting point of the attempt at "ethics integration" in emerging neuroscience, contributing to better governance design and neuroethical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Ishida
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yu Nishitsutsumi
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Japan
| | - Hideki Kashioka
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Japan
| | - Takahisa Taguchi
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Japan
| | - Ryuma Shineha
- Research Center on Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
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6
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Schulz S, Harzheim L, Hübner C, Lorke M, Jünger S, Woopen C. Patient-centered empirical research on ethically relevant psychosocial and cultural aspects of cochlear, glaucoma and cardiovascular implants - a scoping review. BMC Med Ethics 2023; 24:68. [PMID: 37641094 PMCID: PMC10464431 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-023-00945-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The significance of medical implants goes beyond technical functioning and reaches into everyday life, with consequences for individuals as well as society. Ethical aspects associated with the everyday use of implants are relevant for individuals' lifeworlds and need to be considered in implant care and in the course of technical developments. METHODS This scoping review aimed to provide a synthesis of the existing evidence regarding ethically relevant psychosocial and cultural aspects in cochlear, glaucoma and cardiovascular implants in patient-centered empirical research. Systematic literature searches were conducted in EBSCOhost, Philpapers, PsycNET, Pubmed, Web of Science and BELIT databases. Eligible studies were articles in German or English language published since 2000 dealing with ethically relevant aspects of cochlear, glaucoma and passive cardiovascular implants based on empirical findings from the perspective of (prospective) implant-wearers and their significant others. Following a descriptive-analytical approach, a data extraction form was developed and relevant data were extracted accordingly. We combined a basic numerical analysis of study characteristics with a thematically organized narrative synthesis of the data. RESULTS Sixty-nine studies were included in the present analysis. Fifty were in the field of cochlear implants, sixteen in the field of passive cardiovascular implants and three in the field of glaucoma implants. Implant-related aspects were mainly found in connection with autonomy, freedom, identity, participation and justice, whereas little to no data was found with regards to ethical principles of privacy, safety or sustainability. CONCLUSIONS Empirical research on ethical aspects of implant use in everyday life is highly relevant, but marked by ambiguity and unclarity in the operationalization of ethical terms and contextualization. A transparent orientation framework for the exploration and acknowledgment of ethical aspects in "lived experiences" may contribute to the improvement of individual care, healthcare programs and research quality in this area. Ethics-sensitive care requires creating awareness for cultural and identity-related issues, promoting health literacy to strengthen patient autonomy as well as adjusting healthcare programs accordingly. More consideration needs to be given to sustainability issues in implant development and care according to an approach of ethics-by-design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Schulz
- Cologne Center for Ethics, Rights, Economics, and Social Sciences of Health (CERES), University of Cologne and University Hospital of Cologne, Universitätsstraße 91, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Laura Harzheim
- Cologne Center for Ethics, Rights, Economics, and Social Sciences of Health (CERES), University of Cologne and University Hospital of Cologne, Universitätsstraße 91, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Constanze Hübner
- Center for Life Ethics, University of Bonn, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Mariya Lorke
- Faculty of Engineering and Mathematics, University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSBI), 33619, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Saskia Jünger
- Department of Community Health, University of Applied Health Sciences Bochum, Gesundheitscampus 6-8, 44801, Bochum, Germany
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Zuk P, Sanchez CE, Kostick-Quenet K, Muñoz KA, Kalwani L, Lavingia R, Torgerson L, Sierra-Mercado D, Robinson JO, Pereira S, Outram S, Koenig BA, McGuire AL, Lázaro-Muñoz G. Researcher Views on Changes in Personality, Mood, and Behavior in Next-Generation Deep Brain Stimulation. AJOB Neurosci 2023; 14:287-299. [PMID: 35435795 PMCID: PMC9639000 DOI: 10.1080/21507740.2022.2048724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The literature on deep brain stimulation (DBS) and adaptive DBS (aDBS) raises concerns that these technologies may affect personality, mood, and behavior. We conducted semi-structured interviews with researchers (n = 23) involved in developing next-generation DBS systems, exploring their perspectives on ethics and policy topics including whether DBS/aDBS can cause such changes. The majority of researchers reported being aware of personality, mood, or behavioral (PMB) changes in recipients of DBS/aDBS. Researchers offered varying estimates of the frequency of PMB changes. A smaller majority reported changes in personality specifically. Some expressed reservations about the scientific status of the term 'personality,' while others used it freely. Most researchers discussed negative PMB changes, but a majority said that DBS/aDBS can also result in positive changes. Several researchers viewed positive PMB changes as part of the therapeutic goal in psychiatric applications of DBS/aDBS. Finally, several discussed potential causes of PMB changes other than the device itself.
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8
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Boulicault M, Goering S, Klein E, Dougherty D, Widge AS. The Role of Family Members in Psychiatric Deep Brain Stimulation Trials: More Than Psychosocial Support. NEUROETHICS-NETH 2023; 16:14. [PMID: 37250273 PMCID: PMC10212803 DOI: 10.1007/s12152-023-09520-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Family members can provide crucial support to individuals participating in clinical trials. In research on the "newest frontier" of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)-the use of DBS for psychiatric conditions-family member support is frequently listed as a criterion for trial enrollment. Despite the significance of family members, qualitative ethics research on DBS for psychiatric conditions has focused almost exclusively on the perspectives and experiences of DBS recipients. This qualitative study is one of the first to include both DBS recipients and their family members as interview participants. Using dyadic thematic analysis-an approach that takes both the individuals and the relationship as units of analyses-this study analyzes the complex ways in which family relationships can affect DBS trial participation, and how DBS trial participation in turn influences family relationships. Based on these findings, we propose ways to improve study designs to better take family relationships into account, and better support family members in taking on the complex, essential roles that they play in DBS trials for psychiatric conditions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12152-023-09520-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Boulicault
- Department of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Center for Neurotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Sara Goering
- Center for Neurotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
- Department of Philosophy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Eran Klein
- Center for Neurotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, Portland, OR USA
| | - Darin Dougherty
- Neurotherapeutics Division, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Alik S. Widge
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA
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9
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Caregiver Burden in Partners of Parkinsonian Patients with Deep Brain Stimulation. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020238. [PMID: 35204001 PMCID: PMC8870343 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, the progressive nature of the disease and the variability of disabling motor and non-motor symptoms contribute to the growing caregiver burden of PD partners and conflicts in their relationships. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) improves PD symptoms and patients’ quality of life but necessitates an intensified therapy optimization after DBS surgery. This review illuminates caregiver burden in the context of DBS, framing both pre- and postoperative aspects. We aim to provide an overview of perioperative factors influencing caregiver burden and wish to stimulate further recognition of caregiver burden of PD patients with DBS.
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10
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Bluhm R, Castillo E, Achtyes ED, McCright AM, Cabrera LY. They Affect the Person, but for Better or Worse? Perceptions of Electroceutical Interventions for Depression Among Psychiatrists, Patients, and the Public. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2021; 31:2542-2553. [PMID: 34672815 PMCID: PMC8579329 DOI: 10.1177/10497323211037642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Responding to reports of cases of personality change following deep brain stimulation, neuroethicists have debated the nature and ethical implications of these changes. Recently, this literature has been challenged as being overblown and therefore potentially an impediment to patients accessing needed treatment. We interviewed 16 psychiatrists, 16 patients with depression, and 16 members of the public without depression, all from the Midwestern United States, about their views on how three electroceutical interventions (deep brain stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy, and transcranial magnetic stimulation) used to treat depression might affect the self. Participants were also asked to compare the electroceuticals' effects on the self with the effects of commonly used depression treatments (psychotherapy and pharmaceuticals). Using qualitative content analysis, we found that participants' views on electroceuticals' potential effects on the self mainly focused on treatment effectiveness and side effects. Our results have implications for both theoretical discussions in neuroethics and clinical practice in psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Bluhm
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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11
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Chacón Gámez YM, Brugger F, Biller-Andorno N. Parkinson's Disease and Deep Brain Stimulation Have an Impact on My Life: A Multimodal Study on the Experiences of Patients and Family Caregivers. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18189516. [PMID: 34574440 PMCID: PMC8467519 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18189516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) has a large impact on patients’ physical and mental health, which also greatly affects their family caregivers. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has emerged as an effective treatment for PD, but different authors have expressed their concerns about the potential impact of DBS on personality and identity. Our study aims at better understanding how patients and family caregivers experience life with PD and DBS, the impact of both on their personal and social lives, and their perception of the changes that have occurred as a result of the disease and the treatment. Our study applies a multimodal approach by means of narrative semi-structured interviews and drawings. Seven principal themes have been identified: “everyone’s Parkinson’s is different”, “changing as a person during the disease”, “going through Parkinson’s together”, “DBS improved my life”, “I am treated with DBS but I have Parkinson’s still”, “DBS is not perfect”, and “being different after DBS”. PD is perceived as an unpredictable and heterogeneous disease that changes from person to person, as does the effect of DBS. While DBS side-effects may have an impact on patients’ personality, behavior, and self-perception, PD symptoms and drug side-effects also have a great impact on these aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yolanda María Chacón Gámez
- Institute of Medical Bioethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Wintherthurerstrasse 30, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland;
- Correspondence:
| | - Florian Brugger
- Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Klinik für Neurologie, Haus 04 Rorsacher Strasse 95, 9007 St. Gallen, Switzerland;
| | - Nikola Biller-Andorno
- Institute of Medical Bioethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Wintherthurerstrasse 30, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland;
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12
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Wilt JA, Merner AR, Zeigler J, Montpetite M, Kubu CS. Does Personality Change Follow Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson's Disease Patients? Front Psychol 2021; 12:643277. [PMID: 34393883 PMCID: PMC8361492 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.643277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has emerged as a safe, effective, and appealing treatment for Parkinson's Disease (PD), particularly for improving motor symptoms (e. g., tremor, bradykinesia, and rigidity). However, concerns have been raised about whether DBS causes psychological changes, including changes to personality: characteristic and relatively stable patterns of affect, behavior, cognition, and desire. In this article, after first presenting some background information about PD and DBS, we examined evidence obtained from various empirical research methods (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods for evaluating patient valued characteristics) pertaining to whether DBS causes personality change. General limitations across research methods include a lack of randomized clinical trials and small sample sizes. We organized our review of findings according to different layers of personality variables: dispositional traits (including personality pathology), characteristic adaptations, and narrative identity. Though most work has been done on dispositional traits, there is not much evidence that dispositional traits change following DBS. Little work has been done on characteristic adaptations, but there is somewhat consistent evidence for positive perceived progress toward goals across a number of domains: routine activities, work, social/relational, and leisure. Nascent work on narrative identity holds promise for revealing issues around self-image that may be common following DBS. We listed a number of strategies for advancing research, highlighting opportunities related to personality conceptualization, personality assessment, and interdisciplinary scholarship. Finally, we offer practical applications of our findings for the informed consent process and for ongoing treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua A Wilt
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Amanda R Merner
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Jaclyn Zeigler
- Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | | | - Cynthia S Kubu
- Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States.,Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
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13
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Dietrich AD, Koeppen JA, Buhmann C, Pötter-Nerger M, Pinnschmidt HO, Oehlwein C, Oehlwein M, Mittmann K, Gerloff C, Engel AK, Westphal M, Schaper M, Hamel W, Moll CKE, Gulberti A. Sex Disparities in the Self-Evaluation of Subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation Effects on Mood and Personality in Parkinson's Disease Patients. Front Neurol 2020; 11:776. [PMID: 32849228 PMCID: PMC7412792 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in personality are one of the main concerns Parkinson's disease (PD) patients raise when facing the decision to undergo neurosurgery for deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN). While clinical instruments for monitoring functional changes following DBS surgery are well-established in the daily therapeutic routine, personality issues are far less systematically encompassed. Moreover, while sex disparities in the outcomes of STN-DBS therapy have been reported, little is known about the different effects that DBS treatment may have on mood and personality traits in female and male patients. To this aim, the effect of STN-DBS on personality traits was assessed in 46 PD patients (12 women and 34 men) by means of the Freiburg Personality Inventory. The Becks Depression Inventory (BDI-I) and the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire were used to evaluate patients' level of depression and quality of life (QoL). Patients completed the questionnaires a few days before, within the first year, and 2 years after surgery. The 12 personality traits defined by the FPI-R questionnaire did not change significantly after STN-DBS surgery (p = 0.198). Women declared higher depression scores through all study stages (p = 0.009), but also showed a stronger QoL amelioration after surgery than male patients (p = 0.022). The BDI-I scores of female patients clearly correlated with their levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD; r = 0.621, p = 0.008). Remarkably, in both male and female patients, higher pre-operative LEDDs were related to worse post-operative QoL scores (p = 0.034). These results mitigate the concerns about systematic personality changes due to STN-DBS treatment in PD patients and encourage an early DBS approach, before severe levodopa-induced sequelae may irreparably compromise the patients' QoL. In the future, more focus should lie on sex-related effects, since female patients seem to profit more than male patients from STN-DBS, in terms of reduced depressive symptoms associated with a reduction of the LEDD and amelioration of QoL. These aspects may help to redress the sex imbalance in PD patients treated with DBS, given that women are still strongly under-represented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelie D Dietrich
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johannes A Koeppen
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Carsten Buhmann
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Monika Pötter-Nerger
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hans O Pinnschmidt
- Department of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Oehlwein
- Neurological Outpatient Clinic for Parkinson's Disease and Deep Brain Stimulation, Gera, Germany
| | - Marita Oehlwein
- Neurological Outpatient Clinic for Parkinson's Disease and Deep Brain Stimulation, Gera, Germany
| | - Katrin Mittmann
- Neurological Outpatient Clinic for Parkinson's Disease and Deep Brain Stimulation, Gera, Germany
| | - Christian Gerloff
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andreas K Engel
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Westphal
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Miriam Schaper
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hamel
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian K E Moll
- Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alessandro Gulberti
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Neurophysiology and Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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14
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Pugh J. Clarifying the Normative Significance of 'Personality Changes' Following Deep Brain Stimulation. SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ETHICS 2020; 26:1655-1680. [PMID: 32189235 PMCID: PMC7286862 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-020-00207-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
There is evidence to suggest that some patients who undergo Deep Brain Stimulation can experience changes to dispositional, emotional and behavioural states that play a central role in conceptions of personality, identity, autonomy, authenticity, agency and/or self (PIAAAS). For example, some patients undergoing DBS for Parkinson's Disease have developed hypersexuality, and some have reported increased apathy. Moreover, experimental psychiatric applications of DBS may intentionally seek to elicit changes to the patient's dispositional, emotional and behavioural states, in so far as dysfunctions in these states may undergird the targeted disorder. Such changes following DBS have been of considerable interest to ethicists, but there is a considerable degree of conflict amongst different parties to this debate about whether DBS really does change PIAAAS, and whether this matters. This paper explores these conflicting views and suggests that we may be able to mediate this conflict by attending more closely to what parties to the debate mean when they invoke the concepts lumped together under the acronym PIAAAS. Drawing on empirical work on patient attitudes, this paper outlines how these different understandings of the concepts incorporated into PIAAAS have been understood in this debate, and how they may relate to other fundamental concepts in medical ethics such as well-being and autonomy. The paper clarifies some key areas of disagreement in this context, and develops proposals for how ethicists might fruitfully contribute to future empirical assessments of apparent changes to PIAAAS following DBS treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Pugh
- Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford, Suite 8, Littlegate House, St Ebbes Street, Oxford, OX1 1PT, UK.
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Desmoulin-Canselier S. DBS: a compelling example for ethical and legal reflection-a French perspective on ethical and legal concerns about DBS. Monash Bioeth Rev 2020; 38:15-34. [PMID: 32335863 DOI: 10.1007/s40592-020-00111-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an approved treatment for neurological diseases and a promising one for psychiatric conditions, which may produce spectacular results very quickly. It is also a powerful tool for brain research and exploration. Beyond an overview of the ethical and legal literature on this topic, this paper aims at showing that DBS is a compelling example for ethical-legal reflection, as it combines a highly technical surgical procedure, a complex active medical device and neuromodulation of the human brain to restore lost abilities caused by a chronic and evolving disease. Some of the ethical and legal issues raised by DBS are not specific, but shed new light on medical ethics and law. Others are more DBS-specific, as they are linked to the intricacies of research and treatment, to the need to tune the device, to the patients' control over the device and its effects and to the involvement of family caregivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Desmoulin-Canselier
- NormaStim Program ANR14-CE30-0016, University of Nantes (UMR 6297 DCS), Nantes, France. .,Laboratoire Droit et Changement Social, UMR CNRS 6297: Faculté de Droit de Nantes, Chemin de la Censive du Tertre, BP 8130744 313, Nantes Cedex 3, France.
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Walker MJ, Mackenzie C. Neurotechnologies, Relational Autonomy, and Authenticity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FEMINIST APPROACHES TO BIOETHICS 2020. [DOI: 10.3138/ijfab.13.1.06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The ethical debate about neurotechnologies has been largely framed around their effects on authenticity. In this paper, we investigate the concept of authenticity and associated conceptions of the self. We develop a conception of authenticity that eschews problematic essentialist or existentialist views of the self and the assumption that the authentic self transcends socialization. In our view, authenticity is a condition for self-governance and can involve either endorsement or acknowledgment. Revisiting the debate about neurotechnologies, we show why framing the ethical debate in terms of authenticity is unhelpful and argue that these ethical concerns are better understood as concerns about autonomy.
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Aggarwal S, Chugh N. Ethical Implications of Closed Loop Brain Device: 10-Year Review. Minds Mach (Dordr) 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11023-020-09518-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Gilbert F, Brown, Dasgupta, Martens, Klein, Goering. An Instrument to Capture the Phenomenology of Implantable Brain Device Use. NEUROETHICS-NETH 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s12152-019-09422-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Mosley PE, Robinson K, Coyne T, Silburn P, Breakspear M, Carter A. ‘Woe Betides Anybody Who Tries to Turn me Down.’ A Qualitative Analysis of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms Following Subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson’s Disease. NEUROETHICS-NETH 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s12152-019-09410-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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What we (Should) Talk about when we Talk about Deep Brain Stimulation and Personal Identity. NEUROETHICS-NETH 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s12152-019-09396-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Eich S, Müller O, Schulze-Bonhage A. Changes in self-perception in patients treated with neurostimulating devices. Epilepsy Behav 2019; 90:25-30. [PMID: 30500485 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent years, qualitative changes in self-perception have been reported in individual patients undergoing brain stimulation to treat their neurological disease. We here report a first systematic study addressing these unwanted treatment effects in a semiquantitative way. HYPOTHESES Hypothesis 1 (H1): Changes in self-perception can be detected and documented in patients following interventions with various neurostimulating devices using standardized assessment tools. Hypothesis 2 (H2): Central nervous-implanted neurostimulating devices (deep brain stimulation [DBS]) will have a greater impact on the patient's self-perception than "peripheral" implanted devices (implanted vagus nerve stimulation [iVNS]) and external devices (transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation [tVNS] or transcutaneous electrical trigeminal nerve stimulation [eTNS]). METHODS Application of a newly developed semiquantitative questionnaire (FST-questionnaire [Fragebogen zur Veränderung der Selbstwahrnehmung unter tiefer Hirnstimulation]: Questionnaire regarding changes in self-perception while treated with DBS) to systematically assess changes in self-perception in a single-center, cross-sectional pilot-study at the University Hospital Freiburg, Germany on 50 patients (44% male; age 50 years [range: 27-73 years]), undergoing neurostimulation (DBS, iVNS, tVNS, or eTNS) to treat Parkinson's disease or epilepsy. RESULTS Standardized assessment detected alterations in self-perception in all treatment groups (H1 approved). This included rare self-alienating changes in self-perception. Unexpectedly, peripheral neurostimulation had similar effects as central stimulation techniques. CONCLUSIONS Properly designed questionnaires - like the FST-questionnaire as standardized assessment tool - can detect changes in self-perception in patients during neurostimulatory treatment in a wide spectrum of brain stimulation techniques. This may provide a strategy to systematically identify the subgroup of patients liable to experience such problems during treatment already prior to treatment decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Eich
- University Hospital Freiburg, Dept. of Epileptology, Hugstetter Strasse 49, DE 79106 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Oliver Müller
- University of Freiburg, BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence, Friedrichstrasse 39, DE 79098 Freiburg, Germany; Department of Philosophy, University of Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Andreas Schulze-Bonhage
- University Hospital Freiburg, Dept. of Epileptology, Hugstetter Strasse 49, DE 79106 Freiburg, Germany; University of Freiburg, BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence, Friedrichstrasse 39, DE 79098 Freiburg, Germany.
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Cabrera LY, Brandt M, McKenzie R, Bluhm R. Comparison of philosophical concerns between professionals and the public regarding two psychiatric treatments. AJOB Empir Bioeth 2018; 9:252-266. [PMID: 30398397 DOI: 10.1080/23294515.2018.1512534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychiatric interventions are a contested area in medicine, not only because of their history of abuses, but also because their therapeutic goal is to affect emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that are regarded as pathological. Because psychiatric interventions affect characteristics that seem central to who we are, they raise issues regarding identity, autonomy, and personal responsibility for one's own well-being. Our study addresses two questions: (1) Do the public and academic researchers understand the philosophical stakes of these technologies in the same way? Following from this, (2) to what extent does the specific type of psychiatric technology affect the issues these two groups raise? This study compares how ethical issues regarding neurosurgical and pharmaceutical psychiatric interventions are discussed among the public and in the professional community of academic medicine and bioethics. METHODS We analyzed (1) online public comments and (2) the medical and bioethics literature, comparing the discussions of pharmacological and neurosurgical interventions in psychiatry in each source. RESULTS Overall, the public discussed philosophical issues less frequently than academics. For the two types of psychiatric interventions, we found differences between the academic literature and public comments among all themes, except for personal responsibility. CONCLUSIONS These findings reveal some of the similarities and discrepancies in how philosophical issues associated with psychiatric treatments are discussed in professional circles and among the public. Further research into what causes these discrepancies is crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Yenisa Cabrera
- a Center of Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences , Michigan State University , East Lansing , Michigan , USA
| | - Marisa Brandt
- b Lyman Briggs College , Michigan State University , East Lansing , Michigan , USA
| | - Rachel McKenzie
- b Lyman Briggs College , Michigan State University , East Lansing , Michigan , USA
| | - Robyn Bluhm
- b Lyman Briggs College , Michigan State University , East Lansing , Michigan , USA.,c Philosophy Department , Michigan State University , East Lansing , Michigan , USA
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Nyholm S. Is the Personal Identity Debate a "Threat" to Neurosurgical Patients? A Reply to Müller et al. NEUROETHICS-NETH 2017; 11:229-235. [PMID: 29937948 PMCID: PMC5978810 DOI: 10.1007/s12152-017-9337-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In their article in this journal, Sabine Müller, Merlin Bittlinger, and Henrik Walter launch a sweeping attack against what they call the "personal identity debate" as it relates to patients treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS). In this critique offered by Müller et al., the personal identity debate is said to: (a) be metaphysical in a problematic way, (b) constitute a threat to patients, and (c) use "vague" and "contradictory" statements from patients and their families as direct evidence for metaphysical theories. In this response, I critically evaluate Müller et al.'s argument, with a special focus on these three just-mentioned aspects of their discussion. My conclusion is that Müller et al.'s overall argument is problematic. It overgeneralizes criticisms that may apply to some, but certainly not to all, contributions to what they call the personal identity-debate. Moreover, it rests on a problematic conception of what much of this debate is about. Nor is Müller et al.'s overall argument fair in its assessment of the methodology used by most participants in the debate. For these reasons, we should be skeptical of Müller et al.'s claim that the "personal identity debate" is a "threat to neurosurgical patients".
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Nyholm
- Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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de Haan S, Rietveld E, Stokhof M, Denys D. Becoming more oneself? Changes in personality following DBS treatment for psychiatric disorders: Experiences of OCD patients and general considerations. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175748. [PMID: 28426824 PMCID: PMC5398533 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Does DBS change a patient's personality? This is one of the central questions in the debate on the ethics of treatment with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). At the moment, however, this important debate is hampered by the fact that there is relatively little data available concerning what patients actually experience following DBS treatment. There are a few qualitative studies with patients with Parkinson's disease and Primary Dystonia and some case reports, but there has been no qualitative study yet with patients suffering from psychiatric disorders. In this paper, we present the experiences of 18 patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) who are undergoing treatment with DBS. We will also discuss the inherent difficulties of how to define and assess changes in personality, in particular for patients with psychiatric disorders. We end with a discussion of the data and how these shed new light on the conceptual debate about how to define personality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanneke de Haan
- The Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Erik Rietveld
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Institute for Logic, Language and Computation, Department of Philosophy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Stokhof
- Institute for Logic, Language and Computation, Department of Philosophy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Damiaan Denys
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Deep Brain Stimulation Through the “Lens of Agency”: Clarifying Threats to Personal Identity from Neurological Intervention. NEUROETHICS-NETH 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s12152-016-9297-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Lee KE, Bhati MT, Halpern CH. A Commentary on Attitudes Towards Deep Brain Stimulation for Addiction. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 1:1-3. [PMID: 28620655 DOI: 10.29245/2572.942x/2016/8.1093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has proven to be an effective treatment for neurologic disorders such as Parkinson's disease, and is currently being investigated as a therapy for psychiatric diseases such as addiction, major depressive disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder. In this commentary, we review and discuss the findings presented in the Letter to the Editor entitled "Attitudes towards treating addiction with deep brain stimulation," written by Ali et al1. The survey presented in this Letter reported general approval for examining the effects of DBS on addictive disorders in a clinical trial, but highlighted critical areas of concern including informed consent, patient autonomy, appropriate medical practice, passing of clinical trial milestones, and implications on law enforcement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University 300 Pasteur Dr., Edwards Bldg. Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mahendra T Bhati
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University 300 Pasteur Dr., Edwards Bldg. Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Casey H Halpern
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University 300 Pasteur Dr., Edwards Bldg. Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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Klein E. Informed Consent in Implantable BCI Research: Identifying Risks and Exploring Meaning. SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ETHICS 2016; 22:1299-1317. [PMID: 26497727 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-015-9712-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is an expanding area of engineering research now moving into clinical application. Ensuring meaningful informed consent in implantable BCI research is an ethical imperative. The emerging and rapidly evolving nature of implantable BCI research makes identification of risks, a critical component of informed consent, a challenge. In this paper, 6 core risk domains relevant to implantable BCI research are identified-short and long term safety, cognitive and communicative impairment, inappropriate expectations, involuntariness, affective impairment, and privacy and security. Work in deep brain stimulation provides a useful starting point for understanding this core set of risks in implantable BCI. Three further risk domains-risks pertaining to identity, agency, and stigma-are identified. These risks are not typically part of formalized consent processes. It is important as informed consent practices are further developed for implantable BCI research that attention be paid not just to disclosing core research risks but exploring the meaning of BCI research with potential participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eran Klein
- Department of Philosophy and Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA.
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Ineichen C, Baumann-Vogel H, Christen M. Deep Brain Stimulation: In Search of Reliable Instruments for Assessing Complex Personality-Related Changes. Brain Sci 2016; 6:E40. [PMID: 27618110 PMCID: PMC5039469 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci6030040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last 25 years, more than 100,000 patients have been treated with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). While human clinical and animal preclinical research has shed light on the complex brain-signaling disturbances that underpin e.g., Parkinson's disease (PD), less information is available when it comes to complex psychosocial changes following DBS interventions. In this contribution, we propose to more thoroughly investigate complex personality-related changes following deep brain stimulation through refined and reliable instruments in order to help patients and their relatives in the post-surgery phase. By pursuing this goal, we first outline the clinical importance DBS has attained followed by discussing problematic and undesired non-motor problems that accompany some DBS interventions. After providing a brief definition of complex changes, we move on by outlining the measurement problem complex changes relating to non-motor symptoms currently are associated with. The latter circumstance substantiates the need for refined instruments that are able to validly assess personality-related changes. After providing a brief paragraph with regard to conceptions of personality, we argue that the latter is significantly influenced by certain competencies which themselves currently play only a tangential role in the clinical DBS-discourse. Increasing awareness of the latter circumstance is crucial in the context of DBS because it could illuminate a link between competencies and the emergence of personality-related changes, such as new-onset impulse control disorders that have relevance for patients and their relatives. Finally, we elaborate on the field of application of instruments that are able to measure personality-related changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Ineichen
- Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 30, Zurich 8006, Switzerland.
| | - Heide Baumann-Vogel
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Frauenklinikstrasse 26, Zurich 8091, Switzerland.
| | - Markus Christen
- Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 30, Zurich 8006, Switzerland.
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Klein E, Ojemann J. Informed consent in implantable BCI research: identification of research risks and recommendations for development of best practices. J Neural Eng 2016; 13:043001. [PMID: 27247140 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2560/13/4/043001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) research promises improvements in human health and enhancements in quality of life. Informed consent of subjects is a central tenet of this research. Rapid advances in neuroscience, and the intimate connection between functioning of the brain and conceptions of the self, make informed consent particularly challenging in BCI research. Identification of safety and research-related risks associated with BCI devices is an important step in ensuring meaningful informed consent. APPROACH This paper highlights a number of BCI research risks, including safety concerns, cognitive and communicative impairments, inappropriate subject expectations, group vulnerabilities, privacy and security, and disruptions of identity. MAIN RESULTS Based on identified BCI research risks, best practices are needed for understanding and incorporating BCI-related risks into informed consent protocols. SIGNIFICANCE Development of best practices should be guided by processes that are: multidisciplinary, systematic and transparent, iterative, relational and exploratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eran Klein
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA. Department of Philosophy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering, Seattle, WA, USA
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Cyron D. Mental Side Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for Movement Disorders: The Futility of Denial. Front Integr Neurosci 2016; 10:17. [PMID: 27147988 PMCID: PMC4837159 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2016.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Donatus Cyron
- Neurosurgery, Städtisches Klinikum Karlsruhe Karlsruhe, Germany
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Moritz CT, Ruther P, Goering S, Stett A, Ball T, Burgard W, Chudler EH, Rao RPN. New Perspectives on Neuroengineering and Neurotechnologies: NSF-DFG Workshop Report. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2016; 63:1354-67. [PMID: 27008657 DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2016.2543662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
GOAL To identify and overcome barriers to creating new neurotechnologies capable of restoring both motor and sensory function in individuals with neurological conditions. METHODS This report builds upon the outcomes of a joint workshop between the US National Science Foundation and the German Research Foundation on New Perspectives in Neuroengineering and Neurotechnology convened in Arlington, VA, USA, November 13-14, 2014. RESULTS The participants identified key technological challenges for recording and manipulating neural activity, decoding, and interpreting brain data in the presence of plasticity, and early considerations of ethical and social issues pertinent to the adoption of neurotechnologies. CONCLUSIONS The envisaged progress in neuroengineering requires tightly integrated hardware and signal processing efforts, advances in understanding of physiological adaptations to closed-loop interactions with neural devices, and an open dialog with stakeholders and potential end-users of neurotechnology. SIGNIFICANCE The development of new neurotechnologies (e.g., bidirectional brain-computer interfaces) could significantly improve the quality of life of people living with the effects of brain or spinal cord injury, or other neurodegenerative diseases. Focused efforts aimed at overcoming the remaining barriers at the electrode tissue interface, developing implantable hardware with on-board computation, and refining stimulation methods to precisely activate neural tissue will advance both our understanding of brain function and our ability to treat currently intractable disorders of the nervous system.
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Mosley PE, Marsh R, Carter A. Deep brain stimulation for depression: Scientific issues and future directions. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2015; 49:967-78. [PMID: 26276049 DOI: 10.1177/0004867415599845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Deep brain stimulation is an experimental intervention for treatment-resistant depression. Open trials have shown a sustained response to chronic stimulation in many subjects. However, two recent randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials failed to replicate these results. This article is a conceptual paper examining potential explanations for these discrepant findings. METHOD We conducted a systematic review of the published studies obtained from PubMed and PsycINFO. Studies were selected if they directly examined the impact of deep brain stimulation on depressive symptoms. We excluded case reports and papers re-describing the same cohort of patients. We compared them with data from the placebo-controlled trials, available from Clinicaltrials.gov and abstracts of the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. We supplemented our investigation by reviewing additional publications by the major groups undertaking deep brain stimulation for mood disorders. RESULTS We selected 10 open studies reporting on eight cohorts of patients using four different operative targets. All published studies reported positive results. This was not replicated in data available from the randomised, placebo-controlled trials. Many studies reported suicide or suicide attempts in the postoperative period. CONCLUSION We consider the placebo effect, the pattern of network activation, surgical candidacy and design of a blinded trial including the length of a crossover period. We suggest a greater focus on selecting patients with melancholia. We anticipate that methodological refinements may facilitate further investigation of this technology for intractable depression. We conclude by noting the psychiatric adverse events that have been reported in the literature to date, as these will also influence the design of future trials of deep brain stimulation for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip E Mosley
- The Asia-Pacific Centre for Neuromodulation, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia Department of Psychiatry, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia Neurosciences Queensland, St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital, Spring Hill, QLD, Australia Systems Neuroscience Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Rodney Marsh
- The Asia-Pacific Centre for Neuromodulation, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia Department of Psychiatry, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia Neurosciences Queensland, St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital, Spring Hill, QLD, Australia
| | - Adrian Carter
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Abstract
Novel ways to intervene on brain function raise questions about agency and responsibility. Here, I discuss whether direct brain interventions, and in particular, deep brain stimulation, pose a threat to agency in individual cases, or to our general conceptualization of what it is to be a responsible agent. While I do not currently see evidence that these interventions constitute a global challenge to our concept of agency, they do have the potential to diminish agency in individuals. I consider whether the lack of evidence for a global challenge ratifies our folk conceptions, or is a necessary consequence of them. In closing, I propose that our theoretical understanding of agency and our therapeutic approaches could be improved with a more nuanced, multidimensional view of agency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adina L Roskies
- Department of Philosophy, Dartmouth College, Thornton Hall, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
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Brain-brain integration in 2035: metaphysical and ethical implications. JOURNAL OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION & ETHICS IN SOCIETY 2015. [DOI: 10.1108/jices-10-2014-0042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
– The purpose of this study is to think ahead into the year 2035 and reflect on the ethical implications of brain-to-brain linking.
Design/methodology/approach
– Philosophical argument.
Findings
– It is quite likely that the direction of technological research today is heading toward a closer integration of mind and machine in 2035. What is interesting is that the integration also makes mind-mind or brain-brain integration possible too. There is nothing in principle that would prevent hooking up more than one brain to a machine, or connecting two or more brains together to harness their processing power to tackle a very complicated task. If that happens, the whole notion of what it is to be an individual and a self will have to be rethought. I have offered a way in which that can be done: Instead of viewing the self as being contained in a closed space traditionally defined by the skin, the self can expand outside of the skin and merge temporarily with other selves too. This also has profound implications on the notion of privacy, especially on how it is conceptualized and justified.
Research limitations/implications
– This research is limited to theoretical argumentation only. It relies on the current empirical and scientific investigations that are going on at the moment and provide ethical reflections on them.
Practical implications
– We need to anticipate technological innovations to be more proactive in deliberating and formulating policy and ethical guidelines; otherwise, ethicists will just muse after the fact, implying that there is nothing further to be done.
Social implications
– Brain-to-brain linking has tremendous social implications, so is the ethical reflection on the issue.
Originality/value
– Argument purporting to show the specific content in ethical guidelines on brain-to-brain interlinking based on the metaphysics of the self that is directly implicated by the technology has not been done before, according to the author’s best knowledge.
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Lewis CJ, Maier F, Horstkötter N, Zywczok A, Witt K, Eggers C, Meyer TD, Dembek TA, Maarouf M, Moro E, Zurowski M, Woopen C, Kuhn J, Timmermann L. Subjectively perceived personality and mood changes associated with subthalamic stimulation in patients with Parkinson's disease. Psychol Med 2015; 45:73-85. [PMID: 25066623 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291714001081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical and ethical implications of personality and mood changes in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients treated with subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) are under debate. Although subjectively perceived personality changes are often mentioned by patients and caregivers, few empirical studies concerning these changes exist. Therefore, we analysed subjectively perceived personality and mood changes in STN-DBS PD patients. METHOD In this prospective study of the ELSA-DBS group, 27 PD patients were assessed preoperatively and 1 year after STN-DBS surgery. Two categories, personality and mood changes, were analysed with semi-structured interviews. Patients were grouped into personality change yes/no, as well as positive/negative mood change groups. Caregivers were additionally interviewed about patients' personality changes. Characteristics of each group were assessed with standard neurological and psychiatric measurements. Predictors for changes were analysed. RESULTS Personality changes were perceived by six of 27 (22%) patients and by 10 of 23 caregivers (44%). The preoperative hypomania trait was a significant predictor for personality change perceived by patients. Of 21 patients, 12 (57%) perceived mood as positively changed. Higher apathy and anxiety ratings were found in the negative change group. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that a high proportion of PD patients and caregivers perceived personality changes under STN-DBS, emphasizing the relevance of this topic. Mood changed in positive and negative directions. Standard measurement scales failed to adequately reflect personality or mood changes subjectively perceived by patients. A more individualized preoperative screening and preparation for patients and caregivers, as well as postoperative support, could therefore be useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Lewis
- Department of Neurology,University of Cologne,Cologne,Germany
| | - F Maier
- Department of Neurology,University of Cologne,Cologne,Germany
| | - N Horstkötter
- Research Unit Ethics, Institute for the History of Medicine and Medical Ethics,University of Cologne,Cologne,Germany
| | - A Zywczok
- Department of Neurology,University of Cologne,Cologne,Germany
| | - K Witt
- Research Unit Ethics, Institute for the History of Medicine and Medical Ethics,University of Cologne,Cologne,Germany
| | - C Eggers
- Department of Neurology,University of Cologne,Cologne,Germany
| | - T D Meyer
- Institute of Neuroscience,Newcastle University,Newcastle upon Tyne,UK
| | - T A Dembek
- Department of Neurology,University of Cologne,Cologne,Germany
| | - M Maarouf
- Department of Stereotaxy and Functional Neurosurgery,University of Cologne,Cologne,Germany
| | - E Moro
- Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurology,University Hospital Center (CHU) of Grenoble,Grenoble,France
| | - M Zurowski
- Department of Psychiatry,University of Toronto, University Health Network,Toronto,Canada
| | - C Woopen
- Research Unit Ethics, Institute for the History of Medicine and Medical Ethics,University of Cologne,Cologne,Germany
| | - J Kuhn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy,University of Cologne,Cologne,Germany
| | - L Timmermann
- Department of Neurology,University of Cologne,Cologne,Germany
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Cabrera LY, Fitz NS, Reiner PB. Reasons for Comfort and Discomfort with Pharmacological Enhancement of Cognitive, Affective, and Social Domains. NEUROETHICS-NETH 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s12152-014-9222-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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41
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Kohl S, Schönherr DM, Luigjes J, Denys D, Mueller UJ, Lenartz D, Visser-Vandewalle V, Kuhn J. Deep brain stimulation for treatment-refractory obsessive compulsive disorder: a systematic review. BMC Psychiatry 2014; 14:214. [PMID: 25085317 PMCID: PMC4149272 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-014-0214-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obsessive-compulsive disorder is one of the most disabling of all psychiatric illnesses. Despite available pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments about 10% of patients remain severely affected and are considered treatment-refractory. For some of these patients deep brain stimulation offers an appropriate treatment method. The scope of this article is to review the published data and to compare different target structures and their effectiveness. METHODS PubMed search, last update June 2013, was conducted using the terms "deep brain stimulation" and "obsessive compulsive disorder". RESULTS In total 25 studies were found that reported five deep brain stimulation target structures to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder: the anterior limb of the internal capsule (five studies including 14 patients), nucleus accumbens (eight studies including 37 patients), ventral capsule/ventral striatum (four studies including 29 patients), subthalamic nucleus (five studies including 23 patients) and inferior thalamic peduncle (two studies including 6 patients). Despite the anatomical diversity, deep brain stimulation treatment results in similar response rates for the first four target structures. Inferior thalamic peduncle deep brain stimulation results in higher response rates but these results have to be interpreted with caution due to a very small number of cases. Procedure and device related adverse events are relatively low, as well as stimulation or therapy related side effects. Most stimulation related side effects are transient and decline after stimulation parameters have been changed. CONCLUSION Deep brain stimulation in treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder seems to be a relatively safe and promising treatment option. However, based on these studies no superior target structure could be identified. More research is needed to better understand mechanisms of action and response predictors that may help to develop a more personalized approach for these severely affected obsessive compulsive patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Kohl
- />Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Kerpener Strasse 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Deva M Schönherr
- />Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Kerpener Strasse 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Judy Luigjes
- />Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 5, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Damiaan Denys
- />Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 5, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- />The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ulf J Mueller
- />Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Magdeburg, Leipzigerstrasse 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Doris Lenartz
- />Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, University of Cologne, Kerpener Strasse 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Veerle Visser-Vandewalle
- />Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, University of Cologne, Kerpener Strasse 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Jens Kuhn
- />Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Kerpener Strasse 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
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Thomas EJ, Levack WMM, Taylor WJ. Self-Reflective Meaning Making in Troubled Times: Change in Self-Identity After Traumatic Brain Injury. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2014; 24:1033-1047. [PMID: 25015780 DOI: 10.1177/1049732314542809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Our aim with this article is to clarify the concept of change in self-identity following traumatic brain injury (TBI). We used concept analysis methodology-predominantly concept clarification. We identified 110 articles using a systematic literature search, and used critical appraisal, content analysis, and analytical questioning to explore attributes and boundaries. A reported change in self-identity is the ultimate expression of a variety of cognitive, psychological, and social sequelae of TBI. We present an integrative model of this process, identifying three potential levels of change: (a) component parts (egocentric self, sociocentric self, and "identity as shared with others"); (b) integral processes (self-awareness and expression via meaningful occupation and narratives); and (c) whole-system disruption. Change in self-identity after TBI is a highly individualistic process. The driver of this process is "self-reflective meaning making," giving a purpose and direction in life, providing motivation and goals for future behavior.
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Glannon W. Philosophical reflections on therapeutic brain stimulation. Front Comput Neurosci 2014; 8:54. [PMID: 24860490 PMCID: PMC4030150 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2014.00054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Walter Glannon
- Department of Philosophy/Arts, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada
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Johansson V, Garwicz M, Kanje M, Halldenius L, Schouenborg J. Thinking Ahead on Deep Brain Stimulation: An Analysis of the Ethical Implications of a Developing Technology. AJOB Neurosci 2014; 5:24-33. [PMID: 24587963 PMCID: PMC3933012 DOI: 10.1080/21507740.2013.863243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a developing technology. New generations of DBS technology are already in the pipeline, yet this particular fact has been largely ignored among ethicists interested in DBS. Focusing only on ethical concerns raised by the current DBS technology is, albeit necessary, not sufficient. Since current bioethical concerns raised by a specific technology could be quite different from the concerns it will raise a couple of years ahead, an ethical analysis should be sensitive to such alterations, or it could end up with results that soon become dated. The goal of this analysis is to address these changing bioethical concerns, to think ahead on upcoming and future DBS concerns both in terms of a changing technology and changing moral attitudes. By employing the distinction between inherent and noninherent bioethical concerns we identify and make explicit the particular limits and potentials for change within each category, respectively, including how present and upcoming bioethical concerns regarding DBS emerge and become obsolete. Many of the currently identified ethical problems with DBS, such as stimulation-induced mania, are a result of suboptimal technology. These challenges could be addressed by technical advances, while for instance perceptions of an altered body image caused by the mere awareness of having an implant may not. Other concerns will not emerge until the technology has become sophisticated enough for new uses to be realized, such as concerns on DBS for enhancement purposes. As a part of the present analysis, concerns regarding authenticity are used as an example.
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45
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Woopen C, Pauls KAM, Koy A, Moro E, Timmermann L. Early application of deep brain stimulation: Clinical and ethical aspects. Prog Neurobiol 2013; 110:74-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2013.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2012] [Revised: 04/10/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Clausen J. Bonding Brains to Machines: Ethical Implications of Electroceuticals for the Human Brain. NEUROETHICS-NETH 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s12152-013-9186-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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47
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Ethics of the electrified mind: defining issues and perspectives on the principled use of brain stimulation in medical research and clinical care. Brain Topogr 2013; 27:33-45. [PMID: 23733209 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-013-0296-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, non-pharmacologic approaches to modifying human neural activity have gained increasing attention. One of these approaches is brain stimulation, which involves either the direct application of electrical current to structures in the nervous system or the indirect application of current by means of electromagnetic induction. Interventions that manipulate the brain have generally been regarded as having both the potential to alleviate devastating brain-related conditions and the capacity to create unforeseen and unwanted consequences. Hence, although brain stimulation techniques offer considerable benefits to society, they also raise a number of ethical concerns. In this paper we will address various dilemmas related to brain stimulation in the context of clinical practice and biomedical research. We will survey current work involving deep brain stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation. We will reflect upon relevant similarities and differences between them, and consider some potentially problematic issues that may arise within the framework of established principles of medical ethics: nonmaleficence and beneficence, autonomy, and justice.
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48
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Ethical Aspects of Neuromodulation. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-404706-8.00016-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
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Kraemer F. Me, Myself and My Brain Implant: Deep Brain Stimulation Raises Questions of Personal Authenticity and Alienation. NEUROETHICS-NETH 2011; 6:483-497. [PMID: 24273619 PMCID: PMC3825521 DOI: 10.1007/s12152-011-9115-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2010] [Accepted: 04/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
In this article, I explore select case studies of Parkinson patients treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) in light of the notions of alienation and authenticity. While the literature on DBS has so far neglected the issues of authenticity and alienation, I argue that interpreting these cases in terms of these concepts raises new issues for not only the philosophical discussion of neuro-ethics of DBS, but also for the psychological and medical approach to patients under DBS. In particular, I suggest that the experience of alienation and authenticity varies from patient to patient with DBS. For some, alienation can be brought about by neurointerventions because patients no longer feel like themselves. But, on the other hand, it seems alienation can also be cured by DBS as other patients experience their state of mind as authentic under treatment and retrospectively regard their former lives without stimulation as alienated. I argue that we must do further research on the relevance of authenticity and alienation to patients treated with DBS in order to gain a deeper philosophical understanding, and to develop the best evaluative criterion for the behavior of DBS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicitas Kraemer
- Philosophy & Ethics, Eindhoven University of Technology, IPO 1.01, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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