Neuroethics & Law Blog

Turning the Magnet Toward Ourselves

Neuroskeptic has an interesting post about a study that looked at the brain activity of radiologists while they read diagnostic images.  Next we'll need a study of the brain activity of neuroscientists when they conduct neuroimaging experiments.

The Ethics of Delusory Parasitosis

Recently posted to PhilPapers:

Matan Shelomi (forthcoming). Mad Scientist: The Unique Case of a Published Delusion. Science and Engineering Ethics:-.  (Direct link)

In 1951, entomologist Jay Traver published in the Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington her personal experiences with a mite infestation of her scalp that resisted all treatment and was undetectable to anyone other than herself. Traver is recognized as having suffered from Delusory Parasitosis: her paper shows her to be a textbook case of the condition. The Traver paper is unique in the scientific literature in that its conclusions may be based on data that was unconsciously fabricated by the author’s mind. The paper may merit retraction on the grounds of error or even scientific misconduct “by reason of insanity,” but such a retraction raises the issue of discrimination against the mentally ill. This article asks what responsibilities journals have when faced with delusions disguised as science, what right editors have to question the sanity of an author, and what should be done about the Traver paper itself. By placing higher emphasis on article content than author identity, scientific integrity is maintained and a balance is struck between avoiding discrimination against the mentally ill and not preventing patients from seeking needed treatment.

PEBS Neuroethics Roundup (JHU)

Last Edition's Most Popular Article: A Single Neck Injection Could Cure PTSD, Gizmodo In The Popular Press: In Calif. Mental Hospitals, Assaults Rarely a Crime, NPR Doctors Diagnose Diseases As If Recognising Objects, The Guardian Neurophilosophy Psychology: Who Needs a Leader? Nature News & Views After Drugs and Dark Times, Helping Others to Stand Back Up, NY Times How Ignorance Could Improve Group Decisions, Wired Science The Future: Where Sexual Orientations Get Kind of Confusing, The Crux Blog The Disconnection of Psychopaths, The Neurocritic Shyness and Social Phobia, BrainBlogger The Psychology of Dictatorship: Kim Jong-Il, Scientific American 'My Brain Made Me Do It' -- A Legitimate Defence? New Scientist When Lobotomy Was Seen As Advanced, NY Times Overstretched US Drone Pilots Face Stress Risk, Reuters Chess Robots Have Trouble Grasping the Game, New Scientist One Per Cent Blog Neurons Offer Clues to Suicide, Scientific American Crucial Advances in 'Brain Reading' Demonstrated, Science Daily From the Academic Literature: Dopamine Neurons Derived From Human ES Cells Efficiently Engraft in Animal Models of Parkinson's Disease, Nature The Mirror Game As a Paradigm For Studying the Dynamics of Two People Improvising Motion Together, PNAS Behavioural Neuroscience: Curbing Sweet Cravings, Nature Reviews Neuoscience Prenatal Origins of Neurological Development, Current Directions in Psychological Science Multifocal Attention Filters Target From Distracters Within and Beyond Primate MT Neurons' Receptive Field Boundaries, Neuron Neural Activation During the Processing of Ambiguous Fearful Facial Expressions, Biological Psychiatry Human Cortical Activity Evoked By The Assignment of Authenticity When Viewing Works of Art, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Enhanced Cortical Excitability in Grapheme-Color Synesthesia and its Modulation, Current Biology

Subscribe to our mailing list The Program in Ethics and Brain Sciences (PEBS) is a collaborative effort of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and the  Johns Hopkins Brain Sciences Institute . The goal of PEBS is to ensure that research in brain science proceeds with an informed understanding of ethical issues, and that philosophical and empirical analyses of the advances in brain research proceed with an informed understanding of the science.

Mitigating Evidence of Impairment at Capital Sentencing

Leona Deborah Jochnowitz has recently posted How Capital Jurors Respond to Mitigating Evidence of Defendant's Mental Illness, Retardation, and Situational Impairments: An Analysis of the Legal and Social Science Literature (Criminal Law Bulletin, Vol. 47, No. 5, p. 839, 2011) to SSRN.

Here is the abstract:

This article provides a historical review and analysis of the legal and empirical literature regarding capital juror decision-making, focusing on how capital jurors respond to mitigating factors of mental health, cognitive, and situational impairments. The level of juror receptivity to mental evidence is explained through the perspective of various theories of capital juror decision-making. This article draws upon the precedents of the first contemporary systematic jury studies of the 1950s conducted by Chicago Jury Project researchers. It explores methodologies used to investigate juror decision-making. It analyzes studies on the effectiveness of mental health defenses in criminal trials, a subtopic of the jury research. It focuses on findings of the Capital Jury Project I, which furthered capital jury research through post-trial interviews with actual jurors in the 1990's. Thus, this article imparts a better understanding of how jurors perceive a defendant's extenuating mental disabilities, which may be also stigmatizing and aggravating.

(Via CrimProf Blog)

Grad Students, You Can't Choose Not to Apply

The Big Questions in Free Will Project, based at FSU, is hosting a two-week summer seminar on free will for graduate students and recent graduate students (Ph.D. received no earlier than 2009).  The Templeton-funded project covers most expenses and provides for a $1500 stipend at the end of the program for participating.   

For questions and more information about how to apply, see here.

PEBS Neuroethics Roundup (JHU)

Last Edition's Most Popular Article: The High Price of Materialism, Neuroethics at the Core In The Popular Press: A Single Neck Injection Could Cure PTSD, Gizmodo Brain's Failure to Appreciate Others May Permit Human Atrocities, Science Daily The Ethics of Altering Memory Get a Bit Ahead of the Science, but Just a Bit, Scientific American Probing the Unconscious Mind, Scientific American Artificially Enhanced Athletes, Science Daily If You Can’t Notice a Gorilla in Plain Sight, How Can You Testify as a Witness?, Discover Magazine Imagining 2076: Connect Your Brain to the Internet, New York Times Courtroom Neuroscience Not Ready for Prime Time, Science Insider Age of criminal responsibility 'too low', experts say, BBC News Using brain scans to unmask the burn of cold pain, SCOPE Rats Free Trapped Friends, Hint at Universal Empathy, Wired Science Severed heads line the route to uncanny valley, Culture Lab   Molecules, Money, and Ambien Awakenings, Forbes Old blood + young brain = old brain, SCOPE Study Debunks Myths About Gender and Math Performance, Science Daily Decision Making in Bee Swarms Mimic Neurons in Human Brains, Science Daily Sex on the brain is different for males and females, New Scientist  When Reinforcement Fails, Wired Tech in a Minute: Can machines ever be intelligent?, New Scientist  From the Academic Literature: Ethical guidance for the management of conflicts of interest for researchers, engineers and clinicians engaged in the development of therapeutic deep brain stimulation, Journal of Neural Engineering  Memory rescue and enhanced neurogenesis following electrical stimulation of the anterior thalamus in rats treated with corticosterone, Experimental Neurology MicroRNA-Driven Developmental Remodeling in the Brain Distinguishes Humans from Other Primates, PLoS Biology Early-Life Experience Decreases Drug-Induced Reinstatement of Morphine CPP in Adulthood via Microglial-Specific Epigenetic Programming of Anti-Inflammatory IL-10 Expression, Journal of Neuroscience  Suppression of PKR Promotes Network Excitability and Enhanced Cognition by Interferon-γ-Mediated Disinhibition, Cell Context Modularity of Human Altruism, Science Stop Signals Provide Cross Inhibition in Collective Decision-Making by Honeybee Swarms, Science Perceptual Learning Incepted by Decoded fMRI Neurofeedback Without Stimulus Presentation, Science Activation of Central Orexin/Hypocretin Neurons by Dietary Amino Acids, Neuron

Subscribe to our mailing list The Program in Ethics and Brain Sciences (PEBS) is a collaborative effort of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and the  Johns Hopkins Brain Sciences Institute . The goal of PEBS is to ensure that research in brain science proceeds with an informed understanding of ethical issues, and that philosophical and empirical analyses of the advances in brain research proceed with an informed understanding of the science.

Pardo and Patterson on Greene and Cohen

Recently posted to SSRN:

"Neuroscience, Normativity, and Retributivism" 
THE FUTURE OF PUNISHMENT, Thomas Nadelhoffer, ed., Oxford University Press, Forthcoming
U of Alabama Public Law Research Paper No. 1968552

MICHAEL S. PARDO, University of Alabama School of Law
DENNIS PATTERSON, European University Institute, Rutgers University School of Law, Camden, Swansea University School of Law
Advocates for the increased use of neuroscience in law have made bold and provocative claims about the power of neuroscientific discoveries to transform the criminal law in ways large and small. Perhaps the boldest and most provocative of these claims are made in an influential article by Joshua Greene and Jonathan Cohen. They claim that neuroscience will reveal that criminal defendants are not morally responsible for their actions and that this revelation will thereby undermine retributivist justifications for criminal punishment. In the process of resolving previously intractable debates between consequentialism and retributivism, neuroscience will also, they contend, resolve age-old debates about free will. In this essay, we discuss several serious problems with their argument. We maintain that no neuroscientific discoveries will lead to the sorts of changes predicted by Greene and Cohen and, even if they did, those changes would not be the product of neuroscientific insight but result from unwarranted and problematic inferences which ought to be resisted.

"Un-Paralyzed Cyclist Training for Olympics"

Read the remarkable story here.  Remarkable to say the least.

PEBS Neuroethics Roundup (JHU)

Last Edition's Most Popular Article: Exploiting neuroscience lessons to shape policy, BBC News In The Popular Press: Art and the Limits of Neuroscience, New York Times Opinionator  I was compelled to post this, Science Blogs Pharyngula  The High Price of Materialism, Neuroethics at the Core "Neuroethics of Memory" Symposium in NYC, Neuroethics & Law Blog Human Brains Unlikely to Evolve Into a 'Supermind' as Price to Pay Would Be Too High, Science Daily Skull modifications for fun and profit, Mind Hacks Are Doing Harm and Allowing Harm Equivalent? Ask fMRI, Science Daily The Science of Swearing, Wellcome Trust Blog Congressman Slams Military Brain-Testing Program, ProPublica Signal for Consciousness in Brain Marked by Neural Dialogue', Scientific American Should we put lithium in the water?, The Guardian Chimp brains may be hard-wired to evolve language, New Scientist  Synaesthesia: when two senses become one, The Guardian  How Abuse Changes a Child's Brain, Wired Science Creating Artificial Intelligence Based on the Real Thing, New York Times Hippocampus may still have a roll in recalling old memories, Neurodudes Are Psychopaths "Brain Damaged"?, Scientific American Stroke-restructing the brain, Wellcome Trust Blog Interview With a Philosopher: Aristotle and Wittgenstein Walk Into a Bar -- Philosophy and Addiction, Huffington Post    Out-of-body experience: Master of illusion, Nature News Is Free Will an Illusion?, Scientific American From the Academic Literature: Novartis to shut brain research facility, Nature Large-scale brain networks emerge from dynamic processing of musical timbre, key and rhythm, Neuroimage Temporal Patterns of Happiness and Information in a Global Social Network: Hedonometrics and Twitter, PLoSONE Deformations and malformations: The history of induced and congenital skull deformity, Journal of Neurosurgery Neural correlates of creative writing: An fMRI Study, Human Brain Mapping

Subscribe to our mailing list The Program in Ethics and Brain Sciences (PEBS) is a collaborative effort of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and the  Johns Hopkins Brain Sciences Institute . The goal of PEBS is to ensure that research in brain science proceeds with an informed understanding of ethical issues, and that philosophical and empirical analyses of the advances in brain research proceed with an informed understanding of the science.

NYC "Neuroethics of Memory" Symposium Update

Here is some updated schedule information (Download UpdatedSunyMemorySched) for the SUNY Downstate "Neuroethics of Memory" symposium this Friday (Dec. 9) in Manhattan.  I posted registration information here.

Albertani Case at EUI

On December 7, the European University Institute is sponsoring an event about the Albertani case in Italy.  From the EUI website:

An Italian Court recently issued a ruling in a homicide case. The ruling attracted international attention, because brain imaging and genetic testing were admitted in Court as evidence of the defendant’s diminished responsibility. Five experts discuss the case with Dennis Patterson (EUI, Law Faculty) and Sofia Moratti (EUI, MW Fellow in Law).

Wednesday 7 December 2011 15:00 – 18:00
Sala Europa, Villa Schifanoia

You can find more information, including a detailed summary of the case, here.

PEBS Neuroethics Roundup (JHU)

Last Edition's Most Popular Article: Sorry, Strivers: Talent Matters, New York Times In The Popular Press: Exploiting neuroscience lessons to shape policy, BBC News Conservative Moral Judgments and “Dark Triad” Personality Traits?, Science Progress Turn on, tune in and get better?, Los Angeles Times Why Anders Behring Breivik is Probably both Criminally Insane and Legally Accountable, Philosophical Comment Scientist ID 'Morning Person' Gene, ABC News Finding Purpose After Living With Delusion, New York Times Poop-Throwing Chimps Provide Hints of Human Origins, Wired Science  Babies Embrace Punishment Earlier Than Previously Thought, Study Suggests, Science Daily Gray Matter in Brain's Control Center Linked to Ability to Process Reward; Structure-Function Impairments Observed in People Addicted to Cocaine, Science Daily Liberals vs. conservatives, smart vs. dull, Discover Magazine ' Mind-Body Mindblower: Posture Affects Estimates, Scientific American  Digital Narcotics May Be the Future of Drugs, Wired Science  How Exercise Benefits the Brain, The New York Times Well Blog The Psychology of Nakedness, Wired Frontal Cortex Fourth Annual Neuroscience Boot Camp, Neuroethics & Law Blog The Taste of Immorality in the Brain, Brain Blogger The Certainty of Memory Has Its Day in Court, New York Times Testing Program Fails Soldiers, Leaving Brain Injuries Undetected, Pro Publica  Neuron transplant in damaged brain fixes obesity, New Scientist   Brain Imaging, Behavior Research Reveals Physicians Learn More by Paying Attention to Failure, Science Daily Amping Up Brain Function: Transcranial Stimulation Shows Promise in Speeding Up Learning, Scientific American Do MRIs Relieve Symptoms of Depression?, Scientific American From the Academic Literature: Transplanted Hypothalamic Neurons Restore Leptin Signaling and Ameliorate Obesity in db/db Mice, Science Brain enlargement is associated with regression in preschool-age boys with autism spectrum disorders, PNAS Evolution: Big brains explained, Nature Computer model spots image fraud, Nature  REM Sleep Depotentiates Amygdala Activity to Previous Emotional Experiences, Current Biology Neural Correlates of Effective Learning in Experienced Medical Decision-Makers, PLoSONE Syntactic Processing Depends on Dorsal Language Tracts, Neuron Sex on the Brain?: An Examination of Frequency of Sexual Cognitions as a Function of Gender, Erotophilia, and Social Desirability, Journal of Sex Research Writer's cramp: Increased dorsal premotor activity during intended writing, Human Brain Mapping

Subscribe to our mailing list The Program in Ethics and Brain Sciences (PEBS) is a collaborative effort of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and the  Johns Hopkins Brain Sciences Institute . The goal of PEBS is to ensure that research in brain science proceeds with an informed understanding of ethical issues, and that philosophical and empirical analyses of the advances in brain research proceed with an informed understanding of the science.