| Conference | The 16th International Conference of the Society for Philosophy & Technology (SPT 2009): Converging Technologies, Changing Societies |
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| Country/Territory | Netherlands |
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| Period | 2009/07/08 → 2009/07/10 |
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Within bioethics there has in recent years been an increasing interest in the ethical implications of deep brain stimulation (DBS), and lately the first articles on DBS and depression have appeared. DBS, commonly referred to as a brain pacemaker or a neurostimulator, is a surgical treatment where invasive electrodes stimulate brain structures deep within the brain such as the thalamus or the basal ganglia. Initially DBS was used as a last resort treatment for movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor as well as relieving chronic pain. Today its use is extended. Beside attempts to treat migraine, epilepsy and balance disorders, studies have been conducted to evaluate DBS as a treatment of for instance Tourette’s syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder and major depression. Further, the technique is considered as a possible treatment for anorexia, obesity, cocaine addiction and aggression, which is likely to spur the ethical discussion even further. Though, as for now much of the discussion on ethics and DBS evolves around questions regarding clinical practices. Another approach is to discuss the ethics of DBS in relation to one of the oldest questions in philosophy: what constitutes a good human life? This poster presents an account of the ethical implications of DBS and depression, based on the classical theories on the human good.
- Neuroethics
- Deep Brain Stimulation
- Ethics
- Depression