introduction to society computational neuroscience · basics lesson title 1 introduction 2...

Lecture 13

Introduction to ComputationalNeuroscience

Neuroscience & Society

lunes, 2 de enero de 17

Applications

Cognitive

Models

Analyses

Basics

Lesson Title

1 Introduction

2 Structure and Function of the NS

3 Windows to the Brain

4 Data analysis

5 Data analysis II

6 Single neuron models

7 Network models

8 Artificial neural networks

9 Learning and memory

10 Perception

11 Attention & decision making

12 Brain-Computer interface

13 Neuroscience and society

14 Future and outlook: AI

15 Projects presentations



Neuroscience & society

Neuroscience sheds light directly to concepts such responsibility, choice, and what is to be human


Neuroscience & society

What are the ethical, legal, social, and policy implications of emerging neuroscience?


Learning objectives

• Develop critical thinking about news on neuroscience

• Be aware of the ethical implications of neurotechnologies


Neuroscience in the news

Neuroethics


Don’t believe the neuro-hype

Neuro-hype: exaggerated claims, unwarranted fears and speculations on neuroscience research


Neuroscience in the newsMedia articles reporting neuroscience research serve to spark our curiosity on science as well as to confirm our basic intuitions with more objective “data”

Racing to conclusions: specially in controversial topics such as gender, racial, or moral studies

Unfortunately: misleadingly simplistic with own spin to make it unambiguous, straight-forward and objective

Tension: between fun to read with a strong punchline and truth


Some well-written neuro-hype

* “MIT shows culture influences brain function”, The Tech

* “What your brain looks like on faith”, Time

* “Man enjoy computer games because of basic urge to conquer”, Telegraph UK


Does it still make sense?

Cut the scientific-sounding fluff!


Brain image is eye candy‘because watching TV and doing maths both lead to activation in the temporal lobe, watching television will improve math skills’


Brain spots claimed?

Media likes simple answers to complicated questions

Recently articles on: God spot, jealousy spot, decision-making spot, eureka spot, willpower spot, worry spot, habit-changing spot, and even high-school spot...

No brain region is an island


Brain spots claimed?

If you do bad statistics you can get very convincing images showing clear brain activations in a dead fish...


Neuro-quick-fix?Unsubstantiated health claims

‘NeuroSleep’ maybe ok... but ‘NeuroSun’, ‘NeuroGasm’!?lunes, 2 de enero de 17

Lost in translation

Popular media Scientific articles

‘research has established’ ‘our findings suggest’

brain spots

optimism limitations

no islands

brain types continuum

vs


Neuroscience in the news

Neuroethics


Neuroethics

Neurotechnology can be used to alter or predict human behavior with far reaching implications


Neuroethics

Very broad... needs and rights of cyborg humans with computer-augmented brains?

Enhancement of normal function

Court-ordered CNS intervention

Brain reading

More timely issues are:


Imagine a world...

8 year old Suzanne, every morning wakes up swallows 10 pills just to improve her performance in academics and athletics

20 year old Jamie pounds back cocktails of self-confidence boosters guaranteed to make him a ladies’ man

60 year old Professor Sandra takes anti-aging and memory improvement pills to prevent her brain from decaying, keeping her brain sharp as it was in her grad school days


Is it right?

After all, some enhancement technologies are socially accepted (cosmetic surgery, dye for gray hair, ...)


Our reality is not so far off...

Approval day of Prozac, Time list of “80 days that changed the world”


Neuro-enhancement


Neuro-enhancementEnhancement of healthy subjects is now a fact of life, the uncertainty is only in the speed with which new and more appealing methods will become available

We all would like to go through life cheerful and social...

but most still feel uneasy achieving this via medication

Why?


Medicating personality

National Depression Awareness Day (free depression screening financed by Eli Lilly, manufacturer of Prozac)

“I’m not myself”, after 8 months off medication from a patient who spent 30 years off the medicine and only 9 months on it

Should Prozac be prescribed to treat personality and numb-pain?

What happens when healthy people begin to equate themselves with the drugs they take?


Ethics of enhancement

- Long-term side effects? Maybe there is no free lunch, some biological limitations might be optimal in some sense

- There is value in earning something. No pain, no gain!

If there is no illness, medicalization of healthy subjects poses several concerns...

...at the individual level:


Ethics of enhancement

- Drugs that overrule subtle personality traits, leading to identical vibrant and outgoing personalities. But accepted enhancements do not alter anything related to thought or emotion and allow inner individuality to be retained (or are short-lived and reversible)

- Fair distribution? Wealthier might exploit resources to gain access to brain-enhanced advantages over poor citizens

More effective but more overmedicated and neurotic society?

...at the society level:


Court-ordered intervention

How close are we to directly alter brain function under the rubric of judges?

Medicalization of addiction or violent behavior is uncertain to be beneficial or detrimental

- Loss of stigma

Should there be prevention programs based on brain markers?

- No hope argument


Ethical issues

Medications, stimulators, or neurosurgery to improve violent behavior, compulsive shoplifting, sexual offenses, raise a flag in many of us

Intuition on personal freedom to think one owns thoughts and have one owns personality


Brain readings

Mind reading seems stuff of science fiction... but everyday less


Brain readings

Increased demand for scientific measures of: personality, veracity, attitudes, and behavioral dispositions

Applications: diagnostics, neuro-marketing, personality profiler, lie-detection

Judges, employers, insurers,...


Brain readingsBrain fingerprinting laboratories uses scalp ERPs to detect “guilty knowledge”, such as familiarity with certain people, objects, or scenes


Neuro-marketing

Brain scans monitor consumers’ response to marketing stimuli

Diminish consumer’s ability to resist the information advertized to them (forced to make decisions that do not coincide with their true wishes)

Beyond traditional marketing strategy based on consumer preference and cost

Why consumers make the decisions they do and what part of the brain is telling them to do it


Neuro-marketing


Ethical concerns

Privacy (not in person’s best interest to reveal some information to others)

Over-interpretation of brain scans as 100% accurate, objective and representing unavoidable facts

“Although people lie...brain waves do not” claim of Brain fingerprinting laboratories


No more this

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/no-more-woof




Summary

• fMRI has great potential but still is a tool with many limitations and interpretative issues as a tool to infer psychological traits

• Popular science and news need punchlines and often distort scientific studies

• Many ethical issues are still unsolved regarding the use of neurotechnologies


Applications

Cognitive

Models

Analyses

Basics

Lesson Title

1 Introduction

2 Structure and Function of the NS

3 Windows to the Brain

4 Data analysis

5 Data analysis II

6 Single neuron models

7 Network models

8 Artificial neural networks

9 Learning and memory

10 Perception

11 Attention & decision making

12 Brain-Computer interface

13 Neuroscience and society

14 Future and outlook: AI




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