Ethical risks of the neurosciences

Universite de Montreal researcher is leader in neuroethics

The Neuroethics Society will hold its first annual meeting on November 13-14 in Washington where some 300 specialists are expected. Eric Racine of the Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine will be one of those researchers and a member of the Neuroethics Society scientific committee.

In 2002, there were no specialists in the field of neuroethics. But doctors, philosophers, jurists and bioethicists met in San Francisco at the "Neuroethics: Mapping the Field" conference organized by Stanford University, which shed light on this new discipline. "Shortly after, programs were set up in the USA and Canada," says Racine.

"Neuroethics is a new field focused on the new advances, stakes and risks in neuroscience," says Racine. "For instance, some research addresses euthanasia for patients suffering serious neurological problems. Other areas of interest include prescription medications that affect the central nervous system, such as Ritalin, that are taken to increase cognitive performance."

Brain fingerprinting, another example, is a technique used to measure brain waves when one recognizes an image, a sound or specific information. The technology is currently used in India to charge presumed criminals. In February 2003, the Iowa Supreme Court recognized the validity of brain fingerprinting. This means, the technology could soon be used to know if someone trained in an Al-Qaeda camp, for instance, which worries Racine.

"We can imagine companies scanning the brain of a potential job candidate and rejecting his or her candidacy based on the fact that they might be susceptible to violence in certain situations," says Racine. "So we are here to raise questions, help health professionals take better decisions and inform the public. At the end of the day, citizens will decide what are the limits and boundaries."

Racine, who also holds a postdoctoral degree from Stanford University, is known for his published analysis of the Terri Schiavo case. She was the American woman who lived in a vegetative state for 15 years before dying in 2005.

In 2008, Racine and his colleagues published "Media coverage of the persistent vegetative state and end-of-life decision-making" in Neurology magazine. This analysis was covered by more than 1200 newspaper articles, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Tampa Tribune and the St. Petersburg Times.

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