Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ethical considerations in the use of brain-computer interfaces

  • Mini-Review
  • Published:
Central European Journal of Medicine

Abstract

Nervous system disorders are among the most severe disorders. Significant breakthroughs in contemporary clinical practice may provide brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and neuroprostheses (NPs). The aim of this article is to investigate the extent to which the ethical considerations in the clinical application of brain-computer interfaces and associated threats are being identified. Ethical considerations and implications may significantly influence further development of BCIs and NPs. Moreover, there is significant public interest in supervising this development. Awareness of BCIs’ and NPs’ threats and limitations allow for wise planning and management in further clinical practice, especially in the area of long-term neurorehabilitation and care.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Mikołajewska E., Mikołajewski D., Neuroprostheses for increasing disabled patients’ mobility and control, Adv Clin Exp Med, 2012, 21, 263–272

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Mikołajewska E., Mikołajewski D., Technical and medical problems concerning wider use of neuroprostheses in patients with neurologic disorders, JNNN, 2012, 1, 119–123

    Google Scholar 

  3. Hansson S. O., Implant ethics, J Med Ethics, 2005, 31, 519–525

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Clausen J., Moving minds: ethical aspects of neural motor prostheses, Biotechnol J, 2008, 3, 1493–1501

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Saha S., Chhatbar P., The future of implantable neuroprosthetic devices: ethical considerations, J Long Term Eff Med Implants, 2009, 19, 123–137

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Glannon W., Stimulating brains, altering minds, J Med Ethics, 2009, 35, 289–292

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Ford P. J., Kubu C. S., Stimulating debate: ethics in a multidisciplinary functional neurosurgery committee, J Med Ethics, 2006, 32, 106–109

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Mikołajewska E., Biofeedback as the element of the neurorehabilitation, J Health Sci, 2012, 2, 135–148

    Google Scholar 

  9. Xu J., Shen L. X., Yan C. H., et al. Personal characteristics related to the risk of adolescent internet addiction: a survey in Shanghai, China. BMC Public Health, 2012, 12: 1106

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Heinz A., Kipke R., Heimann H., et al., Cognitive neuroenhancement: false assumptions in the ethical debate, J Med Ethics, 2012, 38, 372–375

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Shaw D. M., Neuroenhancers, addiction and research ethics, J Med Ethics, 2012, 38, 605–608.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Warvick K., I, cyborg, Champaign: University of Illinois Press 2004

    Google Scholar 

  13. Honeybul S., Gillett G. R., Ho K. M., et al., Neurotrauma and the rule of rescue, J Med Ethics 2011, 37, 707–710

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Breshears J. D., Gaona C. M., Roland J. L., et al., Decoding motor signals from the pediatric cortex: implications for brain-computer interfaces in children, Pediatrics, 2011, 128, e160–168

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Roland J., Miller K., Freudenburg Z., et al., The effect of age on human motor electrocorticographic signals and implications for brain-computer interface applications, J Neural Eng, 2011, 8, 046013

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Kübler A., Birbaumer N., Brain-computer interfaces and communication in paralysis: extinction of goal directed thinking in completely paralysed patients?, Clin Neurophysiol, 2008, 119, 2658–2666

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Kübler A., Furdea A., Halder S., et al. A brain-computer interface controlled auditory event-related potential (p300) spelling system for locked-in patients. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 2009, 1157, 90–100

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Haselager P., Vlek R., Hill J., et al., A note on ethical aspects of BCI, Neural Netw, 2009, 22, 1352–1357.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Jox R. J., Schaider A., Marckmann G., et al., Medical futility at the end of life: the perspectives of intensive care and palliative care clinicians, J Med Ethics, 2012, 38, 540–545

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. McFarland D. J., Sarnacki W. A., Wolpaw J. R., Should the parameters of a BCI translation algorithm be continually adapted?, J Neurosci Methods, 2011, 199, 103–107

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Müller S., Walter H., Reviewing autonomy: Implications of the neurosciences and the free will debate for the principle of respect for the patient’s autonomy. Camb Q Healthc Ethics, 2010, 19, 205–217

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Shannon C. E., A mathematical theory of communication, The Bell System Technical Journal, 1948, 27, 379–423, 623–656

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. van den Brand R., Heutschi J., Barraud Q., et al., Restoring voluntary control of locomotion after paralyzing spinal cord injury, Science, 2012, 336, 1182–1185

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Dominici N., Keller U., Vallery H., et al., Versatile robotic interface to evaluate, enable and train locomotion and balance after neuromotor disorders, Nat Med, 2012, 18, 1142–1147

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Voge C. M., Stegemann J. P., Carbon nanotubes in neural interfacing applications, J Neural Eng, 2011, 8, 011001

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Kotchetkov I. S., Hwang B. Y., Appelboom G., et al., Brain-computer interfaces: military, neurosurgical, and ethical perspective, Neurosurg Focus, 2010, 28, E25

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Vlek R. J., Steines D., Szibbo D., et al., Ethical issues in brain-computer interface research, development, and dissemination, J Neurol Phys Ther, 2012, 36, 94–99

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rehabilitation Clinic, The 10th Military Clinical Hospital with Polyclinic, Bydgoszcz, Poland

    Emilia Mikołajewska

  2. Institute of Mechanics and Applied Computer Science, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, Poland

    Dariusz Mikołajewski

  3. Division of Applied Informatics, Department of Physics, Astronomy and Applied Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland

    Dariusz Mikołajewski

Authors
  1. Emilia Mikołajewska
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dariusz Mikołajewski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emilia Mikołajewska.

About this article

Cite this article

Mikołajewska, E., Mikołajewski, D. Ethical considerations in the use of brain-computer interfaces. cent.eur.j.med 8, 720–724 (2013). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11536-013-0210-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11536-013-0210-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation