Le congrès annuel de l’INS, International Neuroethics Society, aura lieu les 1er et 2 novembre prochain à San Diego aux Etats-Unis sur le thème : Cutting Edge Neuroscience, Cutting Edge Neuroethics. Au programme notamment les conférences suivantes : 

• Digitally Decoding Brain & Behavior : “In the past decade, the development of devices that collect information passively has given behavioral scientists a new window into human behavior. Smartphones, assistants (e.g. Google Home and Amazon Echo), wearables and environmental sensors have an unprecedented reach. They are becoming increasingly common and can collect data continually and passively. These devices can have benefits such as offering digital phenotyping for early signals of depression, psychosis, or seizures. However, the power of this approach has also raised questions about transparency, agency, and responsible use. This panel will explore the potential unintended consequences with this exciting new opportunity“.

• Managing Neuroinformation, Protecting Identity : “Emily Postan will be speaking about the role that information, generated by use of neurotechnologies in care and research settings, may play in the construction of our narrative self-conceptions. She will explore ways in which neuroinformation might do more than just offer new ways of describing ourselves, but also affect our abilities to make sense of who we are and navigate our lives. She will explore what this then implies for the roles and responsibilities of those who may be in a position to disclose information about brain structure and function with the subjects of that information“.

• DBS : Continuity of Self ? “There is disagreement about whether deep brain stimulation (DBS) causes personality changes, and if so whether such changes generate any cause for concern. To unpack this disagreement, we must clarify what we mean by ‘personality changes’, how they would be measured clinically, and which instances of personality change (if any) require attention. Questions regarding prevalence and severity of personality changes following DBS should be raised against this background. The answers may inform regulation of DBS interventions, or procedures safeguarding informed consent. This panel will facilitate discussion to clarify concepts and uncover where there is genuine disagreement regarding facts and values“.

• My Brain Made Me Buy It? The Neuroethics of Advertising : “The consumer neuroscience industry is entering its second decade and continuing to grow thanks to increased acceptance by advertisers looking to better understand consumers’ preferences and decision making. However, more questions and concerns are being raised as advertising techniques challenge social and ethical boundaries. Dr. Carl Marci, Chief Neuroscientist at Nielsen, will address the ethical concerns related to consumer neuroscience including issues around privacy, informed consent, and consumer autonomy in decision making“. 

• Genetics, Behavior, and Society : “Genetic research has long raised social and ethical issues that have been discussed across the social and clinical sciences. These issues are currently highlighted in the study of “sociogenomics,” the genetic study of social behaviors and social categories such as educational attainment, measured IQ, reproductive behavior risk-taking. By linking brain and behavior to genetics, these studies raise important neuroethical questions about the relationship between genetics, behavior, and society. Panelists in this session will describe recent discoveries in sociogenomics, discuss the implications of such findings for policy and social action, and contextualize the field of sociogenomics within the broader history of genomics and society, including eugenics”.

• Brain Surrogates: Perceptions and Reality : “Various models are now being developed with human brain tissue that have the potential to provide a much more accurate representation of normal and abnormal brain function and development. These brain surrogates offer researchers a way to investigate how the living human brain works and provide much promise for alleviating the suffering of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Yet there are difficult questions that will be raised as models of the human brain get closer to replicating its functions. This panel will discuss the types of models being developed, the difficult questions raised as advances continue, and the ethical tools needed“.

http://www.neuroethicssociety.org/meeting-program