Clinical Brain-Machine-Interfaces: Ethical Legal and Social Implications

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Clinical Brain-Machine-Interfaces: Ethical Legal and Social Implications Jens Clausen1* 1 University of Tübingen, Department of Medical Ethics, Germany Clinical applications of brain-machine interfaces promise unprecedented benefits for several patients severely suffering from different impairments including paralysis, locked-in syndrome and stroke. While potential benefits for patients is a strong argument a favor of these devices research and development of brain-computer interfaces as well as their application come with a variety of ethical legal and social implications. This paper will discuss questions of responsibility and liability in case of BMI-directed external effectors, implications on autonomy and self-determination in the context of BCI-mediated communication with severely paralyzed patients and those with impaired consciousness. Finally, this paper deals with the question weather these devices pose conceptual threats to our common understanding of a human being. Does brain-machine interfacing produce cyborgs or is this kind of technology just another step in human development and the evolution of tool use? Conference: 2015 International Workshop on Clinical Brain-Machine Interfaces (CBMI2015), Tokyo, Japan, 13 Mar - 15 Mar, 2015. Presentation Type: Oral presentation / lecture Topic: Clinical Brain-Machine Interfaces Citation: Clausen J (2015). Clinical Brain-Machine-Interfaces: Ethical Legal and Social Implications. Conference Abstract: 2015 International Workshop on Clinical Brain-Machine Interfaces (CBMI2015). doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2015.218.00002 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 23 Apr 2015; Published Online: 29 Apr 2015. * Correspondence: Dr. Jens Clausen, University of Tübingen, Department of Medical Ethics, Tübingen, Ba-Wü, 72076, Germany, jens.clausen@uni-tuebingen.de Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Jens Clausen Google Jens Clausen Google Scholar Jens Clausen PubMed Jens Clausen Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.