The Brain and the Law

An overview of neuroethics and neurolaw that covers a lot of ground, from Phineas Gage to comas. Ways that the brain controls behaviour, issues of responsibility and accountability in the legal system, decision making, recidivism and rehabilitation, predicting violence, the hype and reality of fMRI lie detectors and the implicit association test (IAT), and more. Fast-paced and accessible talk, from the @RSAevents Vision lectures.

The Neuroethics of Neurocriminology: New Challenges

Is it possible to predict criminal violence with brain scans, and prevent it with biological interventions? Part of the excellent Neuroethics Learning Collaborative video series.

Mood/Personality Enhancement

Neuroethical issues with taking psychiatric medication for mood or personality enhancement (as opposed to treating a disorder).

Brain Imaging: Reality and Hype

An introduction to neuroimaging techniques (mainly fMRI), technical specs, and interpreting data. Lively talk with good slides. Detailed but not overcomplicated for beginners, with excellent guidance on how to understand and critique published studies and what gets filtered down to the mass media. Another great talk from the Neuroethics Learning Collaborative video series.

Ethics of Brain Imaging

Excellent panel discussion on issues involved in using brain imaging for psychiatry from the Neuroethics Learning Collaborative, featuring three leading experts. They begin with a mention of Daniel Amen’s claim that he can use SPECT imaging to diagnose and treat psychiatric illnesses. Most psychiatrists and psychologists, however, base diagnoses on a person’s behaviour and perception rather than brain structure. The panel explains how a biological basis for behaviour differs from biological disease, and ethical and technical issues involved in the potential use of neuroimaging for diagnosis. They also touch on the use of neuroimaging in law. Although it isn’t the focus of their discussion, it also happens to address a perennial criticism of antipsychiatry activists about why biological tests aren’t used for mental health issues. Hat tip: @gkaguirre.

Mental Health Courts

A Halifax lawyer is interviewed about mental health courts and their role in the community. Part of a wonderful grassroots webisode series by Inclusion Revolution.

[Image by bloomsberries.]

Neuroscience, Law and Government Symposium

Keynote speaker Hank Greely gives a basic talk about neuroscience and the law for an audience of lawyers/law students. Topics include predicting (behaviour and illnesses), mind reading and lie detection, responsibility and consciousness, treatment, and cognitive enhancement. Q&A follows. Greely blogged about it as well; sounds like it was a great symposium and it’s a pity the other videos aren’t online too.

[Image of the Banff Springs Hotel by Steph & Adam.]

Neuro Talk: Tap In, The Experts Weigh In

Short (1 to 2 min. each) interview clips in modules on major topics including brain scans, religion, neurolaw, cosmetic psychopharmacology, meditation, coma, and more from attendees at a neuroethics conference in Banff, Alberta. Non-resizable and unsharable custom video player, but great content.

What’s the Matter with Memory?

The psychologist who pioneered research into false memories discusses their issues in law, psychotherapy, problems with misinformation and more. Great talk.

[U Mich library graffiti. Image by quinn.anya]

A Better Brain: The Ethics of Neuro-enhancement

The neuroethics of cosmetic psychopharmacology. Four hypothetical situations (with real parallels) are debated by major thinkers on a panel at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism: a person who wants to take a drug for narcolepsy to stay awake in order to work more, a parent considering giving their child a psych med to help with social skills, healthy students who take “Rememberall, made by Hype Pharmaceuticals” to enhance studying, and memory dampening. Highlights. Close captioned.