What are we thinking?
Who has the right to know?
Brain imaging and its impact on society
Brain imaging and its impact on society
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Welcome
Introduction
Overview of whole programme
Part 1 aims and objectives
Rapid advances in imaging
Detailed
structural
images
1972
Functional
imaging
ankle
movement
finger
movement
speech
Plotting nerve connections and activity
Magnetic resonance diffusion imaging
Magnetoencephalography
ABC of imaging science
• Carefully planned study with enough subjects
• Carefully planned image acquisition
• [Perform carefully designed task under rigorously controlled
conditions during imaging]
• Analyse data using complex image analysis programmes
and specialised statistics to identify subtle differences
between groups
• Detailed knowledge of appropriate statistics required
• Caution in interpretation of data – false positives common
Science captures the imagination……
“Brain images demonstrate pain relief”
Pain and Central Nervous System Week 1999
• 12 subjects
• Pain stimulus
– activity in sensory areas
• Manual acupuncture
– Activity decreased by 60-70%!
• Acupuncture works!
Conclusion: A small analgesic effect of acupuncture was
found, which seems to lack clinical relevance and cannot be
clearly distinguished from bias.
Science escapes its normal bounds…….
This Is Your Brain on Politics
Iacoboni, Freedman, Kaplan, Jamieson, Freedman, Knapp Fitzgerald.
New York Times Nov 11 2007
20 subjects, undecided re candidate –
used to predict voting patterns and election outcome
Men’s brains* were activated when they looked at the words
“Democrat” and “Republican,” but not “independent.”
Science escapes its normal bounds…….
This Is Your Brain on Politics
Iacoboni, et al
20 subjects, undecided re candidate
New York Times Nov 11 2007
photos of Mitt Romney led to activity in the amygdala,
a brain area linked to anxiety.
Science escapes its normal bounds…….
This Is Your Brain on Politics
Iacoboni, et al
20 subjects, undecided re candidate
New York Times Nov 11 2007
When shown photos of Barack Obama and John McCain, swing voters’ brains
had little activity in areas of the brain associated with thought or feeling.
Well, we all know what actually happened.
The rest, as they say, is history….
Science and culture collide
Back in the laboratory…..
A Red Herring?
Neural correlates in the post-mortem Atlantic Salmon
Subject. One mature Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) participated in the fMRI study.
The salmon was not alive at the time of scanning.
Task. The salmon was shown a series of photographs depicting human individuals in
social situations with a specified emotional valence. The salmon was asked to determine
what emotion the individual in the photo must have been experiencing.
Several active voxels were discovered in a cluster located within
the salmon’s brain cavity.
Brain Imaging and its impact on
Society- Programme Aims
1. to understand the context in which neuroimaging has
begun to influence different sectors of society, in
particular its use in law and in neuromarketing;
2. to study the legal and human rights implications of
these uses;
3. to consider what constitutes acceptable practice, and
whether and how this should be regulated.
Debate amongst neuroscientists, clinicians, imaging,
government, lawyers, ethicists, specific societal group
representatives and the lay public through
3 seminars and a longitudinal work package.
Workshop 1 Aims
• to inform expert and lay participants about what
is currently possible using brain imaging
• to initiate debate on use of brain imaging in legal
and marketing contexts
• to inform subsequent debate
Workshop 2 - Aims
Part 2: The use of neuroimaging information in law,
ethical considerations security, privacy and human rights.
With the promise of more direct access to the brain than
previously possible, core legal questions need urgent
answers.
Burkhard Schaefer 7th and 8th June 2010
Workshop 3 - Aims
Part 3: Influencing policy, discussion of ethical guidance
and practice.
Hosted by the Scottish Futures Forum, a non party-political
organisation owned by the Scottish Parliament’s
Corporate Body.
Three sessions;
a half day dialogue event with 50 public members of the
Forum at IAS;
a day and a half at IAS with policy makers;
a one day event at Holyrood with MSPs supported and
chaired by a parliamentary committee.
Robert Rae
21st June, 19th August,
29th September 2010
Part 1 addresses:
• current capabilities and future developments in
imaging;
• limitations of brain imaging;
• image storage, ownership and privacy
• applications such as mind reading, lie detection
and neuromarketing
• examples of current legal and forensic use of
brain imaging;
• boundaries between science and commerce
• potentially subliminal uses of brain imaging
research for economic gain.
Eyjafjallajökull!**+?!~#...
Programme changes
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Talks - by remote
Discussion groups – chairs
Feedback by chairs
Plenty of time for discussion
Huge thank you to David Perry,
Graeme Heron and Chris Matthews
• Initiation of opinion survey
• Posters
• Visit by Chancellor of Strathclyde,
Lord Hope of Craighead, KT PC
Part 1
Questions to be addressed :
1) Who should see our brain images?
2) Should neuroimaging be used as
evidence in court?
3) Should neuroimaging be used in
commerce and how do different sectors
view neuromarketing?
Brain imaging and its impact on society
• Part 1: Advances in Neuroimaging and the
Implications for Society
• Part 2: What is the Legal View? - 7th and
8th June 2010
• Part 3: Influencing Policy - 21st June, 19th
August and 29th September 2010
• Work Package: survey opinions; review
scientific, lay print and online media,
produce report of workshops
Part 1
• Talks
• Discussion groups – each with a chair and
two questions
• Feedback
• Plenty of time for discussion
• Review draft survey