Researchers have developed a new implant that can wirelessly deliver drugs directly into the brain
A new implant that wirelessly delivers drugs directly into the brain brings up challenging questions for neuroethicists
No wider than a strand of human hair, the device combines brain implants with a remote control drug delivery system.
To demonstrate the amount of control this device is capable of, investigators made mice walk in circles by injecting a morphine-like drug directly into their ventral tegmental area (VTA), a brain region responsible for motivation and reward.
However, with rapid technological advancements that interfere with the brain, moral and ethical questions are arising.
Dr Frederic Gilbert, a researcher in bioethics at the Australian Research Council, wrote: “As in many fields, the ethical questions are often raised too late in the development of novel technologies; optogenetics is no stranger to this.”
Optogenetics is a branch of neuroscience that uses photostimulation to control neurons that have been genetically sensitized to light. This new device has optogenetic capability.
If this device were to be translated for human use, obtaining consent from human patients, especially if they’re mentally ill, may be problematic.
Gilbert and his colleague Dr Robert Sparrow at the Australian Research Council have called on scientists to keep in mind the sombre history of neuroscience and psychosurgery.
Dr Michael Bruchas, senior researcher on the team responsible for the implant said: “We are developing this with the intent of helping mental health disorders and neurological disease.
“We’re putting this knowledge out there with the idea that this is going to help people.”
However, Bruchas is cautious about the implications of his work.
Bruchas said: “You do want to be thinking about these issues because this space does move very rapidly, and if it moves too rapidly without taking a step back and thinking about it, that’s a risk you take.”