Neither Speculative nor Narrow-Minded Ethics is Needed for Optogenetics-Based DBS in Psychiatry and Neurology

摘要

Doubtlessly, concerns about mind control are misleading in the context of optogenetics for vision restoration. But to exclude deliberations about brain control from ethical considerations about optogenetics-based deep brain stimulation (DBS) would be grossly negligent. Althoughwe agree with Gilbert and his coauthors' (Gilbert, Harris, and Kapsa 2014) main request that Phase 1 trials of optogenetics studies should incorporate both efficacy and safety issues,we think that their warning against "speculative ethics" is misleading in the context of optogenetics-based DBS in psychiatry and neurology.