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Kraemer F. Me, Myself and My Brain Implant: Deep Brain Stimulation Raises Questions of Personal Authenticity and Alienation. Neuroethics. 2011;6:483-497doi: 10.1007/s12152-011-9115-7.
Kraemer, F. (2013). Me, Myself and My Brain Implant: Deep Brain Stimulation Raises Questions of Personal Authenticity and Alienation. Neuroethics, 6483-497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-011-9115-7
Kraemer, Felicitas. "Me, Myself and My Brain Implant: Deep Brain Stimulation Raises Questions of Personal Authenticity and Alienation." Neuroethics vol. 6 (2013): 483-497. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-011-9115-7
Kraemer F. Me, Myself and My Brain Implant: Deep Brain Stimulation Raises Questions of Personal Authenticity and Alienation. Neuroethics. 2013;6:483-497. doi: 10.1007/s12152-011-9115-7. Epub 2011 May 12. PMID: 24273619; PMCID: PMC3825521.
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Neuroethics. 2013;6:483-497. doi: 10.1007/s12152-011-9115-7. Epub 2011 May 12.

Me, Myself and My Brain Implant: Deep Brain Stimulation Raises Questions of Personal Authenticity and Alienation.

Neuroethics

Felicitas Kraemer

Affiliations

  1. Philosophy & Ethics, Eindhoven University of Technology, IPO 1.01, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

PMID: 24273619 PMCID: PMC3825521 DOI: 10.1007/s12152-011-9115-7

Abstract

In this article, I explore select case studies of Parkinson patients treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) in light of the notions of alienation and authenticity. While the literature on DBS has so far neglected the issues of authenticity and alienation, I argue that interpreting these cases in terms of these concepts raises new issues for not only the philosophical discussion of neuro-ethics of DBS, but also for the psychological and medical approach to patients under DBS. In particular, I suggest that the experience of alienation and authenticity varies from patient to patient with DBS. For some, alienation can be brought about by neurointerventions because patients no longer feel like themselves. But, on the other hand, it seems alienation can also be cured by DBS as other patients experience their state of mind as authentic under treatment and retrospectively regard their former lives without stimulation as alienated. I argue that we must do further research on the relevance of authenticity and alienation to patients treated with DBS in order to gain a deeper philosophical understanding, and to develop the best evaluative criterion for the behavior of DBS patients.

Keywords: Alienation; Authenticity; Autonomy; Brain pacemaker; Deep brain stimulation; Implant ethics

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