Medical personnel have reached a time when their implementation of medical technologies could present major moral dilemmas. With new classes of drugs available to the public designed to alter the function of our brains we are quickly approaching a new age in psychopharmacology. Soon it is possible that the majority of the human population will be consuming drugs to augment their mood and cognitive abilities. Are we entering a brave new world or starting on a foolhardy journey to the demise of what we now know as the human race?
Drugs designed to aid people’s ailments have been produced for centuries, it has been only a recent development, however, that these drugs are to be used to correct mental instabilities. Among the mental malfunctions that we as humans face is the dark state known as depression. In response to this common problem researchers created antidepressant medications. The most common form of these drugs is Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or SSRIs. While they do help a large number of individuals with their constant battle with “the blues” they can also create problems. For example, sexual dysfunction has been reported by a large number of depression patients. In response to this, doctors often times merely prescribe more drugs to combat the newly created problem. This cycle of treating symptoms while ignoring the underlying issue lacks any and all ethical consideration for the mental state of the patient.
While the use of antidepressants can be justified in some cases a recent trend in the multiplication of prescriptions is troubling. It seems that over the past several years, individuals with milder depression have become more likely to be prescribed SSRIs. In addition to this they are also being used as preventative medicine in patients who show absolutely no symptoms of depression. Martha Farah at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience addressed this issue stating, “changes in psychiatric practice have resulted in many people using SSRIs and other antidepressants who would not have been prescribed these drugs ten years ago”. This concept is not only ethically questionable it is in fact rather dangerous especially to younger individuals. As the brain develops, outside influences have an enormous impact on it. The decision to carelessly distribute antidepressants to teenagers could have long term repercussions on the natural function of their brains. These practices are unethical and irresponsible on the part of the doctors and of the patients who fail to understand the effects of their treatment.
Research conducted on the effects of anti-depressants on healthy individuals provided potentially frightening results. The effects were reported as, “Reducing self-reported negative affect (such as fear, hostility) while leaving positive affect (happiness, excitement) the same”. While it is obvious that we as humans dislike our negative emotions we must also take into consideration the important role they play in our lives. For example if no feelings of anger or deep rooted passion are felt about current issues plaguing our society, such as the constitutional rights that are being stripped from us, people may remain docile and allow these heinous acts to happen. In a similar study researchers found that “subjects were more cooperative” under the influence of these SSRIs. Again, in some individual cases this would have a rewarding effect on one’s life. However, when you view the society as a whole as being “more cooperative” it will also lose the passion to fight against the wrong doings within the society. Thus, as these drugs are distributed more freely to individuals with no consideration of whether or not they are in need of them serious social backlash could occur.
The use of mood enhancing drugs in the American society is dwarfed in comparison to the overwhelming demand for those designed for boosting our cognitive functions. Stimulants such as methylphenidate and amphetamines are among the most popular cognitive enhancing drugs on the market today. Originally designed to be used in the treatment of ADD and ADHD these drugs have quickly found there way into the hands of many with absolutely no medically diagnosable need for them.
When used in treating such conditions as Attention Deficit Disorder some positive results have been shown. Coupled with these results, however, are a list of side effects that can cause serious problems in the lives of patients. One side effect to note is a significant decrease in appetite. This can lead to serious weight loss in many individuals who were considered to be in the low weight bracket in the first place. Since these drugs are usually prescribed to children a lack of appetite can cause other problems like malnutrition leading to stunted growth and development. Another important side effect is a loss in the ability to sleep. Not only does it affect ones ability to fall asleep but it also causes serious problems with the brains natural circadian rhythm. The real question is, are all of these side effects really made up for by the slight increase in attention and memory retention?
Whether or not these stimulants are worth the risk seems to be of little significance in a society that relies on them to function. Even if there is no medical documentation of attention deficits, business professionals and students are finding ways to obtain these stimulants in order to increase productivity. “Methylphenidate is considered by some to be the most widely used recreational drug on American Campuses”. It seems that even among those who are not diagnosed with any form of attention deficit these stimulants have a great affect. An article in the journal Nature titled “Emerging Ethical Issues in Neuroscience” the author writes, “in normal individuals, these drugs induce reliable changes in vigilance response time and higher cognitive functions, such as novel problem solving and planning”.
There are several problems created by the use of these drugs to augment the brains natural ability to process information. One of these problems can be seen as a social one. With increased abilities in memorization and attention tasks individuals on such stimulants are given the upper hand in educational and business situations. This creates pressure on those who are opposed to enhancing their abilities with drugs to do just that. Another problem is that these drugs may in fact slow down the natural evolution of the human brain. If we no longer need to evolve to keep up with demand, because we have drugs to expand our abilities, then we will not. However, if ever we run out of supplies to continue creating such drugs then we will be set back by hundreds of years. Yet another significant issue that will effect our current generation is the possibility that “a youth spent scaling the heights of academic and job success thanks to enhancement by Ritalin will be followed by a middle age of premature memory loss and cognitive decline”. These are all ethical, moral and health issues that need to be taken into consideration by not only neuroethicists but the common individual.
It is of utmost importance for our society as a whole to realize the possible outcomes of attempting to enhance a system as complex as the human brain. It is even more pertinent, however, that individuals in the neuroscience fields remain responsible by preventing the over prescription of these potentially dangerous drugs. Therefore, our entire culture is obligated to understand the implications these psychopharmacological advancements have on the individuals’ and the societies’ well being.
Neuroethics: the Neuroscience Revolution, Ethics, and the LawEmerging Ethical Issues in Neuroscience(Warning:PDF)
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