The ethics of neurological innovation

The clinical trial of invasive neurotechnological interventions, such as deep brain stimulation and other sophisticated brain computer interfaces, raise complex ethical challenges that must balance the desire to develop effective treatments for otherwise intractable disorders and the need to avoid preventable harm to patients and their families. These issues include: the challenge in obtaining informed consent from patients desperate for a cure, managing patient’s expectation of therapeutic benefit from the trial, and the responsibility of the research team to provide ongoing care and device management over the lifetime of the device in the context of short-term project funding. This study will employ various qualitative methodologies in order to provide ethical guidance to researchers and clinical teams in conducting trials of invasive neurological interventions.