Ethics of neurofeedback

• Project/Area Number: 17K08905
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Medical sociology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Nakazawa Eisuke 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 講師 (90554428)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 瀧本 禎之 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 准教授 (00396699) ; 立花 幸司 熊本大学, 大学院人文社会科学研究部(文), 准教授 (30707336) ; 山本 圭一郎 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 助教 (50633591)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
• Keywords: 脳神経倫理 / 生命倫理 / 先端科学技術の倫理 / ニューロフィードバック / バイオエシックス / 研究倫理

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to focus on neurofeedback, which has been attracting attention in recent years, to examine its ethical issues and to evaluate its social acceptability. While neurofeedback technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, analysis from an ethical perspective is still in its infancy. The ethical points are social acceptance, informed consent, and risk / benefit evaluation. In particular, it was found that risk evaluation and social acceptability regarding the irreversibility of the neurofeedback technology are the ethical points of this technology.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究はニューロフィードバック技術に関する倫理的問題を整理した国際的にも初めての研究である。この成果は「Should we Erase our Unpleasant Memories? Ethics of Memory Manipulation by Neurofeedback Technologies」と題するプレゼンテーションにまとめ、国際脳神経倫理学会において発表を行った。これにより、ニューロフィードバックの倫理に関して、国際的な場面で一定の発信ができたと考えられる。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Neuroethical Issues of the Brain/MINDS Project of Japan (2019)
  • Author(s): Sadato Norihiro、Morita Kentaro、Kasai Kiyoto、Fukushi Tamami、Nakamura Katsuki、Nakazawa Eisuke、Okano Hideyuki、Okabe Shigeo
  • Journal Title: Neuron Volume: 101 Issue: 3 Pages: 385-389
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.01.006
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Neuroethics Questions to Guide Ethical Research in the International Brain Initiatives (2018)
  • Author(s): Rommelfanger KS, Jeong SJ, Ema A, Fukushi T, Kasai K, Ramos KM, Salles A, Singh I, Amadio J, Bi GQ, Boshears PF, Carter A, Devor A, Doya K, Garden H, Illes J, Johnson LSM, Jorgenson L, Jun BO, Lee I, Michie P, Miyakawa T, Nakazawa E, etal.
  • Journal Title: Neuron Volume: 100 Issue: 1 Pages: 19-36
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.021
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Discovery and informing research participants of incidental findings detected in brain magnetic resonance imaging studies: Review and multi-institutional study (2017)
  • Author(s): Kyoko Takashima, Yoshiyuki Takimoto, Eisuke Nakazawa, Yoshinori Hayashi, Atsushi Tsuchiya, Misao Fujita, Akira Akabayashi
  • Journal Title: Brain and Behavior Volume: 印刷中 Issue: 5
  • DOI: 10.1002/brb3.676
  • NAID: 120006884831
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Presentation] Should we Erase our Unpleasant Memories? Ethics of Memory Manipulation by Neurofeedback Technologies. (2019)
  • Author(s): Nakazawa E, Yamamoto K, Tachibana K.
  • Organizer: 2019 International Neuroethics Society Annual Meeting, Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago, US.
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] ニューロテクノロジーと自律・幸福・徳 (2019)
  • Author(s): 中澤栄輔
  • Organizer: 第42回日本神経科学大会, 産学連携シンポジウム「ニューロテクノロジーを社会へ実装するためのELSI」, 於朱鷺メッセ.
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Bioethics in The High-tech Society: Wearable devices and Transformations to Human Death Brought About by AI. (2019)
  • Author(s): Nakazawa E
  • Organizer: The 8th International Conference on Medical Professionalism and Humanities 2019: Educating Humanistic Healthcare Professionals in the High Technology Era. Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Case Studies: Cross-cultural perspectives and relevance to brain projects discussion: Japan Brain/MINDS (2017)
  • Author(s): Nakazawa E
  • Organizer: Global Neuroethics Summit 2017
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited