Neuroenhancement at Work: Addressing the Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications

Projections and the Potential Societal Impact of the Future of Neurotechnologies

“…For example, many employers currently require computer-based augmentation of their employees’ capabilities and offer caffeine stimulation. If neurotechnology proves to improve capabilities, this technology may conceivably become an explicit or implicit job requirement ( Bard et al, 2018 ; Brühl et al, 2019 ; Dubljevic et al, 2019 ), and ethical considerations of the usage of human-integrated technology may be all the more important ( Gauttier, 2019 ).…”

Non-invasive brain stimulation and neuroenhancement

“…While neurostimulation techniques could be therapeutically legitimate for a number of people with diverse health concerns, access to care may be influenced by misleading media portrayals that offer overly positive or overly negative perspectives. Positively biased information may lead to unrealistic expectations, which fail to materialize for the majority of people, ultimately leading individuals to see their results as a “let-down.” For example, media that paint a brain stimulation technique such as rTMS as “life-changing” or a “miracle cure” for depression may unwittingly set up those people who were treated and experienced only mild benefit, for disappointment ( Dubljević et al, 2020 ). Similarly, as in situations of direct-to-consumer advertising, such stories could encourage patients to seek out treatment, in an era of self-diagnosis, that is not appropriate for them.…”

Ethical Issues in Neuropsychopharmacotherapy: US Perspective

“…Modafinil is a wakefulness-inducing compound prescribed for treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness as a consequence of sleep disturbances, such as shift-work, sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy (Murillo-Rodriguez et al 2017). However, modafinil has also been widely used by healthy individuals as an off-label cognitive enhancer, particularly in populations of students and professionals where cognitive enhancement is thought to be especially beneficial (Dubljević et al 2020). Franke and Lieb (2010) suggest that the growing prevalence of the cognitive enhancer use such as modafinil is a result of factors akin to pressure to perform at work or in private life, which are positively associated with the use of prescription or illicit drugs for cognitive enhancement.…”