Universität zu Köln

Witt, Karsten, Kuhn, Jens, Timmermann, Lars, Zurowski, Mateusz ORCID: 0000-0002-6407-4629 and Woopen, Christiane (2013). Deep Brain Stimulation and the Search for Identity. Neuroethics, 6 (3). S. 499 - 512. NEW YORK: SPRINGER. ISSN 1874-5504

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Abstract

Ethical evaluation of deep brain stimulation as a treatment for Parkinson's disease is complicated by results that can be described as involving changes in the patient's identity. The risk of becoming another person following surgery is alarming for patients, caregivers and clinicians alike. It is one of the most urgent conceptual and ethical problems facing deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease at this time. In our paper we take issue with this problem on two accounts. First, we elucidate what is meant by becoming another person from a conceptual point of view. After critically discussing two broad approaches we concentrate on the notion of individual identity which centers on the idea of core attitudes. Subsequently we discuss several approaches to determine what distinguishes core attitudes from those that are more peripheral. We argue for a foundational-function model highlighting the importance of specific dependency relations between these attitudes. Our second aim is to comment on the possibility to empirically measure changes in individual identity and argue that many of the instruments now commonly used in selecting and monitoring DBS-patients are inappropriate for this purpose. Future research in this area is advised combining a conceptual and an empirical approach as a basis of sound ethical appraisal.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Witt, Karsten UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Kuhn, Jens UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Timmermann, Lars UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Zurowski, Mateusz UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-6407-4629 UNSPECIFIED Woopen, Christiane UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-471266
DOI:	10.1007/s12152-011-9100-1
Journal or Publication Title:	Neuroethics
Volume:	6
Number:	3
Page Range:	S. 499 - 512
Date:	2013
Publisher:	SPRINGER
Place of Publication:	NEW YORK
ISSN:	1874-5504
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language SUBTHALAMIC NUCLEUS; PARKINSONS-DISEASE; NEUROSURGERY; PATIENT Multiple languages Ethics; Medical Ethics; Social Sciences, Biomedical Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/47126