Addiction Neuroethics: The Promises and Perils of Neuroscience Research on Addiction

Addiction Neuroethics: The Promises and Perils of Neuroscience Research on Addiction
ISBN-10
1139504673
ISBN-13
9781139504676
Category
Medical
Language
English
Published
2011-11-17
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Authors
Wayne Hall, Adrian Carter

Description

Addiction is a significant health and social problem and one of the largest preventable causes of disease globally. Neuroscience promises to revolutionise our ability to treat addiction, lead to recognition of addiction as a 'real' disorder in need of medical treatment and thereby reduce stigma and discrimination. However, neuroscience raises numerous social and ethical challenges: • If addicted individuals are suffering from a brain disease that drives them to drug use, should we mandate treatment? • Does addiction impair an individual's ability to consent to research or treatment? • How will neuroscience affect social policies towards drug use? Addiction Neuroethics addresses these challenges by examining ethical implications of emerging neurobiological treatments, including: novel psychopharmacology, neurosurgery, drug vaccines to prevent relapse, and genetic screening to identify individuals who are vulnerable to addiction. Essential reading for academics, clinicians, researchers and policy-makers in the fields of addiction, mental health and public policy.

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