Aspecte bioetice ale ameliorării medicamentoase a capacităților cognitive umane

Abstract

Human cognitive enhancement can be defined as amplification or extension of the brain’s basic capabilities by improving or expanding internal or external information processing systems. Various methods are known to improve cognitive abilities that could be applied in the near future, such as education, exposure to rich environments and good health, mental training, drug use, transcranial magnetic stimulation, genome manipulations, prenatal improvement and perinatal, the use of different external devices and software systems, the method – the brain-computer interface and the collective intelligence. At the same time, these methods highlight a number of bioethical problems, which arise from overlapping with notions such as authenticity, high standard of living and the role of medicine in our lives. Current and anticipated methods of improving cognitive abilities also create challenges for public policies and legislative regulations. The present study is an analysis of the bioethical aspects raised by the use of drugs in cognitive enhancement.