In order to understand the need for a regulation termed the “Neuro Rights” which is more than the “Privacy Rights” as we understand today, it is necessary for us to have an understanding of what are the technological developments that are affecting the discussions.
In this context we can recall that there are already many medical implants which stay inside a human body and try to modify some bodily functions. Some of them are simple devices such as the “Eversense CGM system” which has recently been approved by FDA which is a chip implanted under the skin and measures the glucose levels upto 90 days. The information is sent to a mobile device and alerts the users for high or low sugar levels. This is an enhancement of the watches that monitor the blood flow in the wrists. The FDA has considered harms such as allergic reaction, skin discoloration etc and also factored in the possibility of inaccuracy of the measurement. In an advanced device of Continuous Glucose monitoring, an insulin pump may be set up to deliver small doses of insulin through an infusion set.
In Deep Brain Stimulation, the technology interacts with the neural functioning by receiving, interpreting signals which are processed otherwise by the neurons in the body. When such signals are transmitted to the Central Nervous System, (CNS) it makes the brain or the spinal cord to send instructions to the body elements for some action. These are induced actions which are artificial. Similarly the signals emanating from the CNS may be captured and sent to external devices such as a robotic arm and make the device respond to the thoughts of the CNS.
The transmission of neural signals is an electric impulse and it is caused by certain chemical composition changes in the Neuron Cell body or in the inter-neuron synaptic area. These chemical composition changes the number of positive ions or negative ions and determines the polarization or depolarization of a cell (build up of positive or negative charges). When the voltage potential crosses a threshold, the signal becomes strong enough to travel to the end of the neuron and connect the signal to the next neuron.
Deep Brain Stimulation tries to alter these transmissions and thereby affect the neuron activity.
As a definition, we can say that
“Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure involving the placement of a medical device (called a neurostimulator), which sends electrical impulses, through implanted electrodes, to specific targets in the brain (the brain nucleus) “
When the impulses are targeted at the body parts or external device like robotic arms, the DBS works as an outward signal manipulation.
DBS may be useful in treating many types of mental disorders including Parkinson’s decease. But the ability to convert internal thoughts into external machine actions or cheat the brain with a feed from outside the trusted in-nervous system, (signals from the body sensory organs into the CNS) is a concern which can be called a “harm” in the human rights context.
The Objective of Neurorights legislation is to regulate the misuse of the systems that can interact with the neural system in general which includes the DBS technology as well as the non invasive technologies where electrodes outside the body can alter the signals transmitting into and out of the CNS.
Currently many anaesthetic functions work on the principle of numbing the nerves so that the pain is not communicated to the brain by that part where a procedure is conducted which should normally cause pain. In whole body anaesthesia (General Anaesthesia) the entire brain function is put on a hold while the body may be cut open and surgical operations are conducted for hours.
Are these medical procedures also part of “Interference with the Brain functions”? and should they be brought under the Neuro Rights legislation? is one point which needs further academic debate.
Naavi
