Brain Imaging and Diagnosis
Madeline Goldberg
Voices in Bioethics November 13, 2020 DOI: 10.7916/vib.v1i.6483 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Brain imaging research Consciousness The mind |
| Key findings | Argues that although current theories treat the mind as physical, debate continues over whether brain imaging can interpret it, and proposes that this debate matters for diagnosing disorders of consciousness and for the ethical problems of misdiagnosis. The paper reviews theories of mind from ancient questions to contemporary cognitive neuroscience. |
Abstract
Current theories of the mind hold that it is physical in nature; however, much debate exists about whether the mind can be interpreted with brain imaging research. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of theories of the mind and how they relate to current debates on disorders of consciousness, and to explore the ethical implications of medical diagnoses and misdiagnoses. Questions concerning the nature of the mind and consciousness have been raised since ancient times, and scientists are now turning to cognitive neuroscience for answers.