Neural Prosthetics : Neuroscientific and Philosophical Aspects of Changing the Brain

"Neural prosthetics are systems or devices implanted in or connected to the brain that influence the input and output of information. They modulate, bypass, supplement, or replace regions of the brain and its connections to parts of the body that are damaged, dysfunctional, or lost, whether from congenital conditions, brain injury, limb loss, or neurodegenerative disease. Neural prosthetics can restore sensory, motor, and cognitive functions in people with these conditions and enable them to regain functional independence and improve their quality of life. This book explores the neuroscientific and philosophical implications of neural prosthetics. Neuroscientific discussion focuses on how neural prosthetics can restore brain and bodily functions to varying degrees, looking at auditory and visual prosthetics, deep brain and responsive neurostimulation, brain-computer interfaces, brain-to-brain interfaces, and memory prosthetics. Philosophical discussion then considers the degree to which people with these prosthetics can benefit from or be harmed by them. Finally, it explores how these devices and systems can lead to a better understanding of the brain-mind relation, mental causation, and agency. This is an essential volume for anyone invested in the current and future directions of neural prosthetics, including neuroscientists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, neural engineers, psychologists, and psychiatrists, as well as philosophers, bioethicists, and legal theorists."--Amazon.com viewed Sept. 8, 2022. Neural prosthetics (neuroprostheses, neural prostheses) are devices or systems that influence the input and output of information in the brain. They modulate, bypass, supplement, or replace regions of the brain and its connections to the body that are damaged, dysfunctional, or lost from brain injury, congenital conditions, limb loss, or neurodegenerative disease. Neural prosthetics can generate, improve, or restore sensory, motor, and cognitive functions. Some prosthetics are implanted in the brain. Others are connected to it in brain–computer interfacing. This book describes auditory and visual prosthetics, deep brain and responsive neurostimulation, brain–computer interfaces, brain-to-brain interfaces, optogenetics, and memory prosthetics and discusses some of their neuroscientific and philosophical implications. The neuroscientific discussion focuses on how neural prosthetics can restore brain and bodily functions. The philosophical discussion focuses on how people with these prosthetics can benefit from or be harmed by them. It also focuses on how these devices and systems can lead to a better understanding of or change our attitudes about the brain–mind relation, identity, mental causation, and agency. The book considers the therapeutic, rehabilitative, and restorative potential of neural prosthetics in improving functional independence and quality of life for millions of people with disabling conditions. Cover Praise page Title Copyright Dedication Contents Abbreviations Introduction 1. Auditory and Visual Prosthetics 2. Neurostimulation for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders 3. Brain–.Computer Interfaces for Movement 4. Brain–.Computer and Brain-.to-.Brain Interfaces for Communication 5. Mental and Neural Causation in Brain–.Computer and Brain-.to-.Brain Interfaces 6. Neural Prosthetics for Memory Epilogue References Index