Neuroethics: P athetic P leasure and P ersistent P ain Prof Jayapaul Azariah Ph.D President, Asian Bioethics Association New No. 4, 8 th Lane, Indiranagar, Chennai India

Addictions are of many sorts From mundane activity like drinking ICE COLD WATER during the summer in India A mechanical device like – Slot machine The most innocuous looking of gambling games- freely accessible to school kids Chemical – durgs Habits Technology addiction

Addiction to PC Mobile Cell phones Both can roam locally and globally Both can damage health and Nervous system

Advance of Techno Sciences If Biology belongs to 20 th Century then Neuroethics belongs to the 21 st Century Science and Technology has advanced so rapidly during the later half of 20 th Century Addiction has been now varied and new One can be addicted to drink ice cold water during the summer in India Currently it is an addiction of a new kind Addiction to technology

Technologies converge on Cell

Addiction to Technology

ALL in ONE Technology Can cause hearing lose when Listening to MP3 player too loudly or for too long a period Can damage Balancing wheel in the ear

Cell phone in Pulic Talking to oneself – looks like Emotional talk In public transports – like buses In banks The ears are plugged and they can not hear what the outside world tells them

Neurothics Brain Blood barrier – broken

Internet café – Youth in doors

Case Study - 1 The patient is a expert in Television Technology – working in Broadcasting Inc. All ways at the Cell phones No rest to his phone calls Listening to MP3 /IPOD music He could not stand straight – suddenly he will loose his balance and fall down Lost his job Could not find a cure

Case Study - 2 Mr ‘S’ on his way to Church – Tomorrow is his interview for a new job – so he thought of prayer His voice was shaky – words incoherent He said, I am diagnosed – Biopolar disease After a long discussion he admitted that he was an addict to unhealthy WEBSITES He stopped visiting them four months ago – But the pathetic (pain) effect lingers on and on

Pathological implication The doctor said – stop all your medicines Next week I will put you on a new schedule of drugs – Foreign drugs Have they been approved by the Drug Controller of India? – No idea? These drugs are supplied by “brokers” No informed consent – Patient is given the impression that it is part of his treatment He is not told that he is a part of an experiment ! Pathetic pleasure but persistent pain!

Case Study - 3 A computer Technology Professional- in a Call Center Feels that he is being ‘haunted’ by ‘spirits’ and ‘fears’ I suggested to him that he takes proper rest and provide sleep for his mind & soul He said “ I have not yet joined the Centre” How he keeps himself occupied during day

Case Study 3 – Cont.. He said that he sits before the computer and visits unwanted web sites As a Christian he was in a conflict. One side of him said you are a Christian - these websites are not the ones which he should feed on. The other side - his Psychic said that it is only natural and not you are participating in any unlawful sexual activity. Such a conflicting state of mind is a vulnerable part of human personality. During the conversation he agreed that he should not have been visiting some websites

Can a patient be outsourced? It can happen in India. In India the Patient trusts the Doctor 100% It is more so in the case of a new drug to treat cancer/biopolar, the patient puts his trust on the doctor entirely BBC The drug has not been tested effectively on animals. The foreign (USA) collaborator says it is good enough for USA but it is good for India? Need to tighten Protocols of Informed Consent and Ethical procedures

Bioethical Safeguards ! Need to enforce same standards as in a Western Country – regarding trails on animals. Regulations need to be tight Public awareness on these issues Curriculum Development in these areas

Thank you