Ethics of neural enhancement using noninvasive brain stimulation

Article

Notes:

Another area where the potential of cognitive enhancement
holds great promise is language learning.
Anodal tDCS over Broca’s area has been shown to
improve the ability of subjects to learn new object
names and may also enhance the ability to learn
novel grammar.14,15.In other investigations, TMS
and tDCS of language-related regions of the left
hemisphere has been shown to induce faster object
naming,16,17 and anodal tDCS applied to the left prefrontal
cortex has been shown to transiently improve
verbal fluency.18

•  14. Flo¨el A, Ro¨sser N, Michka O, Knecht S, Breitenstein C.

Noninvasive brain stimulation improves language learning.
J Cogn Neurosci 2008;20:1415–1422.

• 15. de Vries MH, Barth AC, Maiworm S, Knecht S, Zwisterlood

P, Flo¨el A. Electrical stimulation of Broca’s area enhances
implicit learning of an artificial grammar. J Cogn
Neurosci Epub 2009 Nov 19.

• 17. Sparing R, Dafotakis M, Meister IG, Thirugnanasambandam

N, Fink GR. Enhancing language performance with
non-invasive brain stimulation: a transcranial direct current

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 After inhibitory noninvasive brain
stimulation of the right DLPFC, subjects were more
likely to accept low offers, even though they still perceived
them as being unfair. It seems as though subjects
were more motivated to act in their self-interest
than to abstain from a reward for the sake of fairness.
TMS and tDCS of the DLPFC have also been shown
to manipulate behavior on a variety of other rewardseeking
tasks.38

• 37. Knoch D, Pascual-Leone A, Meyer K, Treyer V, Fehr E.

Diminishing reciprocal fairness by disrupting the right
prefrontal cortex. Science 2006;314:829–832.

• 38. Fecteau S, Knoch D, Fregni F, Sultani N, Boggio P, Pascual-

Leone A. Diminishing risk-taking behavior by modulating
activity in the prefrontal cortex: a direct current stimulation
study. J Neurosci 2007;27:12500–12505.