[extropy-chat] Future of Cosmetic Neurology Debated

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>From Medical News Today, an article on the future of cosmetic
neurology. While one purpose of medicine is to improve the quality of
life of individuals who are sick, should medical knowledge be extended
to enhance the lives of those who are already healthy? This question
and others are addressed in three articles about cosmetic neurology in
the September 28 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the
American Academy of Neurology. Abstract can be browsed on the
Neurology Online website, access to full text articles requires
subscription.

Cosmetic neurology goes beyond the use of botulinum toxin for
smoothing wrinkles and includes applying medical therapies to enhance
normal abilities. In the journal's "Views & Reviews" section, Anjan
Chatterjee, MD, a neurologist at the University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, describes movement and endurance, attention and memory,
and moods as three areas of cosmetic neurology. For example,
amphetamines that help stroke patients could possibly benefit healthy
individuals during a time of skilled motor learning, like playing the
piano or swimming. Transcranial magnetic stimulation used to treat
clinical depression could be applied to people who simply have "off"
days.

Cosmetic neurology has ethical implications for both individuals and
society, Chatterjee said. For the individual, concerns include safety
and the notion that the self is challenged by chemically altering the
brain. For society, concerns include the potential inequality of
access to cosmetic neurology, as well as the coercion to use
enhancements to compete at the highest level in a winner-take-all
environment. Chatterjee sees the development of cosmetic neurology
moving forward due to the growth of direct-to-consumer marketing and
the military's research efforts.

Abstract of Chatterjee's article: Advances in cognitive neuroscience
and neuropharmacology are yielding exciting treatments for neurologic
diseases. Many of these treatments are also likely to have uses for
people without disease. Here, I review the ways in which medicine
might make bodies and brains function better by modulating motor,
cognitive, and affective systems. These potential "quality of life"
interventions raise ethical concerns, some related to the individual
and others related to society. Despite these concerns, I argue that
major restraints on the development of cosmetic neurology are not
likely. Neurologists and other clinicians are likely to encounter
patient-consumers who view physicians as gatekeepers in their own
pursuit of happiness.

http://transhumanism.org/index.php/more/future-of-cosmetic-neurology-debated/