Using tDCS to Reduce Aggression in Inmates
By Celeste Fong
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Andrés Molero-Chamizo, the lead researcher of the study, remains optimistic, saying “it could help to keep order inside a prison” (Adam, 2019). Here, his point is clear. The Spanish prison system’s most pressing issue for a number of years has been overcrowding as a result of a lack of staff (Pascual & Aranda, 2016), while the United States is notorious for high incarceration rates (Sawyer & Wagner, 2019). Having less aggressive or violent prisoners could create a better environment for both workers and inmates. Less conflict between inmates, or between inmates and guards, as a result of tDCS, increases security and efficiency, and promotes a method of rehabilitation that could lead to shorter prison sentences (Samuel, 2019). Further, if the stimulation is shown to have a continued positive effect on aggressive tendencies, lower recidivism rates could follow, as former inmates would be less likely to recommit violent crimes (Mooney & Daffern, 2015). Shorter sentences and lower recidivism rates means fewer individuals in the prison system, which prevents overcrowding and allows for an improved quality of care for inmates.
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Beyond concerns over the use of vulnerable populations in research studies, other potential worries lie in the use of stimulation itself, particularly as tDCS is intended to alter natural neural functioning by changing cortical excitability through the external application of electrical currents (Nitsche & Paulus, 2000). The question is whether or not an actor who becomes less aggressive through stimulation of the brain is somehow different from one who becomes less aggressive through work done by his or her own accord. This issue is one of identity. As a society, we tend to value self-authenticity as a facet of identity. In other words, we often aim to live a life that is authentic to us, where we can act according to our own values and beliefs to achieve our own goals to become the self we aspire to be. Does the use of stimulation somehow prevent an actor from behaving authentically? And are the resulting efforts of his or her actions somehow discounted as a result of the addition of stimulation? If it is the case that an actor who has the assistance of an external influence like tDCS is no longer able to act authentically, and thus, in a manner consistent with his or her own self-identity, there becomes a serious ethical issue with the use of brains stimulation in prisoners.
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Finally, with regard to methodology, we have yet to determine what it means to be categorized as “non-violent” or “reduced aggression.” It is important to note that the pilot study conducted by Molero-Chamizo and his team tested self-reported aggression using the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, which asks participants how they relate to particular statements as being more or less characteristic of themselves. This means that aggression scores are indicative of self-interpretation rather than proactive or reactive behavior. Someone who says that they feel less aggressive does not necessarily mean that he or she will be less violent. Therefore, we cannot know if the work done by the pilot study definitively shows that tDCS makes prisoners less aggressive, just that prisoners interpret themselves as being less aggressive or emotionally provoked.
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Celeste Fong is a current student in the Masters in Bioethics program at Emory University. Having received her Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, she is interested in exploring how advances in neuroscienceresearch and technology can challenge society's perception of itself and its values.
References
- Adam, D. (2019, March 06). Exclusive: Brain zap therapy for aggression to be tested on prisoners. Retrieved from https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24132203-200-exclusive-brain-zap-therapy-for-aggression-to-be-tested-on-prisoners/
- Molero-Chamizo, A., Martin Riquel, R., Moriana, J. A., Nitsche, M. A., & Rivera-Urbina, G. N. (2019). Bilateral Prefrontal Cortex Anodal tDCS Effects on Self-reported Aggressiveness in Imprisoned Violent Offenders. Neuroscience, 397, 31-40. doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.11.018
- Mooney, J. L., & Daffern, M. (2015). The relationship between aggressive behaviour in prison and violent offending following release. Psychology, Crime & Law, 21(4), 314-329. doi:10.1080/1068316X.2014.989163
- Nitsche, M. A., & Paulus, W. (2000). Excitability changes induced in the human motor cortex by weak transcranial direct current stimulation. J Physiol, 527 Pt 3, 633-639. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7793.2000.t01-1-00633.x
- Pascual, E., & Aranda, M. (2016, December). Prisons in Spain- The penitentiary system. Retrieved from https://www.prison-insider.com/countryprofile/prisons-spain?s=le-systeme-penitentiaire#le-systeme-penitentiaire
- Samuel, S. (2019, March 09). A controversial experiment will zap prisoners' brains to curb aggression. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/3/9/18256821/prisoner-brain-study-spain-aggression-neurointervention-ethics
- Sawyer, W., & Wagner, P. (2019, March 19). Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2019. Retrieved from https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2019.html
Fong, C. (2019). Using tDCS to Reduce Aggression in Inmates. The Neuroethics Blog. Retrieved on , from http://www.theneuroethicsblog.com/2019/09/using-tdcs-to-reduce-aggression-in.html