Neuro-Abilities and a Good Life

Abstract

Background: Neuro-based scientific and technological advancements constantly shape and are shaped by body/mind ability expectations, which in turn influence the perception and meaning of below species-typical (impaired), species-typical (normal) and beyond species-typical abilities (enhanced), which neuro-abilities are desired, and what neuro-ability-related actions are taken. Neuro-abilities from below to beyond species-typical abilities impact many indicators of well-being, or in other words the ability to have a good life. Disabled people experience barriers to a good life, many of which are outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Therefore, it is of importance to disabled people how neuroadvancements and neuro-ability expectations are governed. Abilitybased theoretical concepts could be used to discuss and analyze in a systematic fashion neuro-ability expectation dynamics, the impact of neuro-advancements and human enhancements including neuro/cognitive enhancements on the ability to have a good life and contribute a unique lens to neuroethics, neurotechnology governance and ability expectation governance efforts. Methods:In this study an online survey approach was used to ascertain the views of first-year undergraduate disability studies students on the impact of neurotechnologies, neuro/cognitive enhancements and human enhancements on the good life and the impact of being a disabled person in general and belonging to another marginalized group on experiencing a good life. Neuro-focused academic abstracts obtained from Scopus, Web of Science, and the 70 databases of EB-SCO-HOST were searched for the presence of ability-based concepts.Results: Students indicated that: 1) Disabled people will be increasingly impacted in a positive way by human enhancements and neurotechnologies; 2) Disabled people in general and even more if they belong also to another disadvantaged group experience a lower level of or are more impacted by most of the indicators of the four composite well-being measures (Social Determinants of Health; Canadian Index of Well-being, OECD Better Life Index and World Health Organization Community-Based Rehabilitation Matrix) than non-disabled people; and 3) More indicators of well-being of the four composite well-being measures are impacted by neurotechnologies and neuro/ cognitive enhancements than not impacted. The review of the academic abstracts indicated that ability-based concepts were not used to discuss neuro-advancements or neuro-enhancements. Conclusions:The findings of this study suggests that an in-depth engagement with the impact of neuro-advancements on the ability for a good life, especially in relation to disabled people, is warranted as is the use of ability-based concepts as an analytical lens.