ArticleBMC medical ethics2017
Ethical aspects of brain computer interfaces: a scoping review.
Article in BMC medical ethics, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 60 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
60 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Brain computer interfaces for cognitive enhancement in older people - challenges and applications: a systematic review.BMC geriatrics · 2025Pooled it
- Beyond Technologies of Electroencephalography-Based Brain-Computer Interfaces: A Systematic Review From Commercial and Ethical Aspects.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2020Pooled it
- Article
- Consent in flux: when brain‑computer interface embodiment undermines informed consent.BMC medical ethics · 2026Article
- Review
- Ethical Guidance for Investigational Implantable Neural Device Studies: Recommendations for Researchers and Research Ethics Committees.Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society · 2026Review
- Transforming Intracerebral Hemorrhage Care with Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Directions.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Ethics of brain-computer interface in mental healthcare.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2026Article
- From technological closed-loop to human-machine trust: a systematic review of ethical and communication challenges of brain-computer interface in elderly care.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Article
- A study on Chinese college students' acceptance of brain-computer interface technology and its underlying logic-an empirical analysis based on the extended UTAUT model.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2026Article
- Ethical imperatives in the commercialization of brain-computer interfaces.IBRO neuroscience reports · 2025Article
- [Ethical considerations for artificial intelligence-enhanced brain-computer interface].Sheng wu yi xue gong cheng xue za zhi = Journal of biomedical engineering = Shengwu yixue gongchengxue zazhi · 2025Article
- Does brain-computer interface-based mind reading threaten mental privacy? ethical reflections from interviews with Chinese experts.BMC medical ethics · 2025Article
- Cell-to-cell communication: from physical calling to remote emotional touching.Discover nano · 2025Article
- Brain-Computer Interfaces for Stroke Motor Rehabilitation.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Public Perception of the Brain-Computer Interface Based on a Decade of Data on X: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- Exploring the intersection of brain-computer interfaces and traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine.Integrative medicine research · 2025Article
- Traumatic Brain Injury: Novel Experimental Approaches and Treatment Possibilities.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Exploring disparities in self-reported knowledge about neurotechnology.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- MCL-SWT: Mirror Contrastive Learning with Sliding Window Transformer for Subject-Independent EEG Recognition.Brain sciences · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBrain-Computer Interface (BCI) is a set of technologies that are of increasing interest to researchers. BCI has been proposed as assistive technology for individuals who are non-communicative or paralyzed, such as those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or spinal cord injury. The technology has also been suggested for enhancement and entertainment uses, and there are companies currently marketing BCI devices for those purposes (e.g., gaming) as well as health-related purposes (e.g., communication). The unprecedented direct connection created by BCI between human brains and computer hardware raises various ethical, social, and legal challenges that merit further examination and discussion.
methodsTo identify and characterize the key issues associated with BCI use, we performed a scoping review of biomedical ethics literature, analyzing the ethics concerns cited across multiple disciplines, including philosophy and medicine.
resultsBased on this investigation, we report that BCI research and its potential translation to therapeutic intervention generate significant ethical, legal, and social concerns, notably with regards to personhood, stigma, autonomy, privacy, research ethics, safety, responsibility, and justice. Our review of the literature determined, furthermore, that while these issues have been enumerated extensively, few concrete recommendations have been expressed.
conclusionsWe conclude that future research should focus on remedying a lack of practical solutions to the ethical challenges of BCI, alongside the collection of empirical data on the perspectives of the public, BCI users, and BCI researchers.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.