The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies Center for Neurotechnology Studies, in conjunction with the Nour Foundation and The Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study of George Mason University, will host a symposium at the New York Academy of Sciences on May 12 entitled "Shifting Realities: Myths, Models & Morality." CNS Director Prof. James Giordano, PhD, will be a featured speaker. The program will focus on a number of provocative questions, including how we understand and define the nature of reality. Can we speak of truly objective realities, or are realities necessarily subjective and contingent upon the observer’s perspective? Are realities static and immutable, or are they fluid and dynamic in nature? How can science, including neuroscience, help us answer these questions? The program will be held at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, May 12, at the New York Academy of Sciences, and tickets are required. Click here for more information and registration details.
On April 23, the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies will present a guest lecture by Daniel Hall-Flavin, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Consultant in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Hall-Flavin will give a talk entitled "The Cave that DSM Built? What Arrhythmias and the School of Athens May Have to Teach Us About the Future of Psychiatry."
In his talk, Dr. Hall-Flavin will address how recent advances in medicine have enabled earlier and more specifically targeted interventions to treat disease. Consequently, there has been a substantial decline in both morbidity and mortality for many conditions. Many illnesses, previously considered fatal, are now known as chronic disease states. However, despite advances made in the field of psychiatry, mental illness continues to be cited as the preeminent cause of global disease burden. This is due to a number of factors, including: 1) the lack of universal consensus as to what constitutes a mental disorder; 2) the dearth of knowledge of biological causation of currently classified mental disorders; and, 3) the inability to target interventions aimed at specific pathophysiologic points at less advanced stages of disease evolution.
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Prof. James Giordano, PhD, Director of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies' Center for Neurotechnology Studies, writes in the March 2010 issue of Practical Pain Management about the prevalence of neurotechnology-based devices on the market today. Dr. Giordano writes that neurotechnology, including neurofeedback, has valid applications in a medical setting but is currently being marketed to the public by poorly trained technicians and non-professionals. He writes, "Simply put, there is indubitably great value of neurotechnology in pain care, but neurotechnological progress should not be ethically undermined by capricious, unprofessional utilization engendered through improper education, training and/or misdirection by market forces." Click below to read the article in full.
Last Updated on Monday, 15 March 2010 13:37
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On March 26, from noon-2pm, the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies will present a guest lecture by Peter Moskovitz, MD, entitled "Hamlet and the Neuroethics of Vengeance, Revenge and Redemption." Dr. Moskovitz is an orthopaedic surgeon and neurophilosopher who is currently a Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Neurological Surgery at The George Washington University.
In his talk, Dr. Moskovitz will use Shakespeare's Hamlet as a foundation to explore the phenomenon of vengeance and the self-destructive impulse of suicide, and will offer an evolutionary neurobiological theory of the origin and functions of these emotions and cognitions. Dr. Moskovitz will make use of another work from Shakespeare's oeuvre, Othello, to examine the origins of jealousy and racism, also with an eye to illuminating neurobiological foundations for impulses that persist despite the threat to social stability. Fast-forwarding to today, he will examine whether conflict resolution and reconciliation are possible in an increasingly interconnected world where cultures and beliefs frequently collide.
Last Updated on Friday, 19 March 2010 09:19
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On November 4th and 12th, workshops were conducted at the Center for Neurotechnology Studies of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, and Sandia National Laboratories, NM, respectively, to gather information concerning scientific and technical advances toward treatments for traumatic brain injury that employ artificially grown neural circuits exhibiting the organizational and functional principles of endogenous neural cells and pathways. Current treatment options focus largely upon functional recovery by adapting existing brain tissue to the best extent possible. However, none of the current treatment options utilize restoration of lost or damaged tissue to enable a return of function. Substantial advances across the disciplines of neuroscience (e.g. - neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, bioengineering, etc.), if brought together, could result in major innovations that lead to significant advances in the treatment of both brain injury and certain types of neurological diseases.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 08:22
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On September 11, the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies' Center for Neurotechnology Studies was a co-supporter, along with the Nour Foundation, of a conference at the United Nations entitled "Toward a Common Morality." The Center's Director, James Giordano, PhD, was among the featured speakers. Participants discussed the phenomenological and spiritual characteristics of human subjective experience, the neurophysiological and psychological foundations of these domains, and their role in practical reasoning and moral decision making. Emphasis was on elucidating how and why an understanding of the integrative neuroscience of the brain-mind both compels and sustains an appreciation for reverence and virtue, and provides a natural foundation for the emergence of a system of common morality. Click here to watch video of Dr. Giordano's presentation. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xapkz3_james-giordano-neuroscience-reveren_tech
Last Updated on Friday, 08 January 2010 10:22
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Center for Neurotechnology Studies
