John Aspler

Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal | IRCM · Research Unit in Neuroethics

This is the first book entirely dedicated to exploring issues associated with the nature of neuroethics. It reflects on some of the underlying assumptions in neuroethics, and the implications of those assumptions with respect to training and education programs, research activities, policy engagement, public discourse, teaching, ethics consultation...

People with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a complex and controversial neurodevelopmental disability caused by alcohol exposure in the womb, report experiences of stigma in different parts of their lives. The media, sometimes central to how a public understands and constructs marginalized identities, have a notable history of poorly repres...

Given advances in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research, some experts have proposed a state of “preclinical” AD to describe asymptomatic individuals displaying certain biomarkers. The diagnostic accuracy of these biomarkers remains debated; however, given economic pressures, this “diagnosis” may eventually reach consumers. Since evidence-based preventi...

Media reflect and affect social understandings, beliefs, and values on many topics, including the lives of autistic and disabled people. Media analysis has garnered attention in the field of disability studies, which some scholars and activists consider a promising approach to discussing the experiences of – and for promoting social justice for – a...

Background People with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and women who drink alcohol while pregnant can experience stigma, possibly exacerbated by stereotyped media portrayals. Method To understand experiences of FASD stakeholders and reactions to news coverage, we conducted twelve focus groups across three categories: (1) people with FASD; (...

In this chapter, the author reflects on challenges associated with conducting focus group interviews with adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)—a complex neurodevelopmental disability caused by alcohol exposure in utero. Given the heterogeneity of this diagnosis, people with FASD have different strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, for...

Background: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a complex diagnosis that includes a wide range of neurodevelopmental disabilities, results from exposure to alcohol in the womb. FASD remains poorly understood by Canadians, which could contribute to reported stigma faced by both people with FASD and women who drink alcohol while pregnant. Methods...

In this introduction to the section on the future of research programs, training, and international neuroethics, we explain how neuroethics pedagogy, research, and collaboration hinge on different views of the aims and academic boundaries of neuroethics. The six chapters in this section offer an array of contributions that critically reflect on dif...

In this introduction to the section on the focus, theories, and methodologies in neuroethics, we present part of the ongoing debate surrounding the disciplinary status of neuroethics (e.g., is it a field, is it a discipline), which reflect varied expectations about the ability or even the requirement for neuroethics to offer new approaches to acade...

In this introduction to the section on the development and history of neuroethics, we describe several distinct visions of this area of inquiry and its evolution. Accordingly, the following four chapters provide contrasting accounts of neuroethics and its foundations, including in-depth discussions about the merits of its existence, and detailed ac...

Preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD), a newly proposed, actively researched, and hotly debated research-only diagnostic category, raises the prospect of an ethical dilemma: whether, and possibly how, to treat a disorder with no target symptoms. This proposed category rests on the detection of a number of biomarkers thought to provide evidence of AD...