Main description:

Cognitive enhancement is the use of drugs, biotechnological strategies or other means by healthy individuals aiming at the improvement of cognitive functions such as vigilance, concentration or memory without any medical need. In particular, the use of pharmacological substances (caffeine, prescription drugs or illicit drugs) has received considerable attention during the last few years. Currently, however, little is known concerning the use of cognitive enhancers, their effects in healthy individuals and the place and function of cognitive enhancement in everyday life. The purpose of the book is to give an overview of the current research on cognitive enhancement and to provide in-depth insights into the interdisciplinary debate on cognitive enhancement.

Contents:

1. Cognitive Enhancement - a Critical Look at the Recent Debate; Elisabeth Hildt

Medical and Psychosocial Aspects of Cognitive Enhancement

2. Pharmacological Neuroenhancement: Substances and Epidemiology; Andreas G. Franke and Klaus Lieb

3. Psychopharmacological Neuroenhancement: Evidence on Safety and Efficacy; Dimitris Repantis

4. A Bubble of Enthusiasm: How Prevalent is the Use of Prescription Stimulants for Cognitive Enhancement?; Brad Partridge

5. Modeling the Effects of Modafinil on Selective Attention Electroencephalographic Neural Correlates; Carlos Trenado and Daniel J. Strauss

6. Behavioral Neuroenhancement; Martin Dresler

7. The Influence of Sports on Cognitive Task Performance - a Critical Overview; Pavel Dietz

8. The Human Experiment: How We Won't Win the Rat Race. What Can We Learn from Brain Stimulation in Humans and Rats About Enhancing the Functional Neurobiology of Higher Cognitive Functions?; Colleen Dockery

Philosophical and Ethical Aspects of Cognitive Enhancement

9. Better Brains or Bitter Brains? The Ethics of Neuroenhancement; Kirsten Brukamp

10. Cognitive Enhancement - to what End?; Michael Hauskeller

11. Nano-Bionic Devices for the Purpose of Cognitive Enhancement: Toward a Preliminary Ethical Framework; Frederic Gilbert

12. Cognitive-Enhancing Drugs, Behavioral Training and the Mechanism of Cognitive Enhancement; Emma Peng Chien

13. What Is Cognitive Enhancement? And Is It Justified to Point Out This Kind of Enhancement Within the Ethical Discussion?; Roland Kipke

14. No Pain, No Gain? Objections to the Use of Cognitive Enhancement on the Basis of Its Potential Effects on the Value of Achievement; Lisa Forsberg

15. Does the Cognitive Enhancement Debate Call for a Renewal of the Deliberative Role of Bioethics?; Cynthia Forlini and Eric Racine

Sociological, Political and Legal Aspects of Cognitive Enhancement

16. The Biopolitics of Cognitive Enhancement; Peter B. Reiner

17. Are We Heading Towards an 'Enhancement Society'?; Armin Grunwald

18. Leveling the Playing Field: Fairness in the Cognitive Enhancement Debate; Greta Wagner

19. My Mind is Mine!? Cognitive Liberty as a Legal Concept; Jan-Christoph Bublitz

20. Cognitive Enhancement and Criminal Behavior; Elizabeth Shaw

21. Enhanced Control and Criminal Responsibility; John Danaher