Engagement, Exploitation, and Human Intracranial Electrophysiology Research

Motivated by exploitation concerns, we argue for the importance of participant engagement in basic human intracranial electrophysiology research. This research takes advantage of unique neurosurgical opportunities to better understand complex systems of the human brain, but it also exposes participants to additional risks without immediate therapeutic intent. We argue that understanding participant values and incorporating their perspectives into the research process may (i) help determine whether and to what extent research practices and the resulting distributions of risks and benefits constitute exploitation and (ii) contribute to building a brain research paradigm that is genuinely responsive to participant values. More broadly, we highlight the importance of paying attention to participant interests in non-therapeutic brain research.

Automated summary

Participant engagement is crucial in basic human intracranial electrophysiology research due to concerns of exploitation. Understanding participant values and incorporating their perspectives can help determine if research practices constitute exploitation and contribute to a research paradigm that is responsive to participant values.