Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Ethics in Research

Ethics in Research

Today, scientists agree that good research is ethical in nature and is guided by a basic respect for human dignity and safety. However, this has not always been the case. Modern researchers must demonstrate that the research they perform is ethically sound.

Psychosurgery

Psychosurgery

Psychosurgery, the surgical alteration or permanent removal of brain tissue to alleviate severe psychological conditions, stands as one of the most radical and controversial treatments in the history of mental health care. Its development and application have evolved significantly, marked by dramatic shifts in scientific understanding and ethical perspectives.
Historical Development of Psychosurgery
In the 1930s, Portuguese neurologist Antonio Egas Moniz introduced a surgical procedure designed...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Climate Conscious Healthcare Practice in the Caribbean.

The American journal of bioethics : AJOB·2025

Same author

Special Considerations When Research is Embedded within Community Health Centers.

The American journal of bioethics : AJOB·2023

Same author

<i>All of Us</i> and the Promise of Precision Medicine: Achieving Equitable Access for Federally Qualified Health Center Patients.

Journal of personalized medicine·2023

Same author

Experiences at a Federally Qualified Health Center Support Expanded Conception of the Gifts of Precision Medicine.

The American journal of bioethics : AJOB·2021

Same author

National Standards for Public Involvement in Research: missing the forest for the trees.

Journal of medical ethics·2018

Same author

Ethical lessons from a tale of two genetically modified insects.

Nature biotechnology·2017

Same journal

Ethics briefing.

Journal of medical ethics·2026

Same journal

Medical ethics and categorisation.

Journal of medical ethics·2026

Same journal

Suspension or prioritisation? Exploring the ethics of age-based rationing in adult ADHD services.

Journal of medical ethics·2026

Same journal

Ethics of not knowing who we are talking to in qualitative research.

Journal of medical ethics·2026

Same journal

Suicide is not a public health issue and perhaps very few things should be.

Journal of medical ethics·2026

Same journal

Normalising transparency: an argument for requiring generative AI use declarations in all manuscripts-with a call for commentaries.

Journal of medical ethics·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Author Spotlight: Targeted Microinjection and Electroporation of Primate Cerebral Organoids for Genetic Modification

Author Spotlight: Targeted Microinjection and Electroporation of Primate Cerebral Organoids for Genetic Modification

Published on: March 24, 2023

Ethical issues when modelling brain disorders innon-human primates.

Carolyn P Neuhaus¹

¹Division of Medical Ethics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA.

Journal of Medical Ethics

|August 13, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Creating non-human primate models for brain disorders is unethical. Animal welfare, alternative methods, and uncertain benefits justify halting the creation of these complex disease models.

Keywords:

animal experimentation genetic engineering moral status neuroethics research ethics

More Related Videos

A MRI-Based Toolbox for Neurosurgical Planning in Nonhuman Primates

A MRI-Based Toolbox for Neurosurgical Planning in Nonhuman Primates

Published on: July 17, 2020

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space

Published on: July 16, 2009

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Author Spotlight: Targeted Microinjection and Electroporation of Primate Cerebral Organoids for Genetic Modification

Author Spotlight: Targeted Microinjection and Electroporation of Primate Cerebral Organoids for Genetic Modification

Published on: March 24, 2023

A MRI-Based Toolbox for Neurosurgical Planning in Nonhuman Primates

A MRI-Based Toolbox for Neurosurgical Planning in Nonhuman Primates

Published on: July 17, 2020

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space

Dissecting the Non-human Primate Brain in Stereotaxic Space

Published on: July 16, 2009

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Genetics
Bioethics

Background:

Non-human animal models are crucial for understanding human diseases and developing therapies.
While mice are common, larger animals and non-human primates (NHPs) offer more accurate disease modeling.
Genome editing technologies like CRISPR facilitate genetic engineering in larger animals, including NHPs.

Purpose of the Study:

To ethically evaluate the creation of non-human primate (NHP) models for human brain disorders.
To address the growing interest in using NHPs for modeling conditions like autism, depression, and Alzheimer's disease.
To determine if the potential benefits of NHP models outweigh ethical considerations and animal welfare concerns.

Main Methods:

Ethical analysis of NHP use in disease modeling.
Review of current scientific literature on NHP models and alternative research methods.
Assessment of animal welfare implications and the potential for therapeutic benefit.

Main Results:

The creation of NHP models for brain disorders cannot be ethically justified.
Animal welfare concerns are significant and present a major ethical barrier.
Alternative research methods exist, and the expected benefits from NHP models are currently unmet.

Conclusions:

A moratorium on creating NHP models for brain disorders is recommended.
Ethical considerations, including animal welfare and the availability of alternatives, outweigh the potential benefits.
Researchers should refrain from creating NHP models solely because the technology (e.g., CRISPR) allows it.