Neuroimaging in court proceedings

Razvoj tehnologije in metod, ki se uporabljajo v nevroznanstvene namene, se povečujejo iz dneva v dan. Možganske slike so zgolj ena izmed načinov uporabe nevroznanosti, ki predstavljajo tako napredek kot tudi potrebo po razumevanju samega delovanje in regulacija. Nevroznanost v sodnih postopkih sicer ni nov pojav, vendar je zaradi samega poznavanja zgodovine potrebna regulacija in razprava o sami uporabi možganskih slik v sodnih postopkih. Obstajajo tako pravne, etične in socialne dileme, povezane z možganskimi slikami zaradi možnosti zlorabe uporabljenih tehnologij, zaščite zasebnosti in priljubljenosti pri laični javnosti. Možganske slike imajo zaradi svoje barvitosti in estetike prav posebno mesto pri odločevalci, zato je nujno razumevanje teh tehnologij in pravilna interpretacija. Dileme med strokovnjaki iz prava in nevroznanosti prihajajo zlasti, zaradi neskladnega dojemanja posameznikov. Pravna stroka trdi, da je posameznik racionalni agent, ki ima svobodno voljo in je sam ogovoren za svoja dejanja, medtem ko nevroznanstveniki, ljudi obravnavajo iz bolj determinističnega pogleda in izhajajo iz posameznikovega živčnega sistem in njegovega delovanja. Končni produkt nevroslik nam daje občutek razumevanja in nezmotljivosti, saj je fizično vidna aktivnost, vendar je tehnologija, ki je uporabljena za nastanek nevroslike kompleksnejša in za njo stojijo številni postopki. Postopki, s katerimi pridobimo končni produkt vsebuje temeljito in pravilno statistično analizo, pri kateri je manevrski prostor za napake velik, kar posledično vpliva na rezultat. Zavedati se je potrebno, da so možganske slike v uporabi šele dve desetletji in da je potrebno še ogromno študij, ki bodo potrdile, da so same metode za izdelavo končnega produkta, uporabljene pri različnih tehnikah nevroslikanja verodostojne in zanesljive.The development of technology and methods used for neuroscientific purposes is increasing day by day. Brain imaging is just one way of using neuroscience, representing both progress and the need to understand functioning and regulation itself. Neuroscience in court proceedings is not a new phenomenon, but the very knowledge of history requires regulation and discussion of the use of brain images in court proceedings. There are both legal, ethical, and social dilemmas associated with brain imagery, due to the potential for abuse of these technologies, protection of privacy, and popularity with the lay public. Due to their color and aesthetics, brain images have a special place in decision-makers, so it is necessary to understand these technologies and correct interpretation. Dilemmas between legal and neuroscience experts arise in particular, due to inconsistent perceptions of individuals. The legal profession argues that the individual is a rational agent who has free will and is accountable for his actions, while neuroscientists treat people from a more deterministic point of view and derive from the individual’s nervous system and its functioning. The final product of neuroimages gives us a sense of understanding and infallibility, as it is a physically visible activity, but the technology used to create the neuroimage is more complex and involves many procedures. The procedures by which the final product is obtained contain a thorough and correct statistical analysis in which the room for maneuver for errors is large, which consequently affects the result. It is necessary to be aware that brain images have only been in use for two decades and that a huge amount of study is still needed to confirm that the methods themselves used in the technique are credible and reliable