2006 Heart-Brain summit proceedings

Paul J. Ford, PhD

Department of Bioethics
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland, OH

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(Cardiac events and brain injury:
Ethical implications)

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ARTICLE INTRODUCTION

The collection of work on the interfaces of the heart and brain contains an incredibly rich set of implications and perspectives. Likewise, the set of ethics issues raised by, and as a result of, these research projects encompasses a wide array of topics. This article will explore some of these ethical questions, recognizing that the overarching themes involve bringing the heart and brain back together so that we talk about the whole person in health and function, a concept emphasized by Dr. Earl Bakken in his remarks at the opening of this Heart-Brain Summit. Notably, the whole person exists in a network of hearts and brains that compose social networks⎯a point we must not forget in our exuberance to gain new knowledge and help those who suffer.