Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2007 Jul;4(3):525-30.
doi: 10.1016/j.nurt.2007.04.002.

The neurocognitive basis of compromised autonomy after traumatic brain injury: clinical and ethical considerations

Warren E Lux  1
Affiliations
Review

The neurocognitive basis of compromised autonomy after traumatic brain injury: clinical and ethical considerations

Warren E Lux. Neurotherapeutics. 2007 Jul.

Abstract

It is widely accepted, based on the principle of respect for autonomy, that there are ethical constraints on the range of tactics that persons may use to influence the decisions and behaviors of others. However, accurate ascriptions of autonomy to either persons or acts may vary considerably, depending on properties of the person, the situation, or both. Traumatic brain injury affects cognitive domains that are critical for the effective exercise of autonomy, and so offers a context for further examination of this variability. Analysis of the neuropathology of traumatic brain injury and its neurocognitive consequences provides a foundation for understanding cases in which autonomy is compromised even though legal competency may be preserved. Respecting autonomy in these cases is not always straightforward; it may entail both special ethical obligations and consideration of tactics that would not be morally permissible under other circumstances.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Frankfurt HG. Necessity, volition, and love. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1999. Autonomy, necessity, and love; pp. 129–141.
    1. Beauchamp TL, Childless JF. Principles of biomedical ethics. 5th ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2001. Respect for autonomy; pp. 57–112.
    1. Devettere RJ. Standards for making proxy decisions. In: Devettere RJ, editor. Practical decision making in health care ethics: cases and concepts. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press; 2000. pp. 132–138.
    1. Anderson J, Lux W. Knowing your own strength: accurate self-assessment as a requirement for personal autonomy. Philos Psychiatry Psychol. 2004;11:279–294. doi: 10.1353/ppp.2005.0003. - DOI
    1. Ommaya AK, Gennarelli TA. Cerebral concussion and traumatic unconsciousness: correlation of experimental and clinical observations of blunt head injuries. Brain. 1974;97:633–654. doi: 10.1093/brain/97.1.633. - DOI - PubMed