• Michael J Young, Karnig Kazazian, David Fischer, India A Lissak, Yelena G Bodien, and Brian L Edlow.
• Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac Street, Suite 310, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. michael.young@mgh.harvard.edu.
• Neurocrit Care. 2024 Jun 1; 40 (3): 865878865-878.

AbstractThe advent of neurotechnologies including advanced functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography to detect states of awareness not detectable by traditional bedside neurobehavioral techniques (i.e., covert consciousness) promises to transform neuroscience research and clinical practice for patients with brain injury. As these interventions progress from research tools into actionable, guideline-endorsed clinical tests, ethical guidance for clinicians on how to responsibly communicate the sensitive results they yield is crucial yet remains underdeveloped. Drawing on insights from empirical and theoretical neuroethics research and our clinical experience with advanced neurotechnologies to detect consciousness in behaviorally unresponsive patients, we critically evaluate ethical promises and perils associated with disclosing the results of clinical covert consciousness assessments and describe a semistructured approach to responsible data sharing to mitigate potential risks.© 2024. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and Neurocritical Care Society.

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