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7. ETHICAL ISSUES IN NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH ON SUBSTANCE DEPENDENCE TREATMENT AND PREVENTION

of the psychology and neurobiology of substance dependence, thus reducing
the number of primates needed in research.
It seems that a societal compromise exists between those who oppose
animal experimentation and those who deem it necessary (Varner, 1994).
The moral objections to animal experimentation have increased the burden
of proof that defenders of research must meet (Varner, 1994). This is a
reasonable outcome as long as the burden of proof is not insurmountable.
In most countries, legislation adopts one of two perspectives which
acknowledge the need for animal experimentation while placing restrictions
on the practice (Brody, 1998). Legislation in Europe and America takes a
“human priority” position in which animal suffering and loss are minimized
but the interests of humans take precedence over those of animals when they
conflict (Brody, 1998). In contrast, legislation in Australia and the United
Kingdom is based on a “balancing” position in which the interests of humans
are generally regarded as more important than those of animals but they can
sometimes be overridden in order to protect animals (Brody, 1998). Unlike
legislation in America and Europe, legislation in Australia and the United
Kingdom requires that during the ethical review process, the benefits of the
proposed experiments be weighed against the harm that will be inflicted on
the animals (Brody, 1998).

Ethical principles in human biomedical research
Since the Nuremberg trials of German medical researchers after World War
II, a consensus has been developed about the basic ethical requirements for
biomedical research on humans (Brody, 1998; Jonsen, 1998). In most
developed countries, national ethical codes set out obligations that
investigators must adhere to if their research is to be ethically and scientifically
legitimate. Although specific conditions for ethical approval may differ from
country to country the same basic set of ethical principles is found in most
national guidelines (Brody, 1998). These include independent ethical review
of research proposals, respect for patient privacy, informed consent to
participate in research, and protection of privacy and confidentiality of
information (Brody, 1998).

Independent ethical review of risks and benefits

In order for any human research to gain approval, investigators must obtain
ethical approval from an independent ethical review committee, usually
an institutional ethical review committee. An external review of a study
protocol provides an independent assessment of whether the benefits of
the proposed trial outweigh any risks that it poses to participants (Brody,
1998).

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