2025 American Academy of Neurology Abstract Website

Objective:

To chart a course for a new sub-discipline, the philosophy of neurology, informed by existing empirical literature in neurology with reciprocal influence for clinical care and philosophical topics.

Background:

While philosophy of neuroscience, neuroethics, and “neurophilosophy” have enjoyed a recent rise to prominence, a focus on philosophical topics that arise in the clinical practice of neurology—which we call the philosophy of neurology—has not yet been rigorously outlined. We review empirical studies whose results have implications for topics in philosophy (e.g., volition, moral reasoning, etc.).

Design/Methods:

A systematic review of the PubMed online database was conducted using the broad search, “Philosophy AND Neurology.” Primary empirical studies with results holding neurological relevance to metaphysics, epistemology, value theory (e.g., morality, aesthetics), and logic were included, while commentaries, review articles, and ethical treatises/philosophical arguments without an accompanying experimental study were excluded.

Results:

Of 12,087 candidates from online records (827 duplicates), 35 met inclusion for relevance to the philosophy of neurology. Articles were divided into the following categories: moral reasoning in neurodegenerative disorders (n=6), moral reasoning in participants without focal neurological deficits (n=7), moral reasoning in participants with focal neurological deficits or intervention (n=4), volition and agency (n=3), prosociality and trust (n=5), artistic ability and language (n=3), logic and reasoning (n=2), worldview and self-efficacy (n=2), and emotions in healthy adults (n=3).

Conclusions:

Based on identified studies, the philosophy of neurology is defined as the discipline of rigorously and methodically addressing metaphysical, epistemological, value-theoretic, and logical questions arising from examining, medically managing, and/or diagnosing disorders of the nervous system. We discuss future directions for questions within the philosophy of neurology and consider their relevance for patient care and the practice of neurology.