Neurotechnologies and Identity Changes: What the Narrative View Can Add to the Story

Do neuromodulation technologies change patients’ personal identities? Haeusermann et al. claim that there is not enough evidence to support this worry. In their study, participants, following a responsive neurostimulation (RNS) treatment program, did not report changes in their personalities. This experimental design assumes that personal identity is all about personality changes. I argue that identity changes do not necessarily translate into personality alterations and their concept of identity is, thus, too narrow. The advantage of a broader, narrative approach is twofold. Firstly, it explains how illness influences the patient’s identity and how the meanings attached to the events in their life change after diagnosis. Depending on the type of illness, the patient has to integrate its social aspects in their life and to reorganize their identity narrative accordingly. For instance, one participant talks about how she always wanted to be a mother, but epilepsy made this life path impossible for her (Haeusermann et al. 2023). Secondly, it answers a need that the authors also formulated, for a broader perspective, one that accounts for social factors and the way the patient experiences their illness (Haeusermann et al. 2023). Understanding the ways a medical condition influences the patient’s narrative can shed light on how their autonomy and authenticity is affected.