“Guidelines for ethics-related problems with non-invasive research on human brain function” has been　revised to “Guidelines for Ethical Planning and Conduct of Brain and Neuroscience Research Involving Human Subjects”

Published in July 2026

It is no exaggeration to say that the ultimate goal of neuroscience is to elucidate how the human “brain”—a physical entity—generates the functions of the “mind,” and to identify the causes of mental and neurological disorders and find their treatments. The Japan Neuroscience Society (hereinafter, referred to as “the Society”) established the “Guidelines for Ethics-related Problems with Non-invasive Research on Human Brain Function” in 2001. This activity was in response to the dramatic advancements in noninvasive brain function measurement technologies—such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)—that emerged in the 1990s to study how the “mind” is represented in the human brain. The 2001 Guideline stipulated that “consideration for the welfare of research participants and their associates must take precedence over scientific and societal benefits; researchers must adhere to the principles of protecting the dignity and human rights of research participants and their associates, devise research plans that give due consideration to ethical, legal, and social issues, and conduct research in accordance with those plans.” Furthermore, the 2001 Guideline has been updated through a series of revisions: e.g., to incorporate various new brain stimulation methods and Brain-Machine Interfaces (BMI) using electroencephalography (EEG) that have emerged alongside advances in non-invasive research methods for human brain function, and to reflect the 2021 promulgation of the “Ethical Guidelines for Life Science and Medical Research Involving Human Subjects,” which followed the 2018 enforcement of the “Clinical Research Act.” While the Society has steadily promoted awareness of ethics in human neuroscience, it has also closely monitored the remarkable advancements in research on human brain function using invasive measurement methods—such as neurosurgical techniques—as well as the emerging industrial applications of “neurotechnology” that blur the boundary between non-invasive and invasive approaches. This significant movement has led to the growing debate surrounding the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) associated with “neurotechnology.” Invasive brain function monitoring, such as during neurosurgical procedures, is performed in Japan to the extent necessary for the treatment of intractable epilepsy. With an eye toward the future development of “neurotechnology” that transcends the boundaries between non-invasive and invasive approaches, the Society has shifted its focus—as reflected in its guidelines—toward addressing the ELSI issues associated with human neuroscience research involving invasive measurements of brain function. Specifically, the committee decided to expand the “Guidelines for ethics-related problems with non-invasive research on human brain function” by adding provisions for research involving deep brain stimulation, focused ultrasound stimulation, and intracranial implanted electrodes, and to publicize the guidelines as the “Guidelines for Ethical Planning and Conduct of Brain and Neuroscience Research Involving Human Subjects.”

Koji Yamanaka, President, The Japan Neuroscience Society
Takashi Hanakawa, Chair, Ethics Committee

“Guidelines for Ethical Planning and Conduct of Brain and Neuroscience Research Involving Human Subjects” (Amended in 2025)
*The PDF version will open.
*In the event of any discrepancy between the Japanese and English versions of these Guidelines, the Japanese version shall prevail.

Ethics Committee Members for 2025-2027 in charge of the revision:
Takashi Hanakawa (Chair), Fumie Arie, Misao Fujita, Tamami Fukushi, Kent Imaizumi, Haruhiko Kishima, Riki Matsumoto, Makoto Udagawa

Archive (Past Articles)

Statement on the revised guidelines for ethics-related problems with “non-invasive research on human brain function”

    The development of technology has led to the invention of methods for measuring the functional neuroanatomy of the living human brain, which was regarded as a “black box” in traditional psychology. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a leading example, and many other methods are also available: clinical electrophysiological methods including electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG), molecular imaging methods including positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), optical imaging using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). These methods are collectively called non-invasive methods for measuring human brain functions (“non-invasive brain research methodologies” hereafter) and now widely used in basic and clinical neuroscience research.

    Most non-invasive brain research methodologies use devices approved for medical use, and deal with information, which could be sensitive in terms of medical conditions or privacy, from an individual’s brain. Therefore, it is important for neuroscience researchers to consider ethics for the use of non-invasive brain research methodologies and how to make use of findings from them. To make an active commitment to these issues, the Japan Neuroscience Society has issued Guidelines for Ethics-related Problems with “Non-invasive Research on Human Brain Function” in 2001 and revised the Guideline in 2010.

    Ten years have passed since the last revision of the guidelines. Since then, non-invasive research on human brain function has evolved and began to overlap with medical research as seen in the neurofeedback and the brain-machine interface (BMI) researches. Government policies for medical research have also been revised. “Ethical. Guidelines for Medical and Health Research Involving Human Participants (released in 2014, revised partially in 2017)” have been issued from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), Japan. The new guidelines specify the rules that should be followed by all parties involved in medical research conducted in humans.

    Moreover, the Clinical Trial Act, promulgated in 2017, stipulates the procedures and information disclosure systems of clinical trials, defining such trials as research to clarify the efficacy or safety of pharmaceuticals by using these pharmaceuticals in humans. Because the law stipulates only the basic principles regarding various forms of medical research, the establishment of specific and appropriate guides based on these principles is desired for each field. Furthermore, the Act on the Protection of Personal Information was significantly revised in 2015, and the revision took effect in 2017.

    Since the development of guidelines and regulations reflect Japan’s drive to advance brain science research, it has become necessary to clarify management systems for non-invasive human brain research at each facility for gaining social understanding consistent with the standards in each era. Under these circumstances, we have decided to revise the guidelines for ethics-related problems with “non-invasive research on human brain function. We hope that the revised guidelines are of help for basic and clinical neuroscientists, participants, and personnel who are involved in non-invasive research on human brain functions for the further advancement of the research field.

Michisuke Yuzaki, President, The Japan Neuroscience Society
Takashi Hanakawa, Chair, Ethics Committee

Ethics Committee Members for 2018-2019 in charge of the revision
Norihiro Sadato (Chair), Osamu Sakura, Tetsuya Suhara, Takashi Hanakawa, Masaki Fukunaga, Tetsuya Matsuda