TMS for Social Neuroscience: New Applications and Ethical Issues

The present work focuses on the recent years of basic social neuroscience research using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) technique to investigate neural bases of affective and social functions in healthy people. Besides helping to critically revise traditional models of social functions, the notable amount of empirical evidence coming from such basic research tradition often provided, together with clinical observations, relevant background information for definition of novel intervention protocols targeted at cognitive impairments that connote many neuropsychiatric disorders. Next paragraphs represent an overall introduction to the most consistent outcomes of TMS-based research with regard mainly to executive functions, emotion processing, and social perception and behavior. In addition, critical issues related to ethical questions are discussed, focusing on implications relating to the applicative use of TMS for neuroenhancement and neuroempowerment purposes in the field of social neuroscience, such as hyperscanning paradigm.