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fMRI Technology Shows Promise in Detecting Human Truth and Deception
Posted on: 05/05/
WASHINGTON -- A presentation at the 41st Annual ASNR Meeting by Dr. Scott Faro, MD, associate professor of radiology and director of the MRI Research Laboratory at Drexel University Medical Center, suggests that functional MR imaging (fMRI) may one day determine whether someone is lying, and may even serve as a basis for a new type of lie-detector test. The American Society of Neuroradiology 41st annual meeting was held last week in Washington, D.C.
"The purpose of this study was to investigate the regions of brain activation during truth-telling or deception using functional MR imaging," explained Faro. "Although it was a very small patient population, our results suggest that there may be unique areas in the brain involved in the truth-telling and deception process that can be measured using fMRI."
The study examined three healthy volunteers who were simultaneously tested with a four-channel polygraph machine. An event-related MR design was used for collecting the functional MR images, and a relevant situation was created prior to the fMRI scanning. The study subjects were presented with relevant and control questions based on the created situation, and were asked to either lie or tell the truth pertaining to the relevant questions.
The questions presented followed a classic polygraph control question technique, and were administered by Nate Gordon, a polygraph expert and the director of the Academy of Scientific Investigative Training.
Results of the preliminary study showed the anterior cingulated, limbic lobe and inferior frontal regions to be active during the deception process. However, when telling the truth, activation was predominantly seen in the temporal lobe and lentiform nuclei regions.
"These results suggest that there may be unique patterns of brain activation involved in truth telling or deception that can be measured using fMRI. It makes sense theoretically," stated Faro, "that the regions we discovered to be activated during the deception process were the same brain regions involved with judgment, fear and anxiety."
"These results are preliminary, yet promising, and our laboratory will continue to study the deception process," Faro concluded. "Further research may show the fMRI may represent a new forensic truth detection technique that will augment current polygraph studies."
Neuroradiology is the clinical subspecialty concerned with the diagnostic radiology of diseases of the central nervous system, brain, head and neck, through the use of x-ray, MRI, CT and angiography. It is practiced in hospital settings, academic/educational institutions, and private practice. Neuroradiology is an increasingly integral part of the accurate diagnosis and enhanced treatment of stroke, aneurysms, vulnerable plaque, and other disorders. Additionally neuroradiologists are at the forefront of applying advanced radiological techniques, such as fMRI, to research how the brain functions. For more information, please visit the ASNR web site at www.asnr.org .
Source: American Society of Neuroradiology
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