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Brain Scan Shows Differences in Truth, Lying
Yahoo News ^ | 11/29/2004 | By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

Posted on 11/29/2004 1:25:33 PM PST by Lazamataz

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Brain scans show that the brains of people who are lying look very different from those of people who are telling the truth, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

The study, using functional magnetic resonance imaging or fMRI, not only sheds light on what goes on when people lie but may also provide new technology for lie-detecting, the researchers said.

"There may be unique areas in the brain involved in deception that can be measured with fMRI," said Dr. Scott Faro, director of the Functional Brain Imaging Center at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

"There may be unique areas in the brain involved in truth-telling," Faro added at a news conference.

Faro and colleagues tested 10 volunteers. Six of them were asked to shoot a toy gun and then lie and say they didn't do it. Three others who watched told the truth about what happened. One volunteer dropped out of the study.

While giving their "testimony," the volunteers were hooked up both to a conventional polygraph and also had their brain activity imaged using fMRI, which used a strong magnet to provide a real-time picture of brain activity.

There were clear differences between the liars and the truth-tellers, Faro's team told a meeting in Chicago of the Radiological Society of North America.

"We found a total of seven areas of activation in the deception (group)," he said. "We found four areas of activity in the truth-telling arm."

Overall, it seemed to take more brain effort to tell the lie than to tell the truth, Faro found.

Lying caused activity in the frontal part of the brain --- the medial inferior and pre-central areas, as well as the hippocampus and middle temporal regions and the limbic areas. Some of these are involved in emotional responses, Faro said.

During a truthful response, the fMRI showed activation of parts of the brain's frontal lobe, temporal lobe and cingulate gyrus.

Faro said the study was small and limited. Volunteers were not asked to try especially hard to deceive the equipment, he said -- noting that it has been documented that some people can fool a polygraph using various techniques.

Using fMRI as a lie detector is expensive, but it may be worthwhile in some cases -- such as trying to question a terrorism suspect, or in a high-profile corporate crime case, Faro said.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: brain; clintonisms; lying; truth
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To: Lazamataz
Alright buddy. Put your brain back in your pants.

"Say hello to my leetle friend."


21 posted on 11/29/2004 3:03:27 PM PST by Leroy S. Mort (Falcons - the Red States Team)
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To: Lazamataz
Brain scans show that the brains of people who are lying look very different from those of people who are telling the truth, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

Yet again, Captain Obvious strikes again...how weary I grow of these Captain Obvious "revelations"...TIME MAGAZINE DISCOVERS (uncovers) MEN ARE DIFFERENT THAN WOMEN!!!

BWAHAHAHAHA!

FMCDH(BITS)

22 posted on 11/29/2004 3:11:32 PM PST by nothingnew (Kerry is gone...perhaps to Lake Woebegone)
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To: Lazamataz

If this story is true about MRI's, then the technology should be used against every psych in the United States that pretends they can "read people" and that they can determine people's motives and attitudes!

The ultimate debunking tool for all those witch doctors in the psych profession!

See the ANTI-DNC Web Portal at --->
http://www.noDNC.com


23 posted on 11/29/2004 3:39:07 PM PST by woodb01 (See the ANTI-DNC Web Portal at ---> http://www.noDNC.com)
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To: Lazamataz
Zatarcs? It's on Stargate SG1 on Sci-fi right now.
24 posted on 11/29/2004 3:56:16 PM PST by eccentric (aka baldwidow)
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To: bayourod
Actually, he's got me on his side on this one. Having experience in the poly field (taking polygraph to obtain a security clearance you need a clearance to know about), and having nothing to hide, the examiner kept pressing me, saying I'm holding something back. I wasn't. I took the polygraph three times. . .with the same results. That is when my life went upside down and I eventually did my own research on the subject to discover the "truth" behind the polygraph.

Found out that at best, by FBI standards, 90% accurate, leaving a 10% false-positive result. Out of 1,000, that means 100 falsely accused. Polygraph operators will tell you the same thing, but none will admit they are ever wrong.

Question 1: Do you intend to answer truthfully? Answer: Yes. Result: no deception.
Question 2: Do you watch TV with the lights on? Answer: Yes. Result: no deception.
Question 3: Other than what you have told us, have you disclosed classified information to unauthorized personnel? Answer: No. Result: Inconclusive.
Question 4: Have you answered truthfully? Answer: yes. Result: No deception.
Question 5: Are you concerned about something we have not discussed? Answer: No. Result: No deception.

So we have questions designed to see if I intended to lie, lied or was hiding something and they all showed "no deception," whereas the primary question (#3) was "inconclusive." This started a months long investigation that eventually resulted in a 9-question list for a polygraph exam, and each question began with, "In your life, have you ever. . .(stolen anything of any value from anyone)(lied to anyone about anything)(cheated on any test)(cheated on any measurement)(etc). After hearing the questions I realized they were fishing for something, ANYTHING to hang me for. I refused the exam, kept my clearance and went on with my life/career.

Oh, Catholics and Mormons have the highest rate of false-positives.
25 posted on 11/29/2004 4:58:43 PM PST by Gunrunner2
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Comment #26 Removed by Moderator

To: Lazamataz

You don't need the magnetic resonance imaging to determine the Hildabeast is lying. The test is a lot more basic than that.

How do you know that Hillary Rotten Clinton is lying? It's simple, her lips are moving.


27 posted on 11/29/2004 8:02:54 PM PST by punster
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To: Lazamataz

Trying to believe lies torques your brain around too. That's why the Dim message appeals so much to the previously torqued.


28 posted on 11/29/2004 8:09:06 PM PST by Veto! (Opinions freely dispensed as advice)
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To: little jeremiah

momma said to always tell the truth, that way you don't have to remember what you said.


29 posted on 11/30/2004 2:21:56 AM PST by Smokin' Joe (I'm from North Dakota and I'm all FOR Global Warming! Bring it ON!)
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To: Lazamataz
There may be unique areas in the brain involved in truth-telling

Just scan Billzebubba's brain and look for the regions that have withered away from disuse.

30 posted on 11/30/2004 6:36:51 AM PST by steve-b (I put sentences together suspiciously well for a righty blogger.)
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To: Smokin' Joe

It's much easier to remember the truth than made up stories.

Habitual liars can never, ever be trusted in anything. Ever.


31 posted on 11/30/2004 8:50:49 AM PST by little jeremiah (Moral Absolutes? Do they exist? i If so, what are they and where did they come from?)
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