Dear AuntMinnie Member,
The growing power of medical imaging to visualize functional processes in the brain is drawing attention from an unlikely source: criminal defense attorneys.
Modalities like functional MRI and PET are increasingly being used as tools to justify insanity defenses for violent criminals, according to an article by contributing writer Sidney Schuster that we're featuring this week in our MRI Digital Community.
In some cases, the tactics appear to work: In Texas, Dena Schlosser was recently found not guilty by reason of insanity in the murder of her 10-month-old daughter after her attorney introduced an MRI scan indicating that she had a midbrain tumor. Her defense claimed that the tumor was causing the voices in her head that Schlosser claimed had driven her to commit the crime.
But the trend presents difficulties for radiologists. Should they agree to conduct and interpret such scans when asked? And if they do, what's the likelihood that they'll end up on the witness stand in some sordid murder case? Find out by clicking here.
In another article we're featuring this week, staff writer Shalmali Pal describes how fMRI is helping European researchers understand the origins of borderline personality disorder, specifically the repeated self-infliction of pain. Learn about their work by clicking here.
Finally, staff writer Eric Barnes reports from the Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery (CARS) meeting in Osaka, where Japanese researchers report on their work on interventional MRI techniques. That article is available by clicking here.
For these stories and more, visit the MRI Digital Community, at mri.auntminnie.com.
