Making false promise? Brain scan can catch liars in the act

LONDON: It might be possible to decide soon whether a criminal has reformed or the risk of his relapse is too high with the help of brain imaging, which scientists say can be used in the justice system. 
Scientists at the University of Zurich in Switzerland found that breaking a promise is a complex neurobiological event and a brain scan can predict those who are planning to break their word.

The scientists said if the predictive ability of the functional Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI) scans is borne out in future studies, someday the technique could be of use to the justice system.

Using fMRI scans, the experts scanned the brains of participants playing an investment game and were able to predict whether a volunteer is making true pledges or false. They said, promise breakers had more activity in certain brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, an indication that planning and self-control were involved in suppressing an honest response, and the amygdala, perhaps a sign of conflicting and aversive emotions such as guilt and fear.