Can Brain Scans Diagnose PTSD Better Than a Therapist?

PTSD causes specific changes in the brain which can be detected by an imaging technique called magnetoencephalography (MEG), according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis VA Medical Center say that PTSD creates a distinct pattern of brain activity, something they observed in a test group of 74 veterans and 250 civilians who had all already been diagnosed with PTSD.

MEG imaging captures the brain's activity in milisecond slices, much faster than would be captured in a CT scan or an MRI.

The military is interested in this test because it could help them pinpoint veterans with PTSD without a therapist's diagnosis.