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In a small-scale study researchers have shown that algorithms can analyze brainscans to determine whether an individual has suicidal thoughts.
During the study the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University scientists mentioned words like ‘death’ ‘trouble’ and ‘carefree’ to individuals undergoing fMRI scans of their brains.
Apparently those kinds of words spur different brain activity in people who have suicidal thoughts compared to those who don’t.
The hope is that a better understanding of brain function in suicidal people could lead to better tests to assess risk of suicide and improved psychotherapy.
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Source: Algorithms analyze brainscans to identify people with suicidal thoughts / Boing Boing
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