'Mind machine' may be key to curing brain disorders

06:03 PM PST on Monday, February 16, 2009

By JEAN ENERSEN / KING 5 News

It's called the mind machine. You could say it can read your thoughts, and what scientists learn could be a key in curing brain disorders.

Home from war nearly one in five soldiers lives with post traumatic stress, like Vietnam vet Andy Michnowski.

"Couple guys - a truck blew up, they got hurt," recalls Michnowski.

Fourteen-year-old Jamie Turner has lived with autism spectrum disorder since he was a toddler.

This war veteran and 14-year-old boy share one thing in common: Both of their struggles started in their brains.

"This machine is basically a big magnetic stethoscope," said Dr. Jeffrey Lewine, neuroscientist.

What Lewine is referring to is 4-D magneting imaging, called MEG for short.

"This machine lets us measure those very weak magnetic signals generated by the brain's electrical activity," said Lewine.

It's the brain's magnetic fields that researchers are measuring in Turner. His are distinctively different from teens without autism.

"Much stronger in the right side of the brain," said Lewine.

And that may someday mean diagnosis and treatment far earlier than is now possible. In cases of PTSD, the brain's reaction may indicate which medication works best.

"If we can better understand what's gone wrong, we may be able to develop better therapies," said Lewine.

The research is taking place in the Chicago area at the Alexian Brothers Hospital.



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