A member asked:

Can brain of a man with psychiatric problem be evaluated during an operation to identify the problem?

10 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Dr. Glen Elliott answered

Specializes in Child Psychiatry

No.: We're not sophisticated enough yet to know when psychiatric problems arise in the brain. There is nothing direct observation of brain tissue can tell us, unless someone has a seizure disorder, where sometimes changes can be observed. Less invasive tests such as fmri and brain imaging are being used in research to try to pin down such connections, but we have a long way to go.

Answered 11/27/2017

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Not now, if ever: If the skull were opened and the brain exposed, sometimes one could go to a particular area to find a general function - maybe. But not a "problem". The brain is so complex that components of a problem may exist in many different areas of the brain. Also the body's response to the brain and vice versa will be part of a "problem". We're talking about millions of cells and connections.

Answered 4/11/2016

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