Is it possible to see signs of mental illness in a brain scan?

Often: The answer depends on the mental illness and the type of brain scan. But with most psychiatric disorders abnormalities in functional brain imaging can be demonstrated. None of these findings are specific enough to be used for diagnosis, at this point. But in some cases the findings can be quite dramatic.

Sometimes: It's possible to see changes on mri, but the research on what that means in terms of patient care is not fully determined. Usually most mental illnesses are diagnosed through a full psychiatric intake interview, and sometimes emerge over time rather than right away.