-WJLA Script-

Anchor: TONIGHT, ONE DOCTOR SAYS WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES WHO MIGHT BECOME DANGEROUS. HE CLAIMS THIS TECHNOLOGY MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PREVENT TRAGEDIES LIKE THE ONE AT VIRGINIA TECH... BUT WHY AREN'T WE USING IT?

MEDICAL REPORTER KATHY FOWLER JOINS US WITH THIS STORY.

Kathy Fowler on-set:

DR. DANIEL AMEN BELIEVES PSYCHIATRY IS A FIELD OF MEDICINE THAT'S STUCK IN THE DARK AGES. HE SAYS PSYCHIATRISTS ARE THE ONLY DOCTORS WHO TREAT A MAJOR ORGAN WITHOUT EVER LOOKING AT IT FIRST. AMEN BELIEVES BRAIN SCANS HELP TAKE THE GUESS WORK OUT OF DIAGNOSING AND TREATING SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. Story:

WEEKS AFTER THE VIRIGINIA TECH SHOOTINGS, WE STILL ARE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND "WHY." WHAT MADE SEUNG HUI CHO DO THE UNTHINKABLE?

PSYCHIATRIST DANIEL AMEN SAYS IF FUNCTIONAL BRAIN IMAGING HAD BEEN USED TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT CHO'S BRAIN, EXPERTS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PREDICT HE WAS MORE LIKELY TO ACT ON HIS VIOLENT THOUGHTS.

Kathy Fowler: "Do you think Virginia Tech could have been prevented?"

Dr. Daniel Amen: "Yes. Absolutely, yes."

Dr. Amen: "We've scanned 60 murderers and a great majority of them have brain problems that can be fixed."

AMEN USES WHAT'S CALLED A SPECT SCAN TO MEASURE BLOOD FLOW IN THE BRAIN. AMEN SAYS THIS WHAT A HEALTHY BRAIN LOOKS LIKE. AND THIS IS THE BRAIN OF ONE OF THIS COUNTRY'S NOTORIOUS SCHOOL SHOOTERS. Dr. Amen: "This is Kip Kinkels brain."

AMEN SAYS THIS SCAN REVEALS OREGON SCHOOL SHOOTER KIP KINKEL HAD A VERY DAMAGED BRAIN WITH LOW ACTIVITY IN TWO IMPORTANT AREAS.

Dr. Amen: "The left temporal lobe is associated with dark, evil, awful thoughts... and the low activity in the front means he has a decreased ability to control himself."

IN 1998, KINKEL ENDED UP KILLING HIS PARENTS, TWO CLASSMATES AND WOUNDING 25 OTHER STUDENTS.

Dr. Amen: "If he would have been treated on his brain - other than just his symptoms - odds are he wouldn't have done that very bad thing."

A LEADING BIOETHICIST AT THE CLEVELAND CLINIC SAYS BRAIN IMAGING IS PROMISING TECHNOLOGY, BUT... Dr. Paul Ford, Cleveland Clinic: "100% predictability is probably theoretically impossible."

AND HE SAYS THE EVIDENCE ISN'T THERE TO PROVE IT COULD HELP PREVENT PEOPLE LIKE CHO FROM KILLING. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF MENTAL HEALTH IS STUDYING SIMILAR TYPE OF BRAIN IMAGING, BUT INSISTS THERE ISN'T ENOUGH RESEARCH TO USE THEM IN CLINICAL PRACTICE. AMEN STRONGLY DISAGREES.

HE SAYS BRAIN IMAGING CAN HELP PINPOINT THE AREA OF THE BRAIN THAT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. DOCTORS THEN CAN PRESCRIBE MEDICATION TO TREAT THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM AND USE THE SCAN AGAIN TO PROVE THE TREATMENT IS EFFECTIVE.

Dr. Amen: "We'll then scan you again and say well how are we doing? Are we doing the right things for you?"

Kathy Fowler on-set:

DR. AMEN SAYS THIS IS NOT A PERFECT TEST, BUT HE BELIEVES BRAIN IMAGING WILL BECOME STANDARD PRACTICE TO ENHANCE TRADITIONAL THERAPY IN THE NEXT DECADE.

To find out more, visit Dr. Amen's website here: http://amenclinic.com