We have detected areas of the brain activated by deception and truth telling by using a method that is verifiable against the current gold standard method of lie detection -- the conventional polygraph.

I think we're probably two to three years away from coming up with a technique where we might be able to put an individual in an MRI scanner and say whether an individual is telling the truth or telling a lie. But I think we have the technology. I cannot say with a 100 percent certainty, but I'm cautiously optimistic.

Since brain activation is arguably less susceptible to being controlled by an individual, our research will hopefully eliminate the shortcomings of the conventional polygraph test and produce a new method of objective lie detection that can be used reliably in a courtroom or other setting.

A more consistent and verifiable method of lie detection could lead to changes in this particular realm of the legal system down the road.

With fMRI, there were, consistently, unique areas of the brain -- and more of them -- that were activated during the deceptive process than during truth telling.

The polygraph is the traditional gold standard and has been around for some 30 or 40 years now. But even though it's the best we have today, it's not an accurate method of detecting deception, which is a great danger.