Application of a polygraph detector in diagnosing symptom simulationof the biographical amnesia

• Main Author: Roman S. Ivanov
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Lomonosov Moscow State University 2015-12-01
• Series: Nacionalʹnyj Psihologičeskij Žurnal
• Subjects: psychophysiological investigation using a polygraph; auto amnesia; biographical amnesia; psychotherapy; medical and clinical psychology; possible simulation of symptoms
• Online Access: http://npsyj.ru/pdf/npj-no20-2015/npj_no20_2015_079-090.pdf

The paper considers the first case of using polygraph («lie detector») in the history of Russia for diagnosing possible simulation of auto amnesia symptoms (biographical amnesia). In recent years, the number of cases of biographical amnesia have increased greatly. Today there are several scientific concepts to explain the amnesia of biographical information using a number of approaches. Some psychiatrists believe that the existence of specified disorder is false. The appeal of scientists to the method of psychophysiological research using the polygraph to diagnose possible simulation of auto amnesia is due to the fact that the object of such research is human memory, i.e. mental process of influenced by different types of amnesia. This paper describes basic provisions of carrying out technology research for diagnosing possible cases of simulating symptoms of biographical amnesia, highlighting the progress in detail, conditions and results of the performed experiment that showed that the functional status of the patient was unsuitable for using the polygraph. Therefore, to reach a conclusion about the simulation of the symptoms of the disease is not possible. The most probable causes of this result deal with the assumption about patient taking therapeutically potent drugs that produce a pronounced anti-anxiety effect. Reexamination after the expiration of pharmacological drug term is recommended. The paper is of practical interest to psychiatrists, experts in the field of medical and clinical psychology, polygraph practitioners.