Truth Serum

THIOPENTAL (Truth Serum):

THIOPENTAL (Truth Serum) Prepared by : MKDah Supervised by: Dr. Jehad Hammad

Definition :

Definition That's a term that was used to describe the use of certain drugs, most commonly barbiturates like sodium amytal and sodium pentothal, to try to extract truthful statements from people about their past experiences. What the term really meant was that the people who used the serum believed that it made people unable to censor themselves and they would just empty their memories into a narrative statement.

In vino veritas :

In vino veritas " In vino veritas" -- "in wine there is truth" -- is sometimes attributed to the natural philosopher Pliny the Elder. The observation made in the 1st century has been borne out over the millennia by many a remorseful inebriate. And, in truth, alcohol given as intravenous ethanol was an early form of truth serum

Who discovered these effects?:

Who discovered these effects? In the 1916, Dr. Robert House was an obstetrician who noticed that the popular obstetric anesthetic drug, scopolamine, also known as twilight sleep, would put his patients into a state where they would deliver information in a way that seemed automatic. To gauge the dose, the doctor would ask the patient questions until she could no longer remember anything. House had asked her husband for a scale to weigh the newborn. The man looked for it and returned to the bedroom saying he could not find it, whereupon his wife, still under the anesthetic, told him exactly where it was.

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House became convinced that scopolamine could make anyone answer a question truthfully, and he went on to promote its forensic use. In 1922 he tried the technique on two prisoners in a Dallas jail, helping to exonerate both. The age of truth serum investigation, also called narcoanalysis, had been born.

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During World War II, these drugs were used in a very different way. They were the first intravenous anesthetics and were used to treat traumatized soldiers who had lost their memories or had aphasia [loss of the ability to speak or process language due to brain injury]. Doctors found that using these drugs would make it easier for people to say what happened, and this helped them feel better.

Sodium Pentothal:

Sodium Pentothal Sodium Pentothal is a yellow crystal, which can be dissolved in water or alcohol. It has alliaceous, garlic-like odor.

Uses of the Thiopental::

Uses of the Thiopental: Sodium Pentothal is commonly used as an anesthetic during surgery. The patient is unconscious within 30 to 60 seconds after the drug administration to the veins. The duration of the anesthesia is very short; it only causes a few minutes of sedation. Veterinarians also use Sodium Pentothal. When an animal is injured and needs an examination, a quick dose of the drug by tranquilizer dart gives few minutes to the veterinarian to do the examination.

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This drug has another important property. Sodium Pentothal is a radioprotective agent, which minimizes the effect of radiation. Sodium Pentothal protects the cells by preventing the radiation electrons to bond with cell's free radicals. If this radioprotective agent is taken three to four hours before the exposure to the radiation, it prolongs the life of body cells even if the dose of radiation was lethal.

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Psychiatrists as a part of narcotherapy also use Sodium Pentothal. This drug produces the state of full relaxation and makes patients more susceptible to suggestion, allowing the psychiatrists to uncover the repressed feelings or memories.

Side effects:

Side effects Postoperative pain Nightmares Hallucinations Vomiting Bleeding

Do experts believe they really work?:

Do experts believe they really work? The idea of a "truth serum" has never been widely accepted. Although there have been waves of enthusiasm for the idea of a drug that can extract information reliably, there has been even more skepticism.

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A small amount of a rapid-acting barbiturate or benzodiazepine (similar to the kinds of medication anesthesiologists use to put you to sleep) is injected into the subject’s vein. It reaches the brain within seconds and reduces the activity of centers involved in anxiety and inhibitions. Unfortunately, it affects the entire brain to some extent, so that the patient may appear drunk. He’s sleepy and his speech is slurred. He may be emotionally giddy. The skill lies in achieving a balance: too little of the drug and the person’s inhibitions won’t be lowered enough for him to spill the beans; too much and the person falls asleep or is so impaired that his brain can’t function well enough to answer questions.

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The person worries less about what he’s saying, can’t figure out the consequences of what he tells the questioner, and doesn’t care much about them anyway. The bad news is that he’ll often blurt out a whole lot of other stuff, too. The results have been disappointing and the answers to questions often difficult to interpret. The intoxicated person is impulsive and more likely to blurt out the truth; but he’s just as likely to give you a load of garbage.

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After taking "truth serum" the patients become very communicative, sharing their thoughts without hesitation. Some observers also feel that amobarbital does not increase truth-telling, but merely increases talking; hence, both truth and fabrication are more likely to be revealed in that construct.

When did they begin to be used for interrogation?:

In the 1930s, there were these committees to evaluate corruption in American policing, and it first came out that police were using these drugs in interrogations to get suspects to incriminate themselves. But by the 1950, most scientists had declared the very notion of truth serums invalid, and most courts had ruled testimony gained through their use inadmissible. The emerging consensus did not stop the most notorious search for truth serum, the CIA's Project MK-ULTRA. Starting in 1953, the agency tested the behavioral effects of several drugs, including their effects on interrogation. When did they begin to be used for interrogation?

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Many people were given substances without their knowledge or consent. Frank Olson jumped from a hotel window to his death after taking the hallucinogen LSD. The program ended in the late 1960s. Its abuses -- many revealed in congressional hearings in 1977 -- produced bad publicity for the spy agency. After 9/11, there were discussions in the national papers about whether it's a good idea to interrogate suspects using these drugs.

Are these truth serums effective? :

Are these truth serums effective? The short answer is, no. The long answer is “Noooooooooooo!”

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Thank U