Psychiatrist shares chilling back story behind ‘unhealthiest’ brain he’s ever seen

Psychiatrist Dr Daniel Amen has revealed what the 'unhealthiest brain' he's ever seen is.

The doctor appeared on Steven Bartlett's podcast The Diary of A CEO to discuss his analysis of people's psychiatric state using brain scans.

In the conversation, Dr Ahmen revealed the story behind the 'most unhealthy brain' he's ever seen, and it belonged to a boy who was just 15-years-old.

Dr Amen is a celebrity doctor who founded the Amen Clinics, which specializes in 'an innovative brain-body approach to diagnosis and treatment planning for a wide array of emotional, behavioral, learning, cognitive, and weight issues for children, teenagers, and adults'.

Amen Clinics uses 'brain SPECT imaging' which 'measures blood flow and activity in the brain to help [...] more accurately diagnose and treat [patient's] needs'.

With the clinic having performed 'over 200,000 brain scans', it's fair to say, Dr Amen has seen a fair few brains in his time, and one in particular has been the 'unhealthiest' he's ever seen.

YouTube/ The Diary of A CEO

In Bartlett's podcast episode released onto YouTube on 30 October, 2023, Dr Amen explained the 'unhealthiest brain' he's ever seen belonged to Kip Kinkel - full name Kipland Kinkel.

Dr Amen explains: "He's a 15-year-old boy in Springfield, Oregon, who brought weapons to school, got arrested, his parents picked him up from jail and sometime between 6:00pm that night and 8:00am the next morning he murdered his mom and dad and then he went to Thurston High School in Springfield Oregon and shot 25 people.

"Based on my work, they scanned him for his trial. His brain was so awful, like I'd never seen a 15-year-old that had a brain so damaged and his life reflected it."

But what was so 'awful' about Kinkel's brain scan?

Dr Amen explains Kinkel's brain appeared 'shriveled' on the scan, despite him only being 15-years-old.

In trying to figure out why this was the case, Dr Amen notes he couldn't get a 'good history' because Kinkel murdered his mom and dad.

So, the doctor resolves Kinkel 'either had anoxia at birth, lack of oxygen, a severe infection or something was poisoning his brain - it could've been lead, it could've been infection'.

"I mean we're talking about M the I is immunity and infections," he adds.

Dr Amen resolves: "It's a major cause of psychiatric problems nobody knows about."