Brain FingerprintingBrain Fingerprinting

Dr. Lawrence A. FarewellDr. Lawrence A. Farewell

Presented by Presented by

Tonya SlagerTonya Slager

The fundamental difference between The fundamental difference between the perpetrator of a crime and an the perpetrator of a crime and an innocent person is that the innocent person is that the perpetrator, having committed the perpetrator, having committed the crime, has the details of the crime crime, has the details of the crime stored in his memory, and the stored in his memory, and the innocent suspect does not.innocent suspect does not.

This is what Brain Fingerprinting This is what Brain Fingerprinting testing detects scientifically, the testing detects scientifically, the presence or absence of specific presence or absence of specific information. information.

Defining Brain FingerprintingDefining Brain Fingerprinting

Scientific technique to determine whether or not Scientific technique to determine whether or not specific information is stored in an individual's specific information is stored in an individual's brain brain

Relevant words, pictures or sounds are presented Relevant words, pictures or sounds are presented to a subject by a computer in a series with stimuli to a subject by a computer in a series with stimuli

The brainwave responses measured using a The brainwave responses measured using a patented headband equipped with EEG sensors patented headband equipped with EEG sensors

P300- Specific, measurable brain responseP300- Specific, measurable brain response emitted by the brain of a subject who has the relevant emitted by the brain of a subject who has the relevant

information stored in his braininformation stored in his brain

How Does it Work?How Does it Work?

measurements are recorded in fractions of measurements are recorded in fractions of a second after the stimulus is presented, a second after the stimulus is presented, before the subject is able to formulate or before the subject is able to formulate or control a response control a response

Dr. Farwell discovered that the P300 was Dr. Farwell discovered that the P300 was one aspect of a larger brain-wave one aspect of a larger brain-wave response that he named and patented, a response that he named and patented, a MERMER (memory and encoding related MERMER (memory and encoding related multifaceted electroencephalographic multifaceted electroencephalographic response) response)

Brain responses were recorded from Brain responses were recorded from the midline frontal, central, and the midline frontal, central, and parietal scalp locations, referenced to parietal scalp locations, referenced to linked mastoids (behind the ear), and linked mastoids (behind the ear), and from a location on the forehead to from a location on the forehead to track eye movements track eye movements

At the end of each test, subjects were At the end of each test, subjects were given a written list of all stimulus given a written list of all stimulus items and asked to mark each item as items and asked to mark each item as noteworthy, somewhat noteworthy, or noteworthy, somewhat noteworthy, or irrelevant – those marked were thrown irrelevant – those marked were thrown outout

Information is absentInformation is absent Information is Information is presentpresent

The MERMER includes:The MERMER includes:

1. The P300 -an electrically positive 1. The P300 -an electrically positive component maximal at the parietal component maximal at the parietal scalp site scalp site

2. Another, longer latency, electrically 2. Another, longer latency, electrically negative subcomponent prominent negative subcomponent prominent at the frontal scalp siteat the frontal scalp site

3. Phasic changes in the frequency and 3. Phasic changes in the frequency and structure of the signal. structure of the signal.

Types of Stimuli UsedTypes of Stimuli Used ProbesProbes

Life-experience relatedLife-experience related Relevant to the investigated event -recognizable and Relevant to the investigated event -recognizable and

noteworthy only for the subjects who had participated in the noteworthy only for the subjects who had participated in the event (MERMER)event (MERMER)

Indistinguishable from the Irrelevants for a subject who is not Indistinguishable from the Irrelevants for a subject who is not knowledgeable about the situation under investigation knowledgeable about the situation under investigation

Targets Targets Push a button to indicate known image Push a button to indicate known image Since the relatively rare Targets are singled out in the task Since the relatively rare Targets are singled out in the task

being performed, the Targets are noteworthy for the subject, being performed, the Targets are noteworthy for the subject, and each Target stimulus elicits a MERMERand each Target stimulus elicits a MERMER

Irrelevant Stimuli Irrelevant Stimuli information relevant to the crime that the suspect claims to information relevant to the crime that the suspect claims to

have no knowledge ofhave no knowledge of

Case StudiesCase Studies

FBI- new agents 100% accurateFBI- new agents 100% accurate CIA- 3 experimentsCIA- 3 experiments

Pictures rather than verbal cuesPictures rather than verbal cues Words/phrases to determine connection Words/phrases to determine connection

between professionals, their organization, between professionals, their organization, and known information related to workand known information related to work

Real-life events including 2 felony crimesReal-life events including 2 felony crimes

Overall 79 participants with 100% accuracyOverall 79 participants with 100% accuracy

Questions?Questions?

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