BRAIN FINGERPRINTING

Pranab Chatterjee

Second Professional M.B.B.S.Batch 2005-2007Medical College, Kolkatapranabchatterjee@hotmail.com

INTRODUCTION

• Dr. Lawrence Farwell was the inventor of the Farwell Brain Fingerprinting Technique (known as MERA=Multifaceted Electroencephalographic Response Analysis)

• According to Farwell:– “It is a scientific method to identify the criminals

and clear the innocent with extremely high accuracy by measuring the electrical brain responses.”

DEFINITION

• IT IS A CONTROVERSIAL TECHNIQUE WHICH IS ADVOCATED AS A WAY TO IDENTIFY A TERRORIST OR CRIMINAL BY MEASURING THE “BRAINPRINT” OF THAT PERSON WHEN SHOWN A PARTICULAR WRITING OR IMAGE THAT HE IS PREVIOUSLY FAMILIAR WITH.”

HISTORY

Dr. Emmanual Donchin and his then graduate student Dr. Lawrence Farwel worked on the diagnostic tool “Guilty Knowledge Test” that measures brain activity like regional blood flow by event related functional MRI (fMRI) with increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, superior frontal gyrus and left premotor and motor cortex.

Thus, Blood Oxygen Level Dependant MRI (BOLD MRI) distinguished between deceptive and truthful responses.

BASIS OF FARWEL BRAIN-FINGERPRINTING

• A sequence of stimuli (words, pictures and sounds) are flashed on a computer screen for a fraction of a second.

• There are three types of stimuli:– TARGET: Information known to the suspect=

establish baseline MERMER/P300 for information known to be significant to the suspect

– IRRELEVANTS: information with no relevance to the incidents in question=do not elicit MERMER/P300 to establish baseline for information not significant to the suspect

– PROBES: non-target stimuli relevant to the incident in question=elicits MERMER/P300 in persons involved

EXPLANATIONS

• In a person with extensive knowledge of the relevant incident there will be eliciting of MERMER/P300 to the probe stimuli as in the case of target stimuli

• In a person with no knowledge of the relevant incident there will be response similar to the irrelevant stimuli

EX-PLANATIONS

• P300:– It’s a positive change in the neural activity elicited

exactly 300 milliseconds after the stimulus with special significance has been flashed. Response occurs UNCONSCIOUSLY.

– It is one aspect of a larger brain wave response called MERMER (Memory and Encoding Related Multifaceted Electroencephalographic Response). MERMER is more accurate as it measure P300 in addition to other brain waves elicited by the stimuli.

MEASUREMENT

• The waves are measured non-invasively through a patented headband equipped with sensors.

• It determines as “Information Present” or “Information Absent”.

• At no time in the test there is seen biases and emotional responses affecting the results of the test and /or its presentation.

INTERPRETATIONS: EXAMPLES

INFORMATION/PROBES

INFORMATION PRESENT

INFORMATION ABSENT

Crime related Participation in crime Non-participation

Known to members of a particular organisation

Affiliation in the said organisation

No affiliation

Pre-crime data Identification of terrorists before they strike

Non involvement in crimes

ADVANTAGES• 99.9% accuracy, quick and scientific, time taken for

test only 10 minutes.• Uncovering of criminals, espionage agents,

terrorists, with less expenses and material resources.

• Innocent subjects are freed from facing stressful interrogations-which is a violation of human rights.

• Has no effect whatsoever by emotions unlike the polygraph tests which have effects by emotions.

• Non-invasive and non-testimonial.

100% SUCCESS RATES SEEN:

• FBI studies• US Intelligence studies• US Naval Studies

CASE STUDIES• JAMES GRINDER:

– 5TH August, 1999, James Grinder, serial killer incriminated

• TERRY HARRINGTON:– In 2000, freed after 24 years of imprisonment.

Landmark trial where the Judge admitted that the procedure fulfilled al the four criteria set down by the Supreme Court.

• JIMMY RAY SLAUGHTER CASE:– Has been selected for retrial based on the evidence

given by the Farwel Brain Fingerprinting results. The results were being awaited