Brain fingerprinting is based on finding that the brain generates a unique brain wave pattern when a person encounters a familiar stimulus Use of functional magnetic resonance imaging in lie detection derives from studies suggesting that persons asked to lie show different patterns of brain activity than they do when being truthful. Issues related to the use of such evidence in courts are discussed. The author concludes that neither approach is currently supported by enough data regarding its accuracy in detecting deception to warrant use in court.
In the field of criminology, a new lie detector has been developed in the United States of America. This is called “brain fingerprinting”. This invention is supposed to be the best lie detector available as on date and is said to detect even smooth criminals who pass the polygraph test (the conventional lie detector test) with ease. The new method employs brain waves, which are useful in detecting whether the person subjected to the test, remembers finer details of the crime. Even if the person willingly suppresses the necessary information, the brain wave is sure to trap him, according to the experts, who are very excited about the new kid on the block.
Brain Fingerprinting is a controversial proposed investigative technique that measures recognition of familiar stimuli by measuring electrical brain wave responses to words, phrases, or pictures that are presented on a computer screen. Brain fingerprinting was invented by Lawrence Farwell. The theory is that the suspect's reaction to the details of an event or activity will reflect if the suspect had prior knowledge of the event or activity. This test uses what Farwell calls the MERMER ("Memory and Encoding Related Multifaceted Electroencephalographic Response") response to detect familiarity reaction. One of the applications is lie detection. Dr. Lawrence A. Farwell has invented, developed, proven, and patented the technique of Farwell Brain Fingerprinting, a new computer-based technology to identify the perpetrator of a crime accurately and scientifically by measuring brain-wave responses to crime-relevant words or pictures presented on a computer screen. Farwell Brain Fingerprinting has proven 100% accurate in over 120 tests, including tests on FBI agents, tests for a US intelligence agency and for the US Navy, and tests on real-life situations including actual crimes..
What is Brain Fingerprinting?
Brain Fingerprinting is designed to determine
whether an individual recognizes specific information related to an event or
activity by measuring electrical brain wave responses to words, phrases, or
pictures presented on a computer screen. The technique can be applied
only in situations where investigators have a sufficient amount of specific
information about an event or activity that would be known only to the
perpetrator and investigator. In this respect, Brain Fingerprinting is
considered a type of Guilty Knowledge Test, where the "guilty" party
is expected to react strongly to the relevant detail of the event of activity.
Existing (polygraph) procedures for assessing the validity of a suspect's "guilty" knowledge rely on measurement of autonomic arousal (e.g., palm sweating and heart rate), while Brain Fingerprinting measures electrical brain activity via a fitted headband containing special sensors. Brain Fingerprinting is said to be more accurate in detecting "guilty" knowledge distinct from the false positives of traditional polygraph methods, but this is hotly disputed by specialized researchers.
Technique
Existing (polygraph) procedures for assessing the validity of a suspect's "guilty" knowledge rely on measurement of autonomic arousal (e.g., palm sweating and heart rate), while Brain Fingerprinting measures electrical brain activity via a fitted headband containing special sensors. Brain Fingerprinting is said to be more accurate in detecting "guilty" knowledge distinct from the false positives of traditional polygraph methods, but this is hotly disputed by specialized researchers.
Technique
The
person to be tested wears a special headband with electronic sensors that
measure the electroencephalography from several locations on the scalp. In
order to calibrate the brain fingerprinting system, the testee is presented
with a series of irrelevant stimuli, words, and pictures, and a series of
relevant stimuli, words, and pictures. The test subject's brain response to
these two different types of stimuli allow the testor to determine if the
measured brain responses to test stimuli, called probes, are more similar to the
relevant or irrelevant responses.
The
technique uses the well known fact that an electrical signal known as P300 is
emitted from an individual's brain approximately 300 milliseconds after it is
confronted with a stimulus of special
significance, e.g. a rare vs. a common stimuls or a stimulas the proband is
asked to count. The novel interpretation in brain fingerprinting is to look for
P300 as response to stimuli related to the crime in
question
e.g., a murder weapon or a victim's face. Because it is based on EEG signals,
the system does not require the testee to issue verbal responses to questions
or stimuli.
Brain
fingerprinting uses cognitive brain responses, brain fingerprinting does not
depend on the emotions of the subject, nor is it affected by emotional
responses. Brain fingerprinting is fundamentally different from the polygraph
(lie-detector), which measures emotion-based physiological signals such as
heart rate, sweating, and blood pressure. Also, unlike polygraph testing, it
does not attempt to determine whether or not the subject is lying or telling
the truth.
