Brain fingerprinting is a forensic technique that uses electroencephalography (EEG) to detect electrical brain activity associated with specific knowledge stored in a subject's brain. The technique presents stimuli and measures EEG responses like the P300 wave, which occurs about 300 milliseconds after seeing a significant stimulus. Brain fingerprinting has been used to screen job applicants, study advertising effectiveness, and aid criminal investigations by determining whether suspects have information related to a crime. However, it only detects information and not intent or how the information was obtained. It also has limitations like not detecting lies or accounting for memory factors.

1. SEMINAR PRESENTATION ON BRAIN FINGERPRINTING Under the Guidance of: Smt. Shailaja L. N. Senior Lecturer, IS & E Departament, BCE By: Ranjani Shankar VIII Semester, Information Science & Engg., BCE

2. OVERVIEW: Introduction Technique Electroencephalography Sources of EEG Methods of EEG P300 Role of Brain Fingerprinting in criminal proceedings Current Uses and Applications

3. OVERVIEW: Medical Applications Advertising Applications Limitations References

4. Introduction: Brain Fingerprinting was developed and patented in 1995 by Lawrence A. Farwell. Is based on the theory that throughout any action, the brain plans, records, and executes all of the actions. "Brain Fingerprinting" is a controversial forensic science technique that determines whether specific information is stored in a subject’s brain.

5. Technique: electrical signal known as P300 is emitted from an individual’s brain beginning approximately 300 milliseconds after it is confronted with a stimulus of special significance. The application of this in brain fingerprinting is to detect the P300 as a response to stimuli.

6. Continued… The system does not require the subject 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. The person to be tested wears a special headband with electronic sensors that measure the EEG from several locations on the scalp.

7. Continued… The subject views stimuli consisting of words, phrases, or pictures presented on a computer screen. Stimuli are of three types: 1) “irrelevant” stimuli that are irrelevant to the investigated situation and to the test subject, 2) “target” stimuli that are relevant to the investigated situation and are known to the subject, 3) “probe” stimuli that are relevant to the investigated situation and that the subject denies knowing.

10. ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY: Electroencephalography (EEG) is the measurement of electrical activity produced by the brain as recorded from electrodes placed on the scalp. scalp EEG is collected from tens to hundreds of electrodes positioned on different locations at the surface of the head. EEG signals (in the range of mili-volts) are amplified and digitalized for later processing.

11. Source of EEG Activity: Scalp EEG activity oscillates at multiple frequencies having different characteristic spatial distributions associated with different states of brain functioning such as waking and sleeping. These oscillations represent synchronized activity over a network of neurons.

12. Method of EEG: Scalp EEC, the recording is obtained by placing electrodes on the scalp. Each electrode is connected to one input of a differential amplifier and a common system reference electrode is connected to the other input of each differential amplifier. In digital EEC systems. the amplified signal is digitized via an analog-to-digital converter, after being passed through an anti-aliasing filter.

13. P300: The P300 (P3) wave is an event related potential (ERP) which can be recorded via electroencephalography (EEG) as a positive deflection in voltage at a latency of roughly 300 ms in the EEG. The P300 signal is an aggregate recording from a great many neurons. P300 waveform must be evoked using a stimulus delivered by one of the sensory modalities.

14. THE ROLE OF BRAIN FINGERPRINTING IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS: The application of Brain Fingerprinting testing in a criminal case involves four phases: investigation, interview, scientific testing, and adjudication. The first phase is undertaken by a skilled investigator The second by an interviewer Only the third one is in the domain of science. Fourth by a judge and jury.

15. CURRENT USES AND APPLICATIONS: The various applications are as follows: Test for several forms of employment, especially in dealing with sensitive military and foreign intelligence screening. Individuals who were “information present” and “information absent” A group of 17 FBI agents and 4 non-agents were exposed to stimuli.

16. CURRENT USES AND APPLICATIONS: To detect symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, Mental Depression and other forms of dementia including neurological disorders. Criminal cases. Advertisements Counter-Terrorism Security Testing

17. Medical Applications: Researcher has now demonstrated that analysis of the P300 brainwave can show dementia onset and progression. MERMER technology, developed and patented by Brain Fingerprinting Laboratories With early diagnosis, the progression of Alzheimer's symptoms can often be delayed through medications and dietary and lifestyle changes.

18. Advertising Applications: What specific information do people retain from advertising? What specific elements in an ad campaign have the most impact? Which type of media is most effective? What commercial is the most effective for a single product? How effective is the product branding strategy?

19. Advertising Applications: How effective is an ad campaign in different parts of the world? What is the correlation between the campaign and the point-of-sale? How do the effects of campaigns vary with the influence of time?

20. LIMITATIONS: It does not detect how that information got there. Brain fingerprinting detects only information, and not intent. Where the suspect knows everything that the investigators can ask. Authorities have no information about what crime may have taken place.

21. Limitations: General pre-employment or employee screening wherein any number of undesirable activities or intentions may be relevant. Brain fingerprinting do not detect lies, It simply detects information. The limitations of human memory and the factors affecting it.

22. CONCLUSION: Brain Fingerprinting is a revolutionary new scientific technology for solving crimes, identifying perpetrators, and exonerating innocent suspects, with a record of 100% accuracy in research with US government agencies, actual criminal cases, and other applications.

23. References: Farwell LA, Donchin E. The brain detector: P300 in the detection of deception. Psychophysiology 1986; 24:434. Farwell LA, inventor. Method and apparatus for truth detection. US patent 5,406,956. 1995 Apr 18. Picton TW. Handbook of electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology: human event-related potentials. Amsterdam: Elsevier, Vol. 3, 1988. www.brainwavescience.com www.searchsecurity.techtarget.com/sDefinition/