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Brain Electrical Oscillation Signature Profiling ( Beosp)

Forensic science (Yenepoya (Deemed To Be University))

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Brain Electrical Oscillation Signature Profiling (BEOSP)

BRAIN MAPPING :
Brain mapping is the study of the anatomy and function of the brain and spinal cord
through the use of imaging, immunohistochemistry, molecular & optogenetics, stem
cell and cellular biology, engineering , neurophysiology and nanotechnology.

Brain mapping / fingerprinting is a scientific technique for measuring neural

responses exhibited after an object is shown to the subject or on external stimulus is
printed to the subject. It is a branch of neuro-science and deals with the study of
neuroanatomy.

Brain mapping is used to determine whether a certain information is present in the

brain of a person or not. It is a scientific test by which guilty knowledge stored in
one’s brain can be determined by measuring the neural responses to images from
crime scene.

Brain mapping is the method of matching the fingerprinting information in the brain
with that of an actual crime scene. When a culprit, victim or witness is shown an
object, scene or a situation which is connected with the crime, his brain recognizes
the entity.This recognition creates activity in the brain.

This activity is recorded by an instrument ENCEPHALOGRAPH and the trace thus

obtained is called ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM (EEG).

BEOSP

● BEOS (Brain Electrical Oscillation Signature Profiling) is a scientific tool that

evaluates changes in brain electrical activity linked with the presence of
knowledge elicited by a probe when the suspect is not required to respond.

● BEOS is a system for identifying people who have been involved in a crime.

● The technology was developed in 1999 and was used as a research tool first
in the Neuropsychology Laboratory at NIMHANS, Bangalore and later in the
Directorate of Forensic Sciences, Gandhinagar, from early 27 Anjali Yadav,
GFSU, Gandhinagar. Gujarat 2003

Test procedure

● Sensors strapped around head

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● A no. of pictures ( crime irrelevant and relevant ) are shown to the subject.

● Subject reaction to such pictures is recorded in the form of electrical activity of

the brain.The brain activity is picked up by the sensors and recorded in the
computer in a wave form.

● The analysis of the changes in wave pattern indicate whether the subject
recognized the particular object relevant to the crime.

● Invented by US scientist – Dr. Lawrence A. Farewell

● P- 300 waves are known as Oddball- evoked P – 300.

● It is an EEG based test, which has been extensively studied both in the
laboratory and in forensic conditions and is called the Brain Electrical
Oscillations Signature (BEOS) profiling technique.

● The suspect’s brain would interpret the words, and if he/she has some
connection with the words or stimulus, the brain would emit what are known
as P-300 waves, which shall be registered by sensors.

● The results of the test are interpreted by an expert and enable one to infer the
areas on which the suspect possesses information.

● He may then be subjected to a detailed interrogation on the specific areas

regarding which he is expected to possess information.

● The interrogation may be a conventional one or aided by the administration of

another scientific test such as the polygraph or narco analysis .

● Thus, the results of the test enable one to conclude whether or not the
accused possesses or is concealing any relevant information.

Three types of stimuli

Targets, irreverent and probes

● Already saved information .
● MERMER- Brain response
● Memory and Encoding Related Multifaceted Electroencephalographic
Responses (A brain response derived from the EEG data at different sites )
● The component of murmur is P-300

Function of brain mapping in criminal investigation

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● There is an instinctive ability in the brain to identify a person, places, objects

etc which is reserved in the memory.
● This technique enables mainly to determine whether certain information is or
is not present in the brain of a person.
● Apart from clinical purposes, it’s a boon for investigating agencies.
● In a planned commission of crime, physical evidence may not be available -
the IO has to show some items in order to catch a suspect.
● During commission of crime, the brain of the perpetrator is always with him,
from planning till its execution.
● By this technique it is measured as to whether there is crime related
information stored in the brain of the suspect or not.

How does it work?

● The programme assesses recollection of Experiential Knowledge or

autobiographical information, which comprises awareness of internal
processing or remembrance, sensory motor mental images connected with
experience.
● The "Signature" of the experience refers to the electrical activity associated
with remembering.
● The retrieval of Experiential Knowledge is the process's definition.
● Absence of Experiential Knowledge results in the absence of the signature

Procedure for BEOS

● In BEOS, conduct a pretest interview with the suspect.

● The suspect is well-versed in the BEOS method.
● Confirmation of Informed Consent is acquired.
● During the test, no questions should be asked; rather, the individual should be
presented with events/scenarios, and the results should be assessed to see if
the brain develops any experiential knowledge that should be disclosed.

Operating Mechanism

● The suspect will be presented with a picture or a word.

● It will activate the brain neuron if it is well-known or familiar.
● Neurons will then be triggered, resulting in brainwaves (P300).Electrical
potential is accumulated in the brain as a result of the creation of brainwaves.
● Electrodes are put on the individual's head using a mead gear.
● Brainwaves are measured using the scalp EEG.Analog signals are generated
when brain waves are measured and amplified in an EEG amplifier.
● The enhanced analogue signals are analyzed using a computer programme
to assess whether or not the individual is guilty.

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Stimuli

1. target stimuli- which are known to the subject

2. irrelevant stimuli- which would cause no reaction from brain
3. probe stimuli- phases or pictures supposed to be known to a few selected ones.

● Probe words which attempt to elicit concealed information known by the

accused, and target words which include findings relevant to the case of
which the suspect is not aware.
● The test does not expect an oral response from the accused, who is merely
expected to listen to the words.

Probes

● The probes' contents are linked to numerous parts of the crime under
investigation and control circumstances.
● Probes are used to stimulate a subject's brain in order to provoke and cause
reactions that can be related to the probe's contents.

Target A probe:
● These probes are shown in a variety of circumstances. They're also made to
show the progression of events from the beginning of the incident to the
unfolding of the crime and the actions that follow it.
Target B probes :
● are concerned with the suspect's activities. According to his own version,
which he believes may provide immunity if they can demonstrate it.
Neutral probes:
● are merely semantic presentations that do not refer to any experiential event
and are not designed to elicit any recollection.
Control probes:
● are verifiable autobiographical episodes in the suspect's life that are
unrelated to the occurrence under investigation.

BEOS profiling does not present a question or stimulus to which the suspect must
intentionally respond.

On the other hand, the test expects the subject to remain silent and only listen to a
narrative presented as short verbal statements in sequence, which are called
probes.

One hundred to 150 probes could be presented in a testing session.

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The scientific basis of the technique is drawn from the wide body of knowledge
drawn from functional neuroimaging and clinical studies that exists which
differentiates between ‘knowing’ and ‘remembering’ as dual systems of memory.

Auditory and Visual Probes:

● The focus of these inquiries is mostly on the subject's memories of the event
and the issues surrounding it.
● The subjects are shown neutral and crime scene images. Each visual probe is
shown for the right amount of time.

Visual data was chosen depending on:

● Case-specific significance.
● Correlation with the subjects' life events.
● Events that are neither positive nor negative.

Legal implications and innovations

● The advancement of Brain Mapping Technology has changed the causes of

criminal investigation in the country, earning accolades and recognition from
the judges and law enforcement authorities.

● A court order is required for BEOS to be conducted, as well as the expressed

agreement of the intended subject.

● The subject's informed consent is obtained twice.

● Once in court, when the subject is briefed on the BEOS method, and again
when the subject is transported to the forensic laboratory for testing.

Case Studies State of Maharashtra vs Aditi Sharma

● This is a one-of-a-kind case, and the only one in our country, in which the
accused was sentenced to life in jail solely based on BEOS results.

● Pune sessions court found MBA students Aditi Sharma and Prawin
Khandelwal guilty of planning to murder a fellow student.Aditi revealed the
presence of experiential knowledge on probes depicting her having an affair
with Udit after conducting BEOS.

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● Aditi also had firsthand knowledge of a plot to murder Udit by poisoning him
with Arsenic, as well as buying Arsenic from a shop, calling Udit, and
delivering the poisoned Prasad.

What differentiates a BEOSP test from a polygraph or a lie detector?

● The BEOSP procedure does not involve a question-answer session with the
accused and is rather a neuro psychological study of their brain.

● In a polygraph test, the accused person’s physiological indicators are taken

into account which includes blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration and skin
conductivity.

● While a person might be able to control their pulse rate and BP even in times
of distress, a BEOSP test

When was brain fingerprinting first used?

● In the year 1999, a woodcutter named James Grinder confessed murdering a

woman named Julie Helton.

● Helton died 15 years prior to Grinder's confession. Shortly afterwards, the

man retracted his statements, contradicting himself time and time again.

● The police were struggling to devise a strong case against Grinder as the
pieces of evidence were decades old.

● Thus, the Sheriff called Dr. Lawrence Farwell who discovered a new way to
determine the guilt or innocence of a suspect by measuring the brain activity.

Importance

● Brain is a storehouse of all information a subject possesses.

● Hence, criminals have all information about their criminal acts stored in their
brain.
● If such information can be reached, one can easily establish their
involvement or innocence in such criminal acts.
● Also as the brain of the culprit always records the occurrence, evidence is
always available against him.
● Brain mapping is useful in cases :
○ White collar crime
○ Burglary and theft cases
○ Offences against human body like murder, rape

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○ Identification of terrorist, saboteurs, spies, arsonists

○ Identification of potential criminals or crime situations.

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