DECEPTION DETECTION AND QUERY METHODOLOGY FOR DETERMINING DECEPTION VIA NEUROIMAGING

• US 20080306365A1
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Drexel University
• Original Assignee: Drexel University
• Inventors: Izzetoglu, Kurtulus, Pourrezaei, Kambiz, Onaral, Banu, Bunce, Scott C., Izzetoglu, Meltem, Devaraj, Ajit
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/323
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0042 for the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14553 specially adapted for cerebral tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/164 Lie detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head

Abstract

Functional near-infrared (fNIR) neuroimaging is used to assess credibility, detect deception, and implement a query methodology for determining deception via neuroimaging. Oxygenation levels of portions of the brain are imaged via fNIR spectroscopy and utilized to determine if the subject is telling a lie or a truth. In an example configuration, oxygenation levels in the inferior and/or middle prefrontal cortical areas of the brain, such as the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal and/or inferior frontal cortex, are measured to determine if a subject is lying relative to telling the truth. An example system includes a portable, flexible, belt like sensing device that is positioned proximate the subjects scalp. Sensed neural activity is transmitted either through wired or wireless means, to a processor for analysis of the sensed neural activity. The query methodology utilizes an attestation assertion that mitigates variance in brain responses due to the length or form of a question.

Claims

1. A method for detecting deception, the method comprising:

receiving near-infrared optical energy indicative of an oxygenation level in a blood supply of a cortex of a brain of a subject;

comparing the oxygenation level indicated by the received near-infrared optical energy with a baseline oxygenation level; and

if the oxygenation level indicated by the received near-infrared optical energy differs from the baseline oxygenation level, determining that the subject conducted deception.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

positioning a sensing device proximate to a scalp of the subject;

providing near-infrared optical energy directed toward the scalp; and

in response to providing near-infrared optical energy, receiving reflected near-infrared optical energy indicative of the oxygenation level in the blood supply of the cortex of the brain of the subject.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, wherein the near-infrared optical energy is provided at a relatively constant intensity.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

converting the received near-infrared optical energy to electrical energy; and

providing a signal indicative of the electrical energy for determining if the subject conducted deception.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the baseline oxygenation level is an oxygenation level associated with the subject telling a truth.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising determining the subject conducted deception if the oxygenation level indicated by the received near-infrared optical energy is greater than the baseline oxygenation level.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the near-infrared optical energy comprises a wavelength in the range if 700 to 900 nanometers, inclusive.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cortex of the brain comprises at least one of a dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and an inferior frontal cortex.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the oxygenation level in the blood supply of the cortex is indicative of at least one of deoxygenated hemoglobin and oxygenated hemoglobin.

10. A system for detecting deception, the system comprising:

a sensing device configured to sense near-infrared optical energy indicative of an oxygenation level in a blood supply of a cortex of a brain of a subject; and

a processor configured to;

compare the oxygenation level indicated by the received near-infrared optical energy with a baseline oxygenation level; and

if the oxygenation level indicated by the received near-infrared optical energy differs from the baseline oxygenation level, determining that the subject conducted deception.

11. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein:

the sensing device further comprises;

a flexible portion configured to be positioned proximate to a scalp of the subject;

at least one source configured to provide near-infrared optical energy directed toward the scalp of the subject; and

at least one detector configured to receive reflected near-infrared optical energy in response to the provided near-infrared optical energy.

12. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to provide near-infrared optical energy at a relatively constant intensity.

13. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the sensing device is further configured to:

convert the received near-infrared optical energy to electrical energy; and

provide a signal indicative of the electrical energy to the processor.

14. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the baseline oxygenation level is an oxygenation level associated with the subject telling a truth.

15. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the subject conducted deception if the oxygenation level indicated by the received near-infrared optical energy is greater than the baseline oxygenation level.

16. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the near-infrared optical energy comprises a wavelength in the range of 700 to 900 nanometers, inclusive.

17. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the cortex of the brain comprises at least one of a dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and an inferior frontal cortex.

18. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the oxygenation level in the blood supply of the cortex is indicative of at least one of deoxygenated hemoglobin and oxygenated hemoglobin.

19. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for detecting deception, the computer-executable instructions for:

comparing an oxygenation level in a blood supply of a cortex of a brain of a subject as indicated by a received near-infrared optical energy with a baseline oxygenation level; and

if the oxygenation level indicated by the received near-infrared optical energy differs from the baseline oxygenation level, determining that the subject conducted deception.

20. The computer-readable medium in accordance with claim 19, wherein the near-infrared optical energy comprises a wavelength in the range of 700 to 900 nanometers, inclusive.

21. A method for querying an examinee, the method comprising:

establishing baseline neural responses for the examinee, the baseline neural responses comprising at least one known truthful response and at least one known false response;

asking the examinee a plurality of questions, wherein at least one of the plurality questions is repeated a plurality of times;

measuring a respective neural response of the examinee associated with the examinee'"'"'s response to each of the plurality of questions;

directly in response to a previous one of the plurality of questions, providing, to the examinee, a visual cue of an affirmation attestation, wherein the affirmation attestation is indicative of a query as to the truthfulness of the response, provided by the examinee, to the previous question;

measuring a neural response of the examinee associated with the examinee'"'"'s response to the cue of the attestation affirmation; and

comparing neural responses associated with the plurality of questions with the baseline neural responses to determine if the examinee at least one of conducted deception in response to a question or malingered in response to a question.

22. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the visual cue of an affirmation attestation comprises displayed text.

23. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the visual cue of an affirmation attestation comprises a displayed icon.

24. The method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the visual cue of an affirmation attestation comprises a light.

25. A computer readable storing medium comprising computer-executable instructions for querying an examinee by:

storing established baseline neural responses for the examinee, the baseline neural responses comprising at least one known truthful response and at least one known false response;

measuring a respective neural response of the examinee associated with the examinee'"'"'s response to each of a plurality of questions, wherein at least one of the plurality questions is repeated a plurality of times;

directly in response to a previous one of the plurality of questions, providing, to the examinee, a visual cue of an affirmation attestation, wherein the affirmation attestation is indicative of a query as to the truthfulness of the response, provided by the examinee, to the previous question;

measuring a neural response of the examinee associated with the examinee'"'"'s response to the cue of the attestation affirmation; and

comparing neural responses associated with the plurality of questions with the baseline neural responses to determine if the examinee at least one of conducted deception in response to a question or malingered in response to a question.