Brain Impact Neuroscience: Tailor-made protocols to measure emotional responses

Scientific evidence as a consumer driver

Consumers have become increasingly informed and discerning about the benefits of the products they choose. “They expect scientific evidence. It has become a key purchasing driver, outweighing promises associated with a brand and its image,” explains Éloïse Gerardin Appelmans, PhD, CEO of Brain Impact Neuroscience.

In 2008, founder Arnaud Pêtre was among the first to introduce functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) into consumer research. Brain Impact leased sophisticated equipment worth approximately EUR 2 million, installed in hospitals and used outside medical examination hours — a pioneering approach. Today, the scale-up remains the only company in the world to use this cutting-edge technique for consumer research and has built a database containing billions of data points.

Unlike electroencephalography (EEG), which primarily measures electrical activity at the scalp, fMRI provides insights into brain activity, including in deeper structures. “Beyond the cortex, fMRI allows us to identify interactions between subcortical nuclei. We identify neural circuits that are constantly reconfiguring themselves and whose organization is continually evolving,” explains the scientist. During stimulation, variations in color intensity on screen reveal the brain regions responding to a given stimulus, reflecting changes in blood flow and energy consumption. Each fMRI scan generates several million dynamic data points, which are then collected and used to build analytical models.

A detailed reading of brain activity

The ability to interpret brain activity lies at the heart of Brain Impact Neuroscience’s value proposition, drawing on two complementary areas of expertise.

“When a client approaches us with a specific question, we design the most appropriate protocol based on the state of the art in the scientific literature.” Most of the team has experience in clinical research and is familiar with the methodologies involved, helping ensure the robustness of the results.

The second challenge is to interpret the data collected and cross-reference it with the wealth of information accumulated over the past two decades, as well as any relevant data provided by clients. This is where data scientists play a key role.

Study panels are selected according to each brief. In just one minute, functional MRI generates nearly 10 million brain measurements per participant. This exceptional volume of data enables Brain Impact to analyze neural responses in detail and develop AI-powered predictive models. “These cutting-edge technologies allow us to capture spontaneous brain activity at rest, without requiring participants to perform a specific task, and then observe how that activity changes following exposure to a fragrance,” the CEO explains.

Accelerating research

Professor Ron Kupers and Dr. Armin Heinecke serve on Brain Impact Neuroscience’s Scientific Advisory Board. Professor Kupers’ academic research focuses on the sensory brain, pain perception, and brain plasticity, while Dr. Heinecke specializes in MRI data analysis and interpretation methodologies. Professor Kupers works with the Brain Impact team to establish study protocols and subsequently reviews the final reports. Dr. Heinecke contributes his expertise in statistical modeling. Brain Impact also maintains close ties with academia, notably the Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain), where Éloïse Gerardin Appelmans is a research associate at the Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS) and defended her doctoral thesis.

The scale-up has attracted clients including IFF, Coty, and Clariant. Private-sector funding enables it to accelerate research and deliver results more quickly. “We combine technical expertise with rapid reporting. Some studies conducted for clients are published in specialist journals such as Frontiers in Neuroscience. Their findings can also be presented at conferences and scientific events,” [1] concludes Éloïse Gerardin Appelmans.