Color-based neurofeedback

• US 20030158495A1
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mark Bradford Hogan
• Original Assignee: Mark Bradford Hogan
• Inventors: Hogan, Mark Bradford
• Granted Patent: US 6,795,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/545
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/246 using evoked responses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/378 Visual stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/38 Acoustic or auditory stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head

Abstract

A neurofeedback technique uses color as its feedback cue. A preferred embodiment of the invention includes an amplifier that receives EEG signals from electrodes (e.g., adhesive electrodes, SQUID sensors, etc.) on or adjacent the person'"'"'s scalp, a low or band pass filter, a color processor and a display. The color processor converts an aspect of one or more channels of the person'"'"'s EEG signal(s) to a color and shows that color to the person on the display. The aspect of the EEG that is converted to color can be the frequency or the amplitude of the person'"'"'s EEG signal(s). If EEG amplitude is used in the conversion process, the instantaneous, average or peak amplitude can be used. This process is dynamic, meaning that the system repeatedly converts the EEG signal to color. Conventional adhesive electrodes or non-adhesive sensors can be used to detect the person'"'"'s brain activity.

Claims

1. A neurofeedback system, comprising:

an amplifier that receives EEG signals from a person;

a color processor coupled to said amplifier; and

a display unit coupled to said color processor;

wherein said color processor dynamically converts an EEG signal from said amplifier to a color and shows the color on said display unit to a person being monitored, said color being repeatedly generated by said color processor as the person is being monitored.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said display unit comprises a display having a single viewing screen.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said display unit comprises a pair of displays provided in head worn goggles.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said pair of displays is independently controllable by said color processor so that the same or different colors can be shown on the displays.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein a predetermined color is provided on one of said displays and the other display is provided with a color that is determined by said color processor based on the person'"'"'s EEG.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said color processor converts the frequency of the EEG signal to a color.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said color processor compares the frequency of the person'"'"'s EEG signal to a plurality of frequencies, each frequency having an associated color, and selects the color associated with the frequency to which the EEG frequency most closely matches.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said color processor compares the frequency of the person'"'"'s EEG signal to a plurality of frequency ranges, each range having an associated color, and selects the color associated with the frequency range to which the EEG frequency most closely matches.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said color processor converts the amplitude of the person'"'"'s EEG signal to a color.

10. The system of claim 9 further including a plurality of instantaneous amplitude values, each value having an associated color value, and wherein said color processor determines the instantaneous amplitude of the EEG signal and selects the color value most closely matching the EEG instantaneous amplitude.

11. The system of claim 9 further including a plurality of average amplitude values, each value having an associated color value, and wherein said color processor determines the average amplitude of the EEG signal and selects the color value most closely matching the EEG average amplitude.

12. The system of claim 9 farther including a plurality of peak amplitude values, each value having an associated color value, and wherein said color processor determines the peak amplitude of the EEG signal and selects the color value most closely matching the EEG peak amplitude.

13. The system of claim 1 further including non-adhesive sensors which detect the person'"'"'s EEG signal and provide the EEG signal to the amplifier.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the sensors comprise SQUID sensors.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising a speaker coupled to the color processor for providing audio feedback to the person.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the display is located in a separate room from the person and is viewable by the person via a series of mirrors.

17. A method of providing neurofeedback, comprising:

(a) amplifying an EEG signal;

(b) dynamically converting the EEG signal from said amplifier to a color value;

(c) selecting a color to be shown on a display as a result of the color value; and

(d) displaying said color to the person.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein (d) includes displaying said color on a display having a single viewing screen.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein (d) includes displaying said color on a display comprising a pair of displays.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein (d) includes displaying different colors each of said displays.

21. The method of claim 20 further including showing a predetermined color on one of said displays and providing the other display with a color that is determined based on the person'"'"'s EEG.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein (b) includes converting the frequency of the EEG signal to a color value.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein (b) includes comparing the frequency of the EEG signal to a plurality of frequencies, each of said plurality of frequencies having an associated color, and (c) includes selecting the color associated with the frequency to which the EEG frequency most closely matches.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein (b) includes comparing the frequency of the EEG signal to a plurality of ranges of frequencies, each of said plurality of frequencies having an associated color, and (c) includes selecting the color associated with the range to which the EEG'"'"'s frequency matches.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein (b) includes converting the amplitude of the EEG signal to a color value.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein (b) includes converting the instantaneous amplitude of the EEG signal to a color value.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein (b) includes converting the average amplitude of the EEG signal to a color value.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein (b) includes converting the peak amplitude of the EEG signal to a color value.

29. The method of claim 17 further comprising providing audio feedback signals to the person.

30. A neuro feedback system, comprising:

means for detecting the electrical activity associated with a person'"'"'s brain and generating an electrical signal indicative of said electrical activity;

an amplifier that receives the electrical signal from said means for detecting the electrical activity;

a display on which colors are provided to the person to provide neurofeedback information to the person;

means for dynamically converting an aspect of the person'"'"'s electrical signal to a color to be shown on said display.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said aspect includes the frequency of the person'"'"'s EEG signal.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein said aspect includes the amplitude of the person'"'"'s EEG signal.

33. The system of claim 30 wherein said aspect includes the instantaneous amplitude of the person'"'"'s EEG signal.

34. The system of claim 30 wherein said aspect includes the average amplitude of the person'"'"'s EEG.

35. The system of claim 32 wherein said aspect includes the peak amplitude of the person'"'"'s EEG signal.