Brain function decoding process and system

• US 20060084858A1
• Filed: 07/13/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donald H. Marks
• Original Assignee: Donald H. Marks
• Inventors: Marks, Donald H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• 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

Abstract

A method of interpreting cognitive response to a stimulus is disclosed. The method includes collecting baseline neural activity data from a subject absent a stimulus. Neural activity data is collected while the subject is being stimulated through exposure to a stimulus. A unique three-dimensional cognitive engram is then plotted representative of cerebral regions of stimulated neural activity caused by the stimulus. A novel graphical representation is plotted in three dimensions to indicate the brain region response unique to that stimulus.

Claims

1. A method of interpreting cognitive response to a stimulus comprising:

collecting baseline neural activity data of a subject absent said stimulus;

exposing said subject to said stimulus;

collecting stimulated neural activity data from said subject while said subject is exposed to said stimulus; and

plotting a unique three-dimensional cognitive engram representative of the stimulated neural activity caused by said stimulus.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

compiling said cognitive engram in a database containing a plurality of engrams.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said plurality of engrams is derived from a plurality of subjects exposed to said stimulus.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said plurality of engrams is derived from a plurality of stimuli that is different than said stimulus.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said stimulus is sensory.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said stimulus is viewing an image.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said stimulus is a verbal question of recall.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said stimulus is chemical.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said stimulus is drug administration.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising correlating said cognitive engram with a regimen of said drug administration.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said subject is a human.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said baseline data and said stimulated data are collected with a technique selected from the group consisting of:

magnetic resonance imaging, functional magnetic resonance imaging, computerized tomography, positron emission tomography, electroencephalogram, magnetic encephalogram, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said baseline data and said stimulated data are collected as a plurality of tomographic scans compiled as two-dimensional slices.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing image noise removal from said stimulated data prior to plotting said cognitive engram.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing an operation on said stimulated data prior to plotting said cognitive engram, said operation selected from the group consisting of:

correcting for subject movement artifact, reprocessing sequential images, blood oxygen level dependency consideration and statistical deformation modeling.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising harvesting subject movement artifact overlap data to increase the quantity of said stimulated data prior to plotting said cognitive engram.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said baseline data and said stimulated data are derived from functional magnetic resonance imaging.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said functional magnetic resonance imaging is correlated with data obtained from a technique selected from the group consisting of:

positron emission tomography and computerized tomography.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said baseline data and said stimulated data are derived from arterial spin labeling and dynamic susceptibility weighted contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said baseline and said stimulated data are derived from magnetization transfer and diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance imaging with whole brain tissue histogram analysis.

21. A graphical representation of cognitive activity comprising a three-dimensional plot matching of brain imaging scan data with a stimulus, said plot prepared absent input of stimulus encoding rules within a subject brain.

22. The graphical representation of claim 21 wherein said plot is unique to said stimulus and reproducible upon reintroducing said stimulus.

23. A method of questioning a subject comprising:

generating a graphical representation according to claim 21 for a known truth and a second graphical representation according to claim 21 for a known falsehood; and

generating a graphical representation according to claim 21 in response to a stimulus intended to elicit a true or false cognitive response in said subject.

24. A method of objectively measuring subject status comprising:

generating a graphical representation according to claim 21 from said subject and

comparing said graphical representation to a control.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein a subject'"'"'s state is selected from the group consisting of:

physiology, psychological disease state, response to a chemical stimulus, and a level of pain.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the subject'"'"'s state is response to a chemical stimulus, wherein said chemical stimulus is induced by administration of a drug selected from the group consisting of:

interferon, quinolones, neuroleptics, serotonin-active drugs, and alcohol.