METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USE IN MONITORING NEURAL ACTIVITY IN A SUBJECT'S BRAIN

• US 20140148657A1
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Medical Research, Infrastructure And Health Services Fund Of The Tel Aviv Medical Center
• Original Assignee: Ramot at Tel Aviv University Limited (Tel Aviv University), The Medical Research, Infrastructure And Health Services Fund Of The Tel Aviv Medical Center
• Inventors: Hendler, Talma, Intrator, Nathan, Klovatch, IIana, Kinreih, Sivan, Meir-Hasson, Yehudit
• Granted Patent: US 10,893,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0042 for the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0095 by applying light and detecting acoustic waves, i.e. photoacoustic measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0261 using optical means, e.g. infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/245 specially adapted for magnetoencephalographic [MEG] signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/375 using biofeedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/501 for diagnosis of the head, e.g. neuroimaging or craniography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0808 for diagnosis of the brain
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/46 NMR spectroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4806 Functional imaging of brain activation

Abstract

A system and method are presented for use in monitoring brain activity of a subject. The system comprises a control unit which comprises: a data input utility for receiving measured data comprising data corresponding to signals measured during a certain time period and being indicative of a subject'"'"'s brain activity originated from locations in the subject'"'"'s brain during said certain time period, and a processor utility which is configured and operable for processing the measured data and generating data indicative thereof in the form of a multi-parameter function presenting a relation between frequency and time data of the measured signals and for analyzing said relation and identifying a subject-related signature corresponding to the subject'"'"'s brain neural activity.

Claims

1. A system for use in monitoring brain activity of a subject, the system comprising a control unit comprising:

a data input utility for receiving measured data comprising data corresponding to signals measured during a certain time period and being indicative of a subject'"'"'s brain activity originated from the subject'"'"'s brain during said certain time period, wherein said measured data is temporal and spatial data having one of the following configurations;

(a) comprising first temporal data being time and frequency function of said signals measured by a first measurement unit, and second spatial data for multiple locations within the brain provided by a second measurement unit with respect to the signals measured by the first measurement unit and (b) comprising first temporal data and second spatial data of said signals measured by the first measurement unit from multiple locations within the brain; and

a processor utility which is configured and operable for processing the measured data and generating data indicative thereof in the form of a multi-parameter function presenting a relation between frequency and time data of said signals measured by the first measurement unit for at least a selected set of locations from the multiple locations within the brain, and for analyzing said relation and identifying a subject-related signature corresponding to the subject'"'"'s brain neural activity, said signature therefore corresponding to high spatial resolution of the signals measured by the first measurement unit, enabling use of said signature for further interpretation of a brain functional state of said subject by using the first measured data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the measured data comprises electrical data measured on multiple electrodes at the multiple locations of a subject'"'"'s scalp.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first measured data comprises electrical data measured on one or more electrodes at one or more locations of a subject'"'"'s scalp, and the second measured data being image data indicative of spatial scan of the multiple locations in a subject'"'"'s brain;

the processor utility being configured and operable for using said image data for improving spatial resolution of the first measured data and generate said signature.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the electrical data is EEG data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said data input utility is connectable to at least one of the following:

an output of a storage device where said measured data is stored; and

an output of a measurement device for collecting said measured data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured for controlling simultaneous operation of the first and second measurement units and for receiving and analyzing the first and second measured data to identify the signature indicative of a spatial neural activation of one or more regions in the subject brain, thereby enabling use of said signature for further interpretation of a brain functional state of said subject by using measured data provided by the first measurement unit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said control unit is configured and operable to identify said signature by optimization of value of one or more parameters of at least one predetermined model;

said parameters being selected from at least one of;

providing a set of measurement locations from which a part of said first measured data is measured;

determining time points of measurements of said signals;

processing the first and second measured data to determine spectral data and a relation between one or more frequency bands in the spectral data with the measurement location data to obtain inference of the frequency bands related to neural activation of one or more regions in the brain.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a non-invasive physiological measuring device, for independently measuring at least one physiological property of the subject being of a kind changing in response to neural activity in one or more regions of the brain;

the control unit being further configured for receiving the measured physiological response and ensuring that the signature found reliably indicates neural activity at the corresponding region, via comparison of the measured physiological response to a previously determined physiological response associated with neural activity of the corresponding region.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured and operable for creating a database of signatures, the signatures being classified according to at least one of the following:

subject'"'"'s population, and brain states.

2. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said data input utility is connectable to a measurement device for collecting said measured data, wherein the measurement device comprises:

the first measurement unit comprising an EEG electrodes'"'"' arrangement configured for placing on a scalp of a subject and detecting said signals being electrical signals originated by neural activity of a subject'"'"'s brain, and for generating the first measured data including EEG data indicative thereof;

the second measurement unit comprising a spatial scanner configured for scanning the subject'"'"'s brain and identifying one or more regions of neural activity in the subject'"'"'s brain and an activity level of said one or more regions corresponding to individual functions of the brain, and generating the second measured data being a spatial scan data;

the control unit is configured for controlling simultaneous operation of the EEG electrodes'"'"' arrangement and the spatial scanner, and for receiving and analyzing the EEG data and the spatial scan data, to generate an EEG signature indicative of a spatial neural activation of one or more regions in the subject brain, thereby enabling use of said signature for further interpretation of a brain functional state of said subject by using the EEG data.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the spatial scanner comprises at least one of:

a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner;

a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner;

a magneto encephalographic (MEG) scanner;

hemoencephalography (HEG) scanner;

magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRS);

positron emission tomography (PET);

X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging device;

single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging device; and

a scanner based on ultrasound tagging of light or photoacoustic imaging.

14-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method for use in monitoring neural activity of a subject'"'"'s brain, the method comprising:

providing measured data comprising data corresponding to signals measured on in the subject'"'"'s brain during a certain time period and being indicative of a subject'"'"'s brain activity, said measured data being temporal and spatial data having one of the following configurations;

(a) comprising first temporal data being time and frequency function of said signals measured by a first measurement unit, and second spatial data for multiple locations within the brain provided by a second measurement unit with respect to the signals measured by the first measurement unit and (b) comprising first temporal data and second spatial data of said signals measured by the first measurement unit from multiple locations within the brain;

processing the measured data and generating data indicative thereof in the form of a multi-parameter function presenting a relation between frequency and time data of the signals measured by the first measurement unit for at least a selected set of locations from the multiple locations within the brain; and

analyzing said relation and identifying a subject-related signature corresponding to the subject'"'"'s brain neural activity, said signature therefore corresponding to high spatial resolution of the signals measured by the first measurement unit, enabling use of said signature for further interpretation of a brain functional state of said subject by using measured data provided by the first measurement unit.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising recording signature related data to be further used for interpretation of a brain functional state of the subject or for neural feedback.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the recorded signature related data comprises one or more of the subject'"'"'s signatures, and data indicative of one or more of the subject'"'"'s brain states corresponding to the signatures.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the measured data comprises the first and second measured data being collected simultaneously, the first measured data including one or more measurements of electrical activity obtained from one or more locations on the subject'"'"'s scalp by the first measurement unit and the second measured data obtained by the second measurement unit and comprising image data in the form of spatial scan data from multiple locations in the brain, said analyzing comprising using the spatial scan data for associating the electrode location with a corresponding location in the brain from which the signal measured by said electrode is originated.

24. The method of claim 17, comprising applying certain one or more stimuli to the subject such that the measured data corresponds to the subject'"'"'s brain response to said one or more stimuli.

26. The method of claim 17, comprising:

determining and recording, for each of the brain states, the corresponding one or more signatures.

27. The method of claim 17, comprising performing said measurements and analysis on a plurality of subjects and creating a database of signatures.

31. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

developing a feedback protocol for training a specific subject for a certain stimulus, by identifying a modulation of at least one parameter of the signature, while under the application of the certain stimulus, corresponding to a functional state of the subject'"'"'s brain at which one or more regions from which the measure signals are originated are at a desired activity level, and using the identified signature to select temporal signals indicative of said functional state.

32. The method of claim 17, further comprising performing an independent non-invasive measurement of at least one physiological property of the subject, said at least one physiological property being of a kind changing in response to neural activity in the one or more regions of the brain.

20-21. -21. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

28-30. -30. (canceled)

33-36. -36. (canceled)

37. A method for use in performing neurofeedback, comprising:

providing a predetermined EEG signature corresponding to a certain stimulus, said predetermined EEG signature being indicative of a spatial neural activation of one or more regions in a subject brain corresponding to individual functions of the brain while under said certain stimulus and thus corresponding to a predicted certain activity state related to a given stimulus;

applying said stimulus to a subject to activate said one or more brain regions; and

performing EEG measurements on the subject'"'"'s brain for a controlled time period while under the application of the certain stimulus, and generating EEG data thereof;

processing said EEG data using said predetermined EEG signature to identify one or more parameters indicative of neural activation of said one or more regions by said given stimulus, and selecting from the EEG data EEG signals related to said neural activation.

38. The method of claim 37, comprising:

extracting a modulation of limbic activity from the EEG signals, comparing the extracted modulation of limbic activity to a desired modulation of limbic activity corresponding to said predicted certain activity state; and

determining a degree of correlation between the modulation of limbic activity and the desired modulation of limbic activity, enabling to determine a psychological evaluation of said subject.

39. The method of claim 37, comprising:

extracting a modulation of limbic activity from the EEG signals, comparing the extracted modulation of limbic activity to a desired modulation of limbic activity corresponding to said predicted certain activity state; and

determining a degree of correlation between the modulation of limbic activity and the desired modulation of limbic activity, enabling to determine a psychological evaluation of said subject.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising, after conveying a message indicating failure to the subject, repeating the EEG measurement on the subject while under the application of said stimulus and processing the EEG data.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein said providing of the predetermined EEG signature comprises providing an EEG limbic modulation index indicative of the modulation of the limbic activity.

44. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

simultaneously with performing the EEG scan;

measuring a physiological property of the subject; and

after extracting the modulation;

using a predetermined signature-to-region map to identify the active region in the subject'"'"'s brain; and

validating the determined regions, by comparing the measured physiological property with a predetermined physiological property associated with neural activity in the identified region.

41. (canceled)

43. (canceled)

45. A system for use in performing neurofeedback, comprising:

an EEG measurement unit configured for placing on a scalp of a subject and for detecting electrical signals originated by neural activity of a subject'"'"'s brain, and generating EEG data thereof;

a control unit comprising;

a memory utility for storage of a predetermined EEG signature indicative of spatial neural activation of one or more regions in a subject brain corresponding to individual functions of the brain, said EEG signature corresponding to a predicted response of subject'"'"'s brain activity to at least one certain stimulus; and

a data processor configured and operable for receiving the EEG data and for processing said EEG data utilizing stored data about said predetermined EEG signature to identify one or more parameters corresponding to neural activation of one or more region for a given stimulus applied to a specific subject during the EEG measurements.