HUMAN MEMORY CHUNK CAPACITY TEST
First Claim
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1. A method for testing the brain activity of a test taker, comprising:
- (a) providing a system selected from the group consisting of a single computational device and multiple computational devices, said system having input, output, and storage mechanisms,(b) selecting an item set that has a property selected from the group consisting of high homogeneity, low homogeneity, high chunkiness, and low chunkiness,(c) using said system to store said item set,(d) presenting a subset of items from said item set to said test taker,(e) storing said subset of items,(f) requesting said test taker to respond with a response selected from the group consisting of recalling said subset of items and recognizing said subset of items,(g) storing said response and timings of said response,(h) repeating steps (d)-(g) N times where N is selected from the group consisting of no times, one time, two times, and several times,whereby said test taker is tested with an item set with said property.
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Abstract
Several methods are used to better define and optimize item sets for short-term memory tests with respect to chunkiness and homogeneity, including dynamically changing the test item set to make it have as few chunkable items as possible. A resulting item set allows the test taker to see in an intuitive way how her or his memory has a limited capacity of, typically, three non-chunkable items. The test can be done, inter alia, via computer, via the telephone, and via robocalling. It can, inter alia, provide mass screening for Alzheimer'"'"'s disease and detect early Alzheimer'"'"'s disease in drug trials.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for testing the brain activity of a test taker, comprising:
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(a) providing a system selected from the group consisting of a single computational device and multiple computational devices, said system having input, output, and storage mechanisms, (b) selecting an item set that has a property selected from the group consisting of high homogeneity, low homogeneity, high chunkiness, and low chunkiness, (c) using said system to store said item set, (d) presenting a subset of items from said item set to said test taker, (e) storing said subset of items, (f) requesting said test taker to respond with a response selected from the group consisting of recalling said subset of items and recognizing said subset of items, (g) storing said response and timings of said response, (h) repeating steps (d)-(g) N times where N is selected from the group consisting of no times, one time, two times, and several times, whereby said test taker is tested with an item set with said property. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An inexpensive method for testing brain activity of a test taker selected from the group consisting of one human subject and multiple human subjects comprising:
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(a) providing a system selected from the group consisting of a single computational device and multiple computational devices, said system having input, output, phone calling and storage mechanisms, (b) using said system to store an item set, (c) initiating a phone call by a first entity selected from the group consisting of said system, said test taker, a researcher using said test taker as a subject, a medical provider caring for said test taker, and a psychological provider caring for said test taker, (d) using said system to present a subset of items from said item set via said phone call to said test taker, (e) requesting said test taker to respond with a response selected from the group consisting of recalling said subset of items as having been just presented and recognizing said subset of items as having been just presented, (f) storing said response and timings of said response, (g) repeating step (d)-(f) N times where N is selected from the group consisting of no times, one time, two times, and several times, whereby said response and said timings of said response by said test taker are stored via said phone call. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for testing brain activity of a test taker, comprising:
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(a) providing a system selected from the group consisting of a single computational device and multiple computational devices, said system having input, output, and storage mechanisms for storing an item set, (b) using said system to present N items from said item set to said test taker, (c) storing said N items, (d) requesting said test taker to respond with a response selected from the group consisting of recalling said N items and recognizing said N items, (e) storing said response and timings of said response, (f) repeating steps (b)-(e) W times where W is selected from the group consisting of no times, one time, two times, and several times, (g) repeating steps (b)-(f) with N=N+1, whereby the properties of said response are stored for N items and for N+1 items. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for more efficiently testing brain activity of a test taker by using a non-trivial dynamical set change rule comprising:
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(a) providing a system selected from the group consisting of a single computational device and multiple computational devices, said system having input, output, and storage mechanisms for storing an item set, (b) presenting an item from said item set to said test taker, (c) changing said item set using a non-trivial dynamical set change rule selected from the group consisting of remove items, substitute items, and add items, whereby said item set is changed to obtain a preferred property selected from the group consisting of increased homogeneity, decreased homogeneity, increased chunkiness and decreased chunkiness. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A method for systematically improving a test item set and a set of dynamical set change rules for testing the brain activity of a test taker selected from the group consisting of one human subject and multiple human subjects comprising:
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(a) providing a system selected from the group consisting of a single computational device and multiple computational devices, said system having input, output, and storage mechanisms, (b) using said system for storing a first item set and a first set of dynamical set change rules, (c) presenting a subset of items from said first item set to said test taker using said first set of dynamical set change rules, (d) storing said subset of items from said first item set, (e) requesting said test taker to respond with a first response selected from the group consisting of recalling said subset of items and recognizing said subset of items, (f) storing said first response and timings of said first response, (g) repeating steps (c)-(f) X times where X is selected from the group consisting of no times, one time, two times, and several times, (h) constructing a second item set by varying said first item set by a method selected from the group consisting of substituting items, adding items, and deleting items, (i) constructing a second set of dynamical set change rules by varying said first set of dynamical set change rules by a method selected from the group consisting of substituting dynamical set change rules, adding dynamical set change rules, and deleting dynamical set change rules, (j) storing said second item set and said second set of dynamical set change rules, (k) presenting a subset of items from said second item set to said test taker using said second set of dynamical set change rules, (l) storing said subset of items from said second item set, (m) requesting said test taker to respond with a second response selected from the group consisting of recalling said subset of items from said second item set and recognizing said subset of items from said second item set, (n) storing said second response and timings of said second response, (o) repeating steps (k)-(n) Y times where Y is selected from the group consisting of no times, one time, two times, and several times, (p) selecting from the combination of said first item set and said first set of dynamical set change rules and the combination of said second item set and said second set of dynamical set change rules a preferred combination of an item set and a set of dynamical set change rules with a preferred property selected from the group consisting of increased homogeneity, decreased homogeneity, increased chunkiness and decreased chunkiness, (q) substituting said preferred item set and said preferred set of dynamical set change rules for said first item set and said first set of dynamical set change rules, (r) repeating steps (b)-(q) Z times where Z is selected from the group consisting of no times, one time, two times, and several times, whereby said first item set and said first set of dynamical set change rules obtains said preferred property. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification