System and Method for Dynamic Cognitive Training

• US 20150126899A1
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sync Think, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sync Think, Inc.
• Inventors: Ghajar, Jamshid, Rajashekar, Umesh
• Granted Patent: US 9,721,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/558
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/162 Testing reaction times
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4088 Diagnosing of monitoring cognitive diseases, e.g. Alzheimer, prion diseases or dementia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4842 Monitoring progression or stage of a disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip

Abstract

A method of visual cognitive training is performed at a device with a display. The method includes sequentially displaying a plurality of visual stimuli in a first region of a subject'"'"'s field of view. While sequentially displaying the plurality of visual stimuli, the device moves the first region periodically along a predefined path within the subject'"'"'s field of view. The device prompts the subject to respond to a task associated with the sequential display of the plurality of visual stimuli. The device receives a response to the task associated with the sequential display of the plurality of visual stimuli and records information corresponding to the subject'"'"'s response to the task associated with the sequential display of the plurality of visual stimuli.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of visual cognitive training, comprising:

sequentially displaying a plurality of visual stimuli in a first region of a subject'"'"'s field of view;

while sequentially displaying the plurality of visual stimuli, moving the first region periodically along a predefined path within the subject'"'"'s field of view;

prompting the subject to respond to a task associated with the sequential display of the plurality of visual stimuli;

receiving one or more responses to the task associated with the sequential display of the plurality of visual stimuli; and

recording information corresponding to the subject'"'"'s one or more responses to the task.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the first region periodically along the predefined path further comprises moving the first region at a speed that is less than a foveating threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the visual stimuli are displayed on a display of a personal computing device; and

receiving the one or more responses to the task includes receiving one or more user inputs on the personal computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying, moving, and prompting operations comprise a cognitive training game.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the cognitive training game is an n-back game; and

prompting the subject to respond to the task includes prompting the subject to identify when a respective visual stimulus corresponds to a previous visual stimulus that occurred a predetermined number of visual stimuli prior to the respective visual stimulus, the predetermined number comprising a load factor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein recording the information corresponding to the subject'"'"'s one or more responses includes recording one or more of:

a number of correct responses;

a number of incorrect responses;

a number of correct rejections; and

a number of incorrect rejections.

7. The method of claim 4, further including repeating the cognitive training game while varying one or more difficulty parameters associated with the game.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the difficulty parameters include one or more of:

a load factor, a duration of time for which a respective stimulus in the plurality of stimuli is displayed, and a speed of the movement of the first region.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein:

two or more of the plurality of stimuli include a displayed first circle and a displayed second circle that is concentric with the first circle;

in each subsequent stimulus of the two or more stimuli, a size of the first circle is changed relative to a size of the second circle such as to reduce a difference in the size of the first circle and the size of the second circle; and

prompting the subject to respond to the task includes prompting the subject to predict a time when the size of the first circle and the size of the second circle would be equal.

10. The method of claim 9, further including, prior to the time when the size of the first circle and the size of the second circle would be equal, presenting at least one stimulus in which display of the first circle has been discontinued.

11. The method of claim 1, further including:

using the recorded information, calculating a current performance index for the subject; and

comparing the current performance index to a baseline performance index for the subject as a diagnostic to measure the effects any of;

a traumatic brain injury, intoxication, dementia, and fatigue.

12. A system for visual cognitive training, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs stored in the memory, the one or more programs comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the system to;

sequentially display a plurality of visual stimuli in a first region of a subject'"'"'s field of view;

while sequentially displaying the plurality of visual stimuli, move the first region periodically along a predefined path within the subject'"'"'s field of view;

prompt the subject to respond to a task associated with the sequential display of the plurality of visual stimuli;

receive one or more responses to the task associated with the sequential display of the plurality of visual stimuli; and

record information corresponding to the subject'"'"'s one or more responses to the task.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions cause the first region to move at a speed that is less than a foveating threshold.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the system includes a personal computing device with a display;

the visual stimuli are displayed on the display; and

the instructions for receiving the one or more responses to the task include instructions for receiving one or more user inputs on the personal computing device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions for the displaying, moving, and prompting comprise instructions for a cognitive training game.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the cognitive training game is an n-back game; and

the instructions for prompting the subject to respond to the task include instructions for prompting the subject to identify when a respective visual stimulus corresponds to a previous visual stimulus that occurred a predetermined number of visual stimuli prior to the respective visual stimulus, the predetermined number comprising a load factor.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions for recording the information corresponding to the subject'"'"'s one or more responses include instructions for recording one or more of:

a number of correct responses;

a number of incorrect responses;

a number of correct rejections; and

a number of incorrect rejections.

18. The system of claim 15, further including instructions that cause the system to repeat the cognitive training game while varying one or more difficulty parameters associated with the game.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the difficulty parameters include one or more of:

a load factor, a duration of time for which a respective stimulus in the plurality of stimuli is displayed, and a speed of the movement of the first region.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein:

two or more of the plurality of stimuli include a displayed first circle and a displayed second circle that is concentric with the first circle;

in each subsequent stimulus of the two or more stimuli, a size of the first circle is changed relative to a size of the second circle such as to reduce a difference in the size of the first circle and the size of the second circle; and

the instructions for prompting the subject to respond to the task include instructions for prompting the subject to predict a time when the size of the first circle and the size of the second circle would be equal.

21. The system of claim 20, further including instructions that, prior to the time when the size of the first circle and the size of the second circle would be equal, cause the system to present at least one stimulus in which display of the first circle has been discontinued.

22. The system of claim 12, further including instructions that cause the system to:

using the recorded information, calculate a current performance index for the subject; and

compare the current performance index to a baseline performance index for the subject as a diagnostic to measure the effects any of;

a traumatic brain injury, intoxication, dementia, and fatigue.

23. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic system cause the system to:

sequentially display a plurality of visual stimuli in a first region of a subject'"'"'s field of view;

while sequentially displaying the plurality of visual stimuli, move the first region periodically along a predefined path within the subject'"'"'s field of view;

prompt the subject to respond to a task associated with the sequential display of the plurality of visual stimuli;

receive one or more responses to the task associated with the sequential display of the plurality of visual stimuli; and

record information corresponding to the subject'"'"'s one or more responses to the task.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions cause the first region to move at a speed that is less than a foveating threshold.