Method of testing the senses and cognition of subjects

• US 3,901,215 A
• Filed: 10/03/1973
• Issued: 08/26/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Erwin Roy John
• Original Assignee: Erwin Roy John
• Inventors: John, Erwin Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/403,155
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2R,2T,2Z,2.1B 351/17,30,35,36,39 179/1N
• US Class Current: 600/544
• 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 5/377 using evoked responses

Abstract

A patient who may be unable to cooperate is tested for auditory, visual and somatosensory perception and for various cognitive processes. The testing method involves selecting the conditions to be tested and, for each condition, establishing the patient'"'"''"'"'s evoked response at a base line condition and his evoked response at a changed condition, the difference being automatically statistically analyzed. The method employs a system which includes an electroencephalograph, programmed stimulators, a t test computer including an average response computer and a recorder.

Claims

1. The method of testing a subject'"'"''"'"'s ability to respond to different sensory stimuli, comprising the steps of attaching electrodes to the subject'"'"''"'"'s head, amplifying the subject'"'"''"'"'s brain waves, providing a controlled timed sequence of external evoking stimuli to the subject, averaging the amplified brain waves over a number of said evoking stimuli, the said stimuli comprising a base set of evoking stimuli retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto;

providing a conditional set of evoking stimuli and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto;

automatically computing whether there exists a statistically meaningful difference between the averaged evoked responses to the base and conditional measure set of stimuli, wherein the computational determination of the t test, and displaying the results of said determination.

2. The method of testing of claim 1 to test a subject'"'"''"'"'s audiometric ability wherein the base set is silence and the conditional set is a pure tone at a predetermined intensity.

3. The method of testing of claim 1 to test the subject'"'"''"'"'s visual ability wherein the base set is a transmission grid at one grid spacing and the conditional set is a second transmission grid at a different grid spacing.

4. The method of evaluating a subject'"'"''"'"'s perceptual ability comprising the steps of attaching electrodes to the subject'"'"''"'"'s head, amplifying the subject'"'"''"'"'s brain waves, providing a controlled timed sequence of external evoking stimuli to the subject, averaging the amplified brain waves over a number of said evoking stimuli, the said stimuli comprising base sets consisting of a repetition each of a first tone, a first sound pattern, a first color, and a first shape;

retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves to said first sets of stimuli;

providing a conditional set of stimuli consisting of a repetition each of a different tone, a different sound pattern, a different color and a different shape;

retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response to said different stimuli; and

automatically computing whether there exists a statistically meaningful difference between the averaged evoked responses to the base and conditional sets of stimuli and displaying the results of the determination.

5. The method of testing of claim 4 wherein the computational determination is the t test.

6. The method of Testing of claim 4 to test the subject'"'"''"'"'s perception of order, wherein an additional base set is an ordered and repetitive set of stimuli in a first pattern and an additional conditional set is an ordered and repetitive set of stimuli in a second and different pattern, including the case in which the second set is randomly ordered.

7. The method of evaluating a subject'"'"''"'"'s cognitive ability, comprising the steps of attaching electrodes to the subject'"'"''"'"'s head, providing a controlled and timed sequence of external stimuli to the subject, amplifying the subject'"'"''"'"'s brain waves, averaging the amplified brain waves over the number of said evoking stimuli, the said stimuli comprising a base set of stimuli which are associated events which are regular in order or relationship and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto;

providing a first conditional set of evoking stimuli consisting of unassociated events which are random in order and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto; and

automatically computing whether there exists a statistically meaningful difference between the averaged evoked responses to the base and conditional sets of stimuli to provide an indication of the subject'"'"''"'"'s ability to assimilate, recall and recognize stimuli, wherein the computational determination is the t test, and displaying the results of said computation.

8. The method of evaluating a subject'"'"''"'"'s cognitive ability, comprising the steps of attaching electrodes to the subject'"'"''"'"'s head, providing a controlled and timed sequence of external stimuli to the subject, amplifying the subject'"'"''"'"'s brain waves, averaging the amplified brain waves over the number of said evoking stimuli, the said stimuli comprising a base set of stimuli which are associated events which are regular in order or relationship and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto;

providing a first conditional set of evoking stimuli consisting of unassociated events which are random in order and retaining, in a computer means, the averaged evoked brain waves in response thereto; and

automatically computing whether there exists a statistically meaningful difference between the averaged evoked responses to the base and conditional sets of stimuli to provide an indication of the subject'"'"''"'"'s ability to assimilate, recall and recognize stimuli, and displaying the results of said computation, wherein to test the subject'"'"''"'"'s cognitive ability of assimilation said base set of expected events is an ordered and repetitive set of stimuli and said conditional set to provide the absence of expected events is a similar set of stimuli but with certain of the stimuli of the first set ommitted.