Method for estimating the level of the intellectual functions or the psychomotor potential of a person

• US 5,695,343 A
• Filed: 11/28/1995
• Issued: 12/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Artin-Pascal Jabourian
• Original Assignee: Artin-Pascal Jabourian
• Inventors: Jabourian, Artin-Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROVNAK, JOHN EDMUND
• Application Number:
  US08/563,534
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 434/236, 434/237
• US Class Current: 434/236
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1104 induced by stimuli or drugs; A61B5/1102 takes precedence; investigating medicinal preparations G01N33/15
• 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 5/4088 Diagnosing of monitoring cognitive diseases, e.g. Alzheimer, prion diseases or dementia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4523 Tendons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6828 Leg
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle

Abstract

A method diagnoses cognitive impairment in an individual, otherwise free of neurological lesions or orthopedic difficulties of the lower limbs. Preliminarily, a reference group of persons is subjected to at least one physical test, requiring an observed walk along a path of predetermined length, and a plurality of psychometric tests indicative of cognitive function-for establishing a database of the relations between the psychometric test and the physical test for each person of the group. After establishment of the database, the individual undergoing diagnosis is subjected to the same physical test as given to the persons of the group. The results are compared solely on the basis of the physical test of the individual relative to the database, for deducing the individual'"'"'s likely corresponding psychometric test result.

Claims

1. A method for diagnosing cognitive impairment in an individual that is free of neurological lesions or orthopedic difficulties of the lower limbs, comprising the steps:

preliminarily subjecting a reference group of persons to at least one physical test including a predetermined measured physical movement on foot and at least one psychometric test indicative of cognitive function for establishing a database of the relations between the psychometric test and the physical test for each person of the group;

subjecting the individual undergoing diagnosis to the same measured physical test as given to the persons of the group; and

comparing the results of solely the physical test of the individual to the database for deducing the individual'"'"'s likely corresponding psychometric test result.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 further comprising the establishment of a behavior table from the database, listing various behavioral difficulties as a function of psychometric test score, the table listing at least two of the following difficulties:

profound dementia, severe dementia, simple dementia, intellectual decline, and lack of intellectual decline; and

classifying the individual'"'"'s behavioral difficulty on the basis of the individual'"'"'s likely corresponding psychometric test result.

3. Method according to claim 2, in which the said psychometric tests comprise cognitive tests and projective tests which investigate the emotional and affective domain of the individual.

4. Method according to claim 2, in which at least the time taken to travel the path is recorded during the walking test.

5. The method set forth in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

establishing a standard deviation and an average for the physical test in the database;

in the event the physical test of the individual undergoing diagnosis exceeds 1.5 standard deviations higher than the average; and

if the database indicates that the individual is likely to have cognitive impairment;

concluding that the cognitive impairment has an extracerebral organic cause.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the extracerebral organic cause is a cardiopathy.

7. Method according to claim 5, wherein the extracerebral organic cause is a cardiac arrhythmia.

8. A method for diagnosing cognitive impairment in an individual that is free of neurological lesions or orthopedic difficulties of the lower limbs, comprising the steps:

preliminarily subjecting a reference group of persons to at least one measured physical test requiring an observed walk along a path of predetermined length and a plurality of psychometric tests indicative of cognitive function for establishing a database of the relations between the psychometric test and the physical test for each person of the group;

subjecting the individual undergoing diagnosis to the same measured physical test as given to the persons of the group; and

comparing the results of solely the physical test of the individual to the database for deducing the individual'"'"'s likely corresponding psychometric test result.

9. The method set forth in claim 8 wherein a majority of group persons as well the individual are over 60 years of age;

and

further wherein the individual and each person of the group are free of cardiopathy.

10. The method set forth in claim 8 further comprising the step of subjecting the persons of the group to a predetermined additional physical test;

recording data in the database, from muscular tension sensors mounted on at least one of the following body parts of each of the persons of the group-neck, arm, back, legs, and cervical rachis, in order to obtain information regarding posture and balance;

mounting similar sensors to the individual undergoing diagnosis to obtain corresponding data;

comparing the results of solely the physical tests of the individual to the database for deducing the individual'"'"'s likely corresponding psychometric test result.

11. The method set forth in claim 8 wherein the observed walk is accompanied by recordal of the following information:

time for completion, number of steps taken, speed, and size of steps.

12. The method set forth in claim 8 wherein the database includes data relating to the sex of persons of the group;

and further wherein comparing the results is additionally a function of the sex of the individual.