JP6477280B2 - Cognitive brain activity measurement system and cognitive brain activity measurement method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cognitive brain activity measurement system and a cognitive brain activity measurement method, and more particularly, to a cognitive brain activity measurement system and a cognitive brain activity measurement method for measuring a subject's brain activity during execution of a cognitive task.

  Conventionally, a measurement system that measures a subject's brain activity during execution of a cognitive task is known. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  Patent Document 1 discloses a measurement system including a display for presenting a problem, an input device for inputting a subject's response to the presented problem, a storage unit for recording an input result, and a brain activity measuring device. Has been.

  In the measurement of brain activity, a rest period (rest period) and a task period (task period) are alternately provided, and after the rest period, task presentation and response by the subject are performed in the task period. When a plurality of tasks are presented within the task period, the task presentation time interval is usually set to a constant value. Since there are individual differences in the time required for response, the time interval for task presentation is set on the basis of subjects with slow responses so that subjects who take time to respond will not be in time for responses.

JP2013-146410A

  However, when presenting tasks at regular time intervals, there is a problem that individual differences occur in the load on the cognitive function caused by tasks due to individual differences among subjects. In other words, a subject with a quick response will wait until the next task is presented after responding to the task, so the load varies during the task period and the load is reduced compared to a subject with a slow response. . Brain activity measurement is performed under the condition that the load on the cognitive function in each of the task period and rest period is made uniform, so that it is compared with other subjects and diagnostic criteria, etc., so that the load on each subject is uniform This is very important.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and one object of the present invention is that the cognitive function load caused by the problems varies due to individual differences in the speed of response. It is to provide a cognitive brain activity measuring system and a cognitive brain activity measuring method capable of suppressing the above.

To achieve the above object, a cognitive brain activity measurement system according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a presenter for presenting a task, a recognition unit for recognizing a subject's response to the presented task, and recognition by the recognition unit. A recording unit for recording the result, a presentation control unit for controlling the presenter to present the next task based on the output of the recognition result of the recognition unit, and the subject's brain accompanying the task presentation and the response to the task A brain activity measuring unit that measures the activity, the brain activity measuring unit measures a temporal change in the brain activity of the subject, records the output timing of the recognition result of the recognition unit together with the measurement result of the brain activity , In the measurement result, the output timing is displayed on the display unit in an identifiable manner.

In the cognitive brain activity measurement system according to the first aspect of the present invention, as described above, the recognition unit for recognizing the response of the subject to the presented task, and the recognition result of the recognition unit are output, A presentation control unit for controlling the presenter so as to present the above problem. Thus, when the subject's response to the presented task is automatically recognized and the recognition unit outputs the recognition result (that is, when the subject responds), the next task can be presented quickly. As a result, it is possible to give the subject a load due to the task at the same timing after the response is made without depending on individual differences in response speed. Thereby, according to this invention, it can suppress that the load on the cognitive function which arises by the subject resulting from the individual difference of the speed of response varies. As a result, variation in cognitive function load in each of the task period and rest period is suppressed, making it possible to facilitate data analysis such as measurement results of other subjects and comparison with diagnostic criteria. Become. Further, even when the response timing (recognition result output timing) varies due to individual differences in the response speed of the subject to the task, it is possible to grasp the response timing for each subject in the brain activity measurement result data. As a result, data analysis can be further facilitated while suppressing variations in load due to problems.

  In the cognitive brain activity measurement system according to the first aspect, preferably, the presentation control unit performs the following task when a predetermined time has elapsed from the output timing of the recognition result so that a load on the cognitive function can be continuously given to the subject. Control to be presented. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress a fluctuation in the load given to the subject due to a waiting time between individual task presentations in the middle of the task period, and a predetermined load can be stably given during the task period. Can be continued. As a result, it is possible to suppress variations in load due to individual differences, and to suppress fluctuations in load during individual task periods. In the present invention, the “predetermined time during which the load on the cognitive function can be continuously given to the subject” is a time interval that does not give the subject a break (waiting time) between the task and the next task, for example, The time interval is about 1 second to 2 seconds.

  In the cognitive brain activity measurement system according to the first aspect described above, preferably, the task is a task accompanied by a motion of the subject's body in response, and the recognition unit includes a motion detection unit that detects the motion of the subject in a non-contact manner. Including. If comprised in this way, the response by a test subject's gesture (gesture) can be detected. Here, for example, responses due to utterances (utterances) are likely to be affected by linguistic and cultural differences between subjects, but gestures are less affected by linguistic and cultural differences, so individual differences are further suppressed. can do. Cognitive brain activity is mainly measured for the frontal lobe, which is responsible for cognitive functions, but the response by utterance (utterance) may activate the frontal lobe due to the response action itself. It may be difficult to measure only. On the other hand, in the case of the response by the body movement, the motor area different from the measurement target (frontal lobe) is mainly activated, so it is easy to separate the influence of the change in the brain activity due to the response movement itself. There are benefits.

  In the cognitive brain activity measurement system according to the first aspect described above, preferably, the brain activity measurement unit irradiates the subject's head with measurement light via the measurement probe, and uses the measurement light that has passed through the subject's head as the measurement probe. Including an optical measurement device that receives light via If comprised in this way, the measurement result of the brain activity over the wide range of the brain area | region made into a measurement object can be obtained non-invasively and easily.

The cognitive brain activity measuring method according to the second aspect of the present invention includes a step of presenting a task, a step of recognizing a subject's response to the presented task, a step of recording a recognition result of the subject's response, and a recognition result A step of presenting the next task based on the output of the subject, and a step of measuring the brain activity of the subject accompanying the task presentation and the response to the task. In the step of measuring the brain activity, While measuring the time change of the activity, the output timing of the recognition result is recorded together with the measurement result of the brain activity , and the output timing in the measurement result is displayed on the display unit in an identifiable manner.

In the cognitive brain activity measuring method according to the second aspect of the present invention, as described above, the step of recognizing the response of the subject to the presented task and the next task is presented based on the output of the recognition result. Providing a step. Thereby, when the subject's response to the presented task is recognized and the recognition result is output (that is, when the subject responds), the next task can be presented promptly. As a result, it is possible to give the subject a load due to the task at the same timing after the response is made without depending on individual differences in response speed. Thereby, according to this invention, it can suppress that the load on the cognitive function which arises by the subject resulting from the individual difference of the speed of response varies. As a result, variation in cognitive function load in each of the task period and rest period is suppressed, making it possible to facilitate data analysis such as measurement results of other subjects and comparison with diagnostic criteria. Become. Further, even when the response timing (recognition result output timing) varies due to individual differences in the response speed of the subject to the task, it is possible to grasp the response timing for each subject in the brain activity measurement result data. As a result, data analysis can be further facilitated while suppressing variations in load due to problems.

  According to the present invention, as described above, it is possible to suppress the variation in the cognitive function load caused by the problem due to the individual difference in the speed of response.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a cognitive brain activity measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which showed the outline | summary of the measurement of brain activity. It is the block diagram which showed the structural example of the cognitive brain activity measurement system. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the processing operation | movement of a cognitive brain activity measurement system. In the brain activity measurement using the cognitive brain activity measurement system according to the present embodiment, it is a time chart showing a measurement example (A) for a subject with a fast response speed and a measurement example (B) for a subject with a slow response speed. It is the time chart which showed the measurement example by a comparative example.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Overall configuration of cognitive brain activity measurement system)
First, an overall configuration of a cognitive brain activity measurement system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a cognitive brain activity measurement system 100 according to this embodiment. The cognitive brain activity measurement system 100 includes a presenter 1, a recognition unit 2, a presentation control unit 3, a recording unit 4, and a brain activity measurement unit 5.

  The cognitive brain activity measurement system 100 presents a cognitive task from the presenter 1 to a subject who is a measurement target of cognitive brain activity. The test subject performs a task answer (response) to the presented cognitive task. The response of the subject is automatically recognized by the recognition unit 2. The recognition result of the recognition unit 2 is output to the presentation control unit 3 and recorded in the recording unit 4. Based on the output of the recognition result, the presentation control unit 3 causes the presenter 1 to present the next presentation task. The brain activity measuring unit 5 measures a subject's brain activity in a series of task presentation and response, and generates time-series data of measurement results. When the measurement is completed, the number of tasks performed during the measurement (number of responses), the correct response rate for the tasks, and the time required to respond from the task presentation (average time) are tabulated and recorded together with the brain activity measurement data Is done. By analyzing these measurement results, it is used, for example, for the diagnosis of depression.

  In the brain activity measurement, as shown in FIG. 2, a rest period (rest period) PR in which the set task CT is not tried and a task period (task period) PT in which the task CT is tried are provided. Based on the relative change between the brain activity measurement value in the rest period PR and the brain activity measurement value in the task period PT, the presence or absence of brain activity is determined. Since the brain activity in the task period PT varies depending on the load on the cognitive function of the subject, it is desirable that the same level of load be stably applied to different subjects in the brain activity measurement in the task period PT. It is. The cognitive brain activity measurement system 100 according to the present embodiment indicates that the load on the subject fluctuates due to individual differences of the subject by presenting the following problem based on the output of the recognition result of the recognition unit 2. It is configured to suppress.

  Various things CT proposed according to the purpose of measurement have been proposed. For example, it is known that brain activity specific to a depression patient is observed in the frontal lobe (frontal cortex), and measured data of brain activity is used for diagnosis of depression. In that case, as the presentation task, a task of a type that activates the frontal lobe (frontal cortex) is selected.

(Outline of each part of the cognitive brain activity measurement system)
Next, an outline of each part of the cognitive brain activity measurement system 100 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the presenter 1 has a function of presenting a task. The presenter 1 is a display device such as a liquid crystal monitor or a projector. When the task presentation can be performed by voice, the presenter 1 may be a voice output device (speaker) or a combination of a display device and a speaker.

  The recognition unit 2 has a function of recognizing a subject's response to the presented task CT. The recognizing unit 2 is configured to be able to automatically recognize the response of the subject regardless of the input device that accepts the input operation. For example, when the response is performed by a body motion (gesture), the recognition unit 2 includes a motion detection unit 6 that detects the motion of the subject without contact. As the motion detection unit 6, for example, an imaging device such as an infrared camera, a position sensor, or the like can be used. Moreover, when the response is based on the utterance (utterance) of the subject, the recognition unit 2 includes a sound detection unit 7 such as a microphone.

  When an imaging device is used as the motion detection unit 6, it is possible to attach a marker to a subject's finger or the like and recognize a gesture by pattern recognition (image recognition). When a position sensor is used as the motion detection unit 6, for example, the position of a finger or the like is measured using a three-dimensional position sensor such as a magnetic type, an ultrasonic type, or an optical type, and a gesture is recognized based on the relative positional relationship between the fingers. It is possible. Further, a known motion capture technique may be used as the motion detection unit 6.

  When the voice detection unit 7 is used, it is possible to detect the response (speech) of the subject and recognize the response by voice recognition.

  In addition, it is preferable that the presentation task and the response method for the task are designed as a set so that unnecessary information is not measured due to the response. When responding by body movement (gesture), since the movement is mainly related to the brain region (motor area) that is separate from the frontal lobe (frontal cortex), the response due to the presentation task is separated from the response related response. It is preferable because it is easy to measure. In the present embodiment, the task CT is a task that accompanies the motion of the subject's body in response.

  An example of a task CT that can be responded to by such a body motion is a “post-rolling kenken task”. In the later-run janken task, a janken hand (goo, choki or par) is presented in advance, and the subject responds with a hand corresponding to the presented janken as an answer. It is easy to perform the response of the later-run janken task by motor movement. “Last-running losing janken” in which the subject answers the hand that the losing person gives to the presented janken is preferable in terms of high cognitive function load. In this case, the recognition unit 2 recognizes the response motion (goo, choki or par) of the subject by the motion detection unit. The recognition unit 2 outputs the hand (goo, choki, or par) that the subject responds to the presentation control unit 3 as a recognition result.

  The presentation control unit 3 has a function of controlling a series of task presentation operations in the rest period PR and the task period PT. The presentation control unit 3 controls task presentation by controlling the presenter 1 according to a preset schedule. In the rest period PR, display (other than the problem) for the rest period PR and audio output are performed. The rest period image is, for example, an image showing only a gazing point (cross mark).

  In the present embodiment, the presentation control unit 3 controls the presenter 1 to present the next task CT based on the output of the recognition result of the recognition unit 2. That is, the presentation control unit 3 executes the next task presentation according to the output timing A of the recognition result, thereby equalizing the time interval from the response to the next task presentation.

  The next task presentation timing may be simultaneous with the output timing A of the recognition result or may not be simultaneous with the output timing A of the recognition result. The presentation control unit 3 is configured to perform control for presenting the next task CT when a predetermined time t1 has elapsed since the output timing A of the recognition result can continuously give the subject a load on the cognitive function. The predetermined time t1 is a time interval in which a load on the cognitive function can be continuously given to the subject. In other words, the predetermined time t1 is a time interval that does not give the subject a break. The predetermined time t1 is shorter than the presentation time t2 of the task CT. Although depending on the type of task, the presentation time t2 may be about 1 second to 2 seconds, for example, while the presentation time t2 is about 5 seconds. If the presentation of the task is too early, such as when the recognition result is output at the same time as A, the subject may not be able to prepare. On the other hand, if the response (output of the recognition result) takes about 3 seconds or more, the subject waits. This is because there is a case where the impression is received, which affects the equalization of the load. Since the recognition unit 2 can recognize the response within a sufficiently short time, the recognition result output timing A and the subject's response timing may be considered to be practically simultaneous.

  The recording unit 4 has a function of recording the recognition result of the subject's response by the recognition unit 2. Further, the recording unit 4 records the total number of results such as the number of tasks (number of responses), the correct answer rate of responses to the tasks CT, and the time (average time) required for responses from task presentation. Note that the presentation control unit 3 sequentially presents a plurality of patterns of tasks CT that are randomly assigned in advance. The result of the response by the subject (correct answer rate) may be accumulated in the recording unit 4 in real time, and the presentation control unit 3 may perform a presentation control such that more tasks CT with a low correct answer rate are presented.

  The presentation control unit 3 and the recording unit 4 are configured by hardware such as a PC (Personal Computer). The presentation control unit 3 and the recording unit 4 may be configured by individual hardware, but may be configured by common hardware. In that case, the presentation control unit 3 is configured as a function realized by the CPU executing software (program), and the recording unit 4 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory provided in the PC. Consists of.

  The brain activity measuring unit 5 has a function of measuring the brain activity of the subject accompanying the presentation of the task and the response to the task CT. The brain activity measuring unit 5 is configured to measure the temporal change of the brain activity of the subject and to record the output timing A of the recognition result of the recognition unit 2 together with the measurement result of the brain activity. The output timing A of the recognition result of the recognition unit 2 is output from the presentation control unit 3 to the brain activity measurement unit 5. Brain activity can be measured by various means. For example, the brain activity measuring unit 5 can be configured by an optical measuring device, an fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) device, an electroencephalograph or the like. The brain activity measuring unit 5 may be configured by a combination of these.

  In the present embodiment, the brain activity measuring unit 5 includes an optical measuring device. The optical measurement device irradiates the subject's head with measurement light via the measurement probe 5a, and receives the measurement light that has passed through the subject's head via the measurement probe 5a, thereby measuring the brain activity. Specifically, the optical measurement apparatus optically detects a change in the amount of hemoglobin corresponding to a change in blood flow in the brain based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). It is possible to observe the presence or absence (activation state) of brain activity based on the change in the amount of hemoglobin.

(Specific configuration example of cognitive brain activity measurement system)
Next, a specific configuration example of the cognitive brain activity measurement system 100 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cognitive brain activity measurement system 100 includes a display device 10, a presentation control device 20, an imaging device 30, and an optical measurement device 40. Here, the example which employ | adopted the later-mentioned Janken problem as problem CT is demonstrated. The display device 10 is an example of the “presenter” in the claims. The imaging device 30 is an example of an “operation detection unit” in the claims. The optical measuring device 40 is an example of the “brain activity measuring unit” in the claims.

  The display device 10 is a liquid crystal monitor, and is configured to display the task CT to be presented to the subject on the screen.

  The presentation control device 20 is configured by one PC. The presentation control device 20 includes a control unit 21 including a CPU, a display control unit 22 including a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a storage unit 23 such as a hard disk drive, a wired or wireless communication unit 24, and an external device. And an input / output unit 25 that is an interface with. The control unit 21 is an example of a “recognition unit” and a “presentation control unit” in the claims. The storage unit 23 is an example of the “recording unit” in the claims.

  The control unit 21 functions as the presentation control unit 3 and the recognition unit 2 by executing various software (programs) installed in the storage unit 23. The control unit 21 (CPU) may further have a function as the display control unit 22. The control unit 21 recognizes the subject's response (goo, choki or par) by performing pattern recognition processing on the captured image of the subject's response operation obtained by the imaging device 30. And the control part 21 controls the display control part 22 so that the image output of the subject CT to the display apparatus 10 may be performed according to the output (generation) timing of the recognition result. In addition, the control unit 21 stores the recognition result of the test subject's response in the storage unit 23.

  Under the control of the control unit 21, the display control unit 22 reads the problem CT image (video) data and rest period image (video) data recorded in the storage unit 23, and outputs them to the display device 10. It is configured as follows.

  The storage unit 23 stores various types of image (video) data such as the task CT, recognition results of subjects' responses, various programs executed by the control unit 21, measurement conditions, setting information for each subject, and the like.

  The communication unit 24 is a communication module configured to be able to perform mutual communication with a communication unit 45 described later of the optical measurement device 40. The control unit 21 outputs a trigger signal representing the output (generation) timing of the recognition result to the optical measurement device 40 via the communication unit 24.

  The input / output unit 25 is connected to the imaging device 30, outputs a control signal to the imaging device 30, and acquires captured image data from the imaging device 30. The presentation control device 20 includes an operation unit 26 including input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, and receives input operations for various settings by the user.

  The imaging device 30 includes an infrared camera and functions as the motion detection unit 6 under the control of the presentation control device 20. That is, when the subject performs a response operation to the task presentation, the imaging device 30 captures the finger of the subject who performs the response operation, and outputs captured image data to the presentation control device 20. Based on the obtained captured image data, the control unit 21 performs image recognition processing and recognizes the response action (goo, choki or par) of the subject. By attaching a marker that strongly reflects infrared rays to the finger of the subject, it is possible to accurately recognize the response.

  The optical measurement device 40 includes a light output unit 41, a light detection unit 42, a measurement control unit 43, a main body control unit 44, a communication unit 45, and a main storage unit 46. The optical measurement device 40 is connected to the display unit 47 and the operation unit 48, and is connected to the measurement probe 5a (light transmission probe and light reception probe) via an optical fiber.

  The light output unit 41 is configured to output measurement light to the measurement probe 5a for light transmission via an optical fiber. The light output unit 41 includes a semiconductor laser or the like as a light source, and outputs measurement light having a plurality of wavelengths (for example, three wavelengths of 780 nm, 805 nm, and 830 nm) in the near infrared wavelength region. The light detection unit 42 includes a photomultiplier tube or the like as a detector, and is configured to acquire and detect measurement light incident on the light receiving measurement probe 5a via an optical fiber.

  The measurement control unit 43 controls the operation of the light output unit 41 and the light detection unit 42 according to the measurement parameters set by the main body control unit 44, controls the timing of turning on and off the light output unit 41, and detects the light. The received light amount signal is acquired from the unit 42.

  Based on the intensity of the measurement light incident on the light receiving measurement probe 5a (the amount of light received), it is possible to noninvasively acquire changes in the amount of hemoglobin associated with brain activity, that is, changes in blood flow and activation of oxygen metabolism. It is. The optical measuring device acquires a two-dimensional distribution (map) of which region of the brain is active by measuring a wide brain region using a plurality of measurement probes 5a at a plurality of points (measurement channels). It is possible to do.

  The measurement probe 5a is attached to a holder 5b for fixing at a predetermined position on the head surface. The user determines the arrangement of the probe according to the part (frontal head or the like) to be measured, and attaches the probe to the holder 5b. The measurement probe 5a for light transmission and the measurement probe 5a for light reception are arranged in the holder 5b so as to be alternately arranged in the row and column directions. Thereby, a measurement channel (measurement point) is formed between the adjacent measurement probes 5a.

  The main body control unit 44 is a computer composed of a CPU, a memory, and the like, and is configured to control the measurement operation of the optical measurement device 40 by executing various programs stored in the main storage unit 46. . The main body control unit 44 exchanges control signals with the presentation control device 20 via the communication unit 45, and synchronizes the task presentation operation of the presentation control device 20 and the measurement operation of the optical measurement device 40.

  Further, the main body control unit 44 outputs the measurement data obtained to the display unit 47 by executing data analysis software (program). The measurement data is time-series data including measurement time (measurement timing) information and measurement value information for each measurement channel, and is recorded in the main storage unit 46. When the body control unit 44 acquires a trigger signal representing the output (generation) timing of the response recognition result from the presentation control device 20, the body control unit 44 records the acquisition time of the trigger signal in the time-series measurement data and displays the trigger signal in an identifiable manner.

  The communication unit 45 includes a wired or wireless communication module, and can perform data communication with an external device including the presentation control device 20. The main storage unit 46 is composed of, for example, an HDD (hard disk drive), and can store various programs executed by the main body control unit 44 and store measurement data obtained as a result of measurement. The display unit 47 is a display device such as a liquid crystal monitor, for example, and the operation unit 48 is an input device including a keyboard and a mouse, for example.

(Processing of cognitive brain activity measurement system)
Next, an outline of the processing operation of the cognitive brain activity measurement system 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Here, the processing operation of the cognitive brain activity measurement system 100 will be described separately for each function. That is, the measurement process of the optical measurement device 40 will be described as the operation of the brain activity measurement unit 5. Further, the recognition process by the imaging device 30 and the control unit 21 will be described as the operation of the recognition unit 2. In addition, a control process related to problem presentation by the control unit 21 will be described as an operation of the presentation control unit 3.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in step S <b> 1, the brain activity measurement unit 5 receives an operation via the operation unit 48 and registers and registers a subject to be measured. Presentation conditions including measurement schedules such as a rest period PR and a task period PT are set in association with the subject. The brain activity measuring unit 5 outputs the presentation condition to the presentation control unit 3, and the presentation control unit 3 sets the presentation (display) condition associated with the registration information in step S21.

In step S2, the brain activity measuring unit 5 waits to accepting an operation input of the measurement start. During this time, the measurement preparation work such as mounting the measurement probe 5a of the brain activity measurement unit 5 is performed on the subject. When the brain activity measuring unit 5 receives an operation input for starting measurement, the brain activity measuring unit 5 proceeds to step S3 and starts a measurement operation. Further, the brain activity measuring unit 5 outputs a control signal to the presentation control unit 3. In response to the control signal, the presentation control unit 3 starts the presentation control in step S22.

  Thereafter, the brain activity measurement unit 5 performs brain activity measurement in step S4 and stores the measurement data in the storage unit 23. When a trigger signal indicating the output timing A of the recognition result (see FIG. 2) is output, the brain activity measuring unit 5 records the trigger signal. In step S5, the brain activity measuring unit 5 determines whether or not to end the measurement. If the measurement is not ended, the process returns to step S4 and continues the measurement.

  The presentation control unit 3 starts counting elapsed time in step S23, and selects presentation data in step S24. In the task period PT, randomly assigned task CT data is sequentially selected, and in the rest period PR, rest period image data set in the rest period PR is selected. The selection result is output to the display control unit 22, and the display control unit 22 acquires (loads) the presentation data selected in step S31.

  In step S <b> 25, the presentation control unit 3 outputs a display request to the display control unit 22 when the elapsed time count reaches a predetermined display timing. In step S32, the display control unit 22 displays the presentation data on the display device 10 in response to the display request. In the task period PT, the displayed presentation data is an image of the task CT. That is, any one of Janken's goo, choki and par is presented as the task CT. The task CT is displayed (presented) during a predetermined presentation time t2 (see FIG. 2) set as a presentation condition. A subject who has received a task presentation from the display device 10 performs a response operation (goo, choki or par) that is a correct answer to the task CT.

  The display request is also output to the recognition unit 2. The recognition unit 2 is in a standby state in step S11 until it receives a display request from the presentation control unit 3. Upon receiving the display request, the recognition unit 2 determines whether or not the display request is in the task period PT in step S12. The determination is made based on, for example, whether the current time corresponds to a preset task period PT. If it is not the task period PT, the process returns to step S11, and the recognition unit 2 continues the standby state.

  On the other hand, when the display request is for the task period PT, the recognition unit 2 performs a recognition process for recognizing the response of the subject in step S13. That is, the motion of the subject's finger is imaged by the imaging device 30, and the control unit 21 recognizes a response motion (goo, choki or par) based on the captured image.

  In step S <b> 14, the recognition unit 2 records the recognition result in the storage unit 23 and outputs the recognition result to the presentation control unit 3. When the recognition result is output, the recognition unit 2 proceeds to step S15, determines whether or not to end the measurement, and returns the process to step S11 if the measurement is not ended.

  On the other hand, the presentation control unit 3 determines whether or not a recognition result has been acquired in step S26. When the recognition result is not acquired from the recognition unit 2, the presentation control unit 3 repeats the determination in step S26 and waits. When the recognition result is acquired from the recognition unit 2, the presentation control unit 3 advances the process to step S27. At this time, the presentation control unit 3 outputs a trigger signal representing the output timing A of the recognition result to the brain activity measuring unit 5.

  In step S27, the presentation control unit 3 determines whether or not to end the measurement. If the measurement is not ended, the process returns to step S23. In the case of the task period PT, the presentation control unit 3 starts counting the elapsed time in the next step S24, and sets a predetermined time t1 (preliminarily set from the output timing A of the recognition result (output of the recognition result in step S14)). When the time (see FIG. 2) elapses, a display request for the next presented image (task CT) is output in step S25. Thereby, the presentation control unit 3 causes the display control unit 22 to display the next presentation image on the display device 10 at the display timing when the predetermined time t1 has elapsed from the output of the recognition result (step S32).

  As a result, when the start time of the rest period PR and the task period PT is reached, an image for the rest period and an image of the task CT are displayed, respectively. During the task period PT, the images of the task CT are sequentially displayed each time the display timing after the predetermined time t1 has elapsed from the output of the recognition result.

  The determination of the end of measurement satisfies the determination condition, for example, when a preset measurement end time is reached or when an instruction input for measurement end via the operation unit 48 is accepted. As a result, in each step of steps S5, S15, S27, and S33, it is determined that the measurement is finished.

  When the brain activity measuring unit 5 determines to end the measurement, the brain activity measuring unit 5 performs a measurement stop process in step S6 and ends the processing operation. Moreover, the recognition part 2, the presentation control part 3, and the display control part 22 also complete | finish a process operation, when it determines with complete | finishing a measurement.

(Operation of this embodiment)
Next, with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the operation of the cognitive brain activity measurement system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  As described above, in the cognitive brain activity measurement system 100 according to the present embodiment, the tasks CT are sequentially presented based on the output of the recognition result by the recognition unit 2 of the subject's response.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5A, in the case of a subject with a fast response speed (subject with a short response time), the time p1 from when the first task presentation is completed until the subject performs a response action is Immediately after the passage, the next (second) task presentation is performed. Immediately after the time p1 has elapsed is a time when a predetermined time t1 (a predetermined value of about 1 second to 2 seconds) at which a load can be continuously applied has elapsed from the output timing A of the recognition result. Therefore, even if the subject has a fast response speed, he / she will not be kept waiting from the response until the next task presentation (with a break), and will continue to receive the load.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 5B, in the case of a subject with a slow response speed (subject with a long response time), a time p2 from when the first task presentation is completed until the subject performs a response action ( Immediately after> p1), the next (second) task presentation is performed. Therefore, even if the subject has a slow response speed, it is suppressed that the response is not in time from the present task presentation to the next task presentation, and the load is continuously received in the same manner as a subject with a fast response speed. .

  FIG. 6 shows a comparative example in which the time interval until the next task presentation is set to a predetermined fixed time. In the case of the comparative example, it is necessary to set a time interval (time p2 + predetermined margin) in accordance with the subject whose response speed is low so that the response can be made even for the subject whose response speed is slow. As a result, in a subject with a fast response speed, after a response at the time p1 has elapsed, the subject waits for a period t3 until the next task presentation, resulting in load fluctuations. In addition, in a subject with a slow response speed, a period t4 until the next task presentation after the response at the time p2 elapses is shorter than that in the period t3, so that a relatively high load is applied compared to a subject with a fast response speed. It will be.

(Effect of this embodiment)
In the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the recognition unit 2 that recognizes the response of the subject to the presented task CT, and the recognition result of the recognition unit 2 is output, so that the next task CT is presented. A presentation control unit 3 that controls the presenter 1 is provided. Thus, when the subject's response to the presented task CT is automatically recognized and the recognition unit 2 outputs a recognition result (that is, when the subject responds), the next task CT can be presented quickly. it can. As a result, it is possible to give the subject a load due to the task CT at the same timing after the response is made without depending on individual differences in response speed. Thereby, according to this embodiment, it can suppress that the load on the cognitive function which arises by the subject CT resulting from the individual difference of the speed of response varies. As a result, variation in cognitive function load in each of the task period PT and rest period PR is suppressed, so that data analysis such as measurement results of other subjects and comparison with diagnostic criteria can be facilitated. It becomes possible.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, control is performed so as to present the next task CT when a predetermined time t1 has elapsed since the output timing A of the recognition result can continuously give the subject a load on the cognitive function. The presentation control unit 3 is configured as follows. Thereby, it is suppressed that the waiting time is generated during the individual task presentation in the middle of the task period PT and the load given to the subject fluctuates, and the predetermined load is stably given during the task period PT. Can be continued. As a result, it is possible to suppress variations in load due to individual differences, and to suppress fluctuations in load in individual task periods PT.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, the task CT is a task that accompanies the motion of the subject's body in response. The recognition unit 2 is provided with a motion detection unit 6 that detects the motion of the subject without contact. Thereby, the response by a test subject's gesture (gesture) is detectable. Here, for example, responses due to utterances (utterances) are likely to be affected by linguistic and cultural differences between subjects, but gestures are less affected by linguistic and cultural differences, so individual differences are further suppressed. can do. The measurement of cognitive brain activity is mainly performed on the frontal lobe, which is responsible for cognitive functions, but the response by utterance (utterance) may activate the frontal lobe by the response action itself, It may be difficult to measure only changes. On the other hand, in the case of a response by a body movement, there is a merit that it is easy to separate the influence of changes in brain activity due to the response movement itself.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the brain activity measurement unit 5 irradiates the subject's head with the measurement light via the measurement probe 5a, and uses the measurement probe 5a to pass the measurement light that has passed through the subject's head. An optical measurement device 40 that receives light is provided. Thereby, the measurement result of the brain activity over the wide range of the brain area | region made into a measurement object can be obtained non-invasively and easily.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the brain activity measuring unit 5 measures the time change of the brain activity of the subject and records the output timing A of the recognition result of the recognition unit 2 together with the measurement result of the brain activity. Configure as follows. Thereby, even when the response timing (recognition result output timing A) varies due to individual differences in the response speed of the subject to the task, the response timing for each subject can be grasped in the measurement result data of the brain activity. . As a result, data analysis can be further facilitated while suppressing variations in load due to problems.

(Modification)
The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description of the embodiments but by the scope of claims for patent, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims for patent.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the task presentation processing by the display device 10 and the recognition processing of the response based on the captured image of the imaging device 30 are performed by the control unit 21 of the presentation control device 20 on hardware has been described. Is not limited to this. In the present invention, the main body control unit 44 of the optical measurement device 40 may be configured to perform task presentation control processing and response recognition processing. In that case, the main body control unit 44 of the optical measurement device 40 functions as the presentation control unit 3 and the recognition unit 2 by executing the program.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the example which comprised the recognition part 2 by the combination of the control part 21 of the presentation control apparatus 20 and the imaging device 30 was shown, this invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the recognition unit 2 may be configured as a device separate from the presentation control device 20 by a PC or the like to which the imaging device 30 is connected.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the recognition unit 2 recognizes the response of the “post-banking challenge” by image recognition is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the problem CT may be any problem, and the recognition unit may have any configuration as long as it can recognize a response according to the problem. Task CT is a well-known word fluency task (a task that responds to as many words that meet the conditions as possible) or an N-back task (stimulated N times among the multiple stimuli presented continuously). A task to be answered), a Stroop task (a task of displaying a character indicating a color name in a character color different from the color name and answering the displayed character or character color). Further, it may be a problem other than the above.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example of performing the “lasting bargaining task” is shown as an example of the task CT that accompanies the body motion (gesture) of the subject in response, but the present invention is not limited to this. The task with a gesture can be any task as long as it requires a response action corresponding to the presenting task, such as raising a flag (raising and lowering a flag as in the presenting task). In addition, if a method for responding to a presentation task is devised, it is possible to respond with a gesture regardless of the type of task.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although demonstrated as about 1 second-about 2 second as an example of the predetermined time t1 from the output timing A of a recognition result to showing the next subject CT, time which does not become a rest for a test subject If so, it may be 2 seconds or more.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Presenter 2 Recognition part 3 Presentation control part 4 Recording part 5 Brain activity measurement part 5a Measurement probe 6 Motion detection part 10 Display apparatus (presenter)
21 Control unit (recognition unit, presentation control unit)
23 Storage unit (recording unit)
30 Imaging device (motion detector)
40 Optical measurement device (brain activity measurement unit)
100 Cognitive brain activity measurement system

Claims (5)

A presenter for presenting tasks,
A recognition unit for recognizing a subject's response to the presented task;
A recording unit for recording a recognition result of the recognition unit;
Based on the output of the recognition result of the recognition unit, a presentation control unit that controls the presenter to present the next task;
A brain activity measuring unit that measures a subject's brain activity associated with task presentation and response to the task,
The brain activity measuring unit measures temporal changes in the brain activity of the subject, records the output timing of the recognition result of the recognition unit together with the measurement result of brain activity, and displays the output timing in the measurement result on the display unit. A cognitive brain activity measurement system configured to be displayed in an identifiable manner.   2. The cognitive brain according to claim 1, wherein the presentation control unit performs control to present the next task when a predetermined time elapses when a load on the cognitive function can be continuously given to the subject from the output timing of the recognition result. Activity measurement system. The task is a task that involves the movement of the subject's body in response,
The cognitive brain activity measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the recognition unit includes a motion detection unit that detects a subject's motion in a non-contact manner.   The brain activity measurement unit includes an optical measurement device that irradiates a subject's head with measurement light via a measurement probe and receives measurement light that has passed through the subject's head via the measurement probe. The cognitive brain activity measurement system according to any one of -3. A step of presenting an assignment;
Recognizing the subject's response to the presented task;
Recording a recognition result of the subject's response;
Presenting the next task based on the output of the recognition result;
Measuring a subject's brain activity associated with task presentation and response to the task,
In the step of measuring the brain activity, the temporal change of the brain activity of the subject is measured, the output timing of the recognition result is recorded together with the measurement result of the brain activity, and the output timing is identified in the measurement result on the display unit Cognitive brain activity measurement method that displays as possible .

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