Cognitive ability test system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for cognitive ability testing and a testing system using the same. According to the method and testing system of the present invention, a cognitive ability test related to prefrontal lobe activity can be performed very effectively and with high reliability, and the test results may be utilized to provide information for the diagnosis of diseases that cause cognitive ability decline.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0083335, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on July 6, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a method for cognitive ability testing and a testing system using the same.

Background Art

[0003] The frontal lobe is anatomically divided into the primary motor area adjacent to the central sulcus, the premotor area located in front of it, and the prefrontal area that includes all of the remaining parts. The primary motor area and the premotor area are involved in motor execution and are related to the action calculation function. On the other hand, the prefrontal area is responsible for setting the goals of actions and mobilizing, regulating, and executing the functions of other brain regions to reach these goals. The prefrontal area not only receives neural connections from the cerebral cortex regions that provide sensory information but also receives inputs from subcortical structures such as the limbic system and the pituitary gland that provide information about the internal state of the body, and has a neural connection structure that can collect and summarize various information to regulate the functions of other brain regions. The Trail Making Test (TMT) is a neuropsychological test widely used to evaluate cognitive functions, especially the frontal lobe and executive functions. The TMT is one of the most sensitive tests for identifying mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia. The TMT consists of parts A and B that evaluate various cognitive processes. In TMT part A, it is required to connect randomly distributed numbers in ascending order, and in TMT part B, it includes all numbers and letters, and the participant is required to connect the numbers and letters alternately. TMT part A is mainly related to attention, and TMT part B is used as an indicator of frontal lobe executive function.

[0004] Conventionally, the TMT has limited usefulness in different cultural situations by using English alphabets in part B of the TMT. Therefore, in non-English-speaking regions where English is not the native language and among illiterate elderly people who cannot read, a low performance bias towards TMT-B has occurred. Many previous studies have reported that elderly people with low educational levels and patients with mild cognitive impairment in non-English-speaking countries often cannot perform TMT part B well. To overcome such drawbacks, various versions of the TMT have been developed for illiterate people and those who do not have English as their mother tongue. The Color Trail Test (CTT) uses two hues, and the Shape Trail Test (STT) uses circles and squares. Although the validity and reliability of the CTT have been established, due to the possibility of the Stroop effect for CTT-B, the CTT was not considered similar to the TMT. Moreover, the CTT is difficult to apply to people with color blindness or visual defects. There have been efforts to develop the TMT using the native languages of various countries in many non-English-speaking countries. However, such tests still require verification and their usefulness is very limited.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present invention was devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the inventors have intensively studied to develop a method that can simply and highly reliably perform a cognitive ability test related to prefrontal lobe activity non-invasively in a short time. As a result, the inventors have confirmed that when a subject is made to perform a number sequence according to a certain rule and an intruder arranged according to a certain rule is placed therein, a very highly reliable cognitive ability test can be performed, and thus the present invention has been completed.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a test plate for cognitive function screening.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for providing information for cognitive function diagnosis.

[0008] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a cognitive function test providing apparatus.

[0009] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a computer program for cognitive function diagnosis.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, the present invention provides a test board for cognitive function diagnosis in which numbers from n to n + i (n is an integer of 0 or more, and i is an integer of 3 or more) are arranged, where n is displayed once, and n + 1 to n + i are each displayed twice. The same two numbers displayed twice are each displayed in a first notation method and a second notation method that are distinguishable from each other. These numbers are classified into two groups: a connector group and an interferer group. The connector group includes n defined as a starting point, and n is displayed in the first notation method or the second notation method. Also, the connector group includes n + b (b is an odd number from 1 to i) displayed in a notation method different from that of n and n + a (a is an even number from 2 to i) displayed in the same notation method as n among the first notation method and the second notation method. The interferer group includes n + a (a is an even number from 2 to i) displayed in a notation method different from that of n and n + b (b is an odd number from 1 to i) displayed in the same notation method as n among the first notation method and the second notation method. The present invention provides a test board for cognitive function diagnosis.

[0011] According to one aspect, when the distance between n + x and n + x + 1 (x is an integer from 0 to i - 1) belonging to the connector in the test board is D1, the distance between n + x belonging to the connector and n + x + 1 belonging to the interferer is D2, and the distance between n + x + 1 belonging to the interferer and n + x + 1 belonging to the connector is D3, the conditions D1 ≧ D2 and D1 ≧ D3 are satisfied.

[0012] According to another aspect, any one or more selected from the group consisting of the font color of the displayed number, the shadow color of the displayed number, and the shadow shape of the displayed number of the first notation method and the second notation method may be different from each other.

[0013] According to still another aspect, the first notation method and the second notation method may have different shadow colors of the displayed numbers.

[0014] According to still another aspect, the first notation method and the second notation method may be distinguished from each other by being represented by any one of black or white, which are different from each other, as the shadow color of the number.

[0015] According to still another aspect, the D1 is characterized by being larger than D2 and D3.

[0016] According to still another aspect, the i may be an integer from 2 to 49.

[0017] According to still another aspect, the i may be an integer from 9 to 29.

[0018] According to still another aspect, when the numbers belonging to the connector are sequentially connected by line segments in ascending order from the smallest number to the largest number, all the line segments do not intersect each other.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention includes the steps of randomly displaying numbers from n to n+i (where n is an integer greater than or equal to 0 and i is an integer greater than or equal to 3) on a screen, receiving information regarding the numbers clicked or sequentially connected by a user, and determining, based on the information input by the user, whether the numbers belonging to the connector are clicked or sequentially connected in ascending order from the smallest number to the largest number, and displaying the result on the screen. Here, n is displayed once, and n+1 to n+i are each displayed twice. The same two numbers displayed twice are each displayed in a first notation method and a second notation method that are distinguishable from each other. These numbers are classified into two groups: a connector and an interferer. The connector includes n defined as a starting point, where n is displayed in the first notation method or the second notation method. The connector also includes n+b (where b is an odd number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to i) displayed in a notation method different from that of n and n+a (where a is an even number greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to i) displayed in the same notation method as n, among the first notation method and the second notation method. The interferer includes n+a (where a is an even number greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to i) displayed in a notation method different from that of n and n+b (where b is an odd number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to i) displayed in the same notation method as n, among the first notation method and the second notation method. The present invention provides an information providing method for cognitive function diagnosis.

[0020] According to one aspect, in the information providing method, when the distance between n+x and n+x+1 (where x is an integer greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to i-1) belonging to the connector is defined as D1, the distance between n+x belonging to the connector and n+x+1 belonging to the interferer is defined as D2, and the distance between n+x+1 belonging to the interferer and n+x+1 belonging to the connector is defined as D3, the conditions D1≥D2 and D1≥D3 are satisfied.

[0021] According to another aspect, any one or more selected from the group consisting of the font color of the displayed number, the shadow color of the displayed number, and the shadow shape of the displayed number may be different from each other in the first notation method and the second notation method.

[0022] According to still another aspect, the first notation method and the second notation method may have different shadow colors of the displayed numbers from each other.

[0023] According to still another aspect, the first notation method and the second notation method may be distinguished from each other by being denoted by any one of black or white, which are different from each other, as the shadow color of the numbers.

[0024] According to still another aspect, the D1 is characterized by being larger than D2 and D3.

[0025] According to still another aspect, the i may be an integer from 2 to 49.

[0026] According to still another aspect, the i may be an integer from 9 to 29.

[0027] According to still another aspect, when the numbers belonging to the connectors are sequentially connected by line segments in ascending order from the smallest number to the largest number, all the line segments do not intersect each other.

[0028] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention is a method for providing a cognitive function test implemented by a computer, the method comprising: randomly displaying on a screen numbers from n to n + i (where n is an integer of 0 or more, and i is an integer of 3 or more), wherein n is displayed once, and n + 1 to n + i are each displayed twice, and the same two numbers displayed twice are each displayed in a first notation method and a second notation method that are distinguishable from each other, and these numbers are classified into two groups, a connector group and an interferer group, the connector group includes n defined as a starting point, n is displayed in the first notation method or the second notation method, and the connector group further includes n + b (where b is an odd number from 1 to i) displayed in a notation method different from that of n and n + a (where a is an even number from 2 to i) displayed in the same notation method as n among the first notation method and the second notation method, and the interferer group includes n + a (where a is an even number from 2 to i) displayed in a notation method different from that of n and n + b (where b is an odd number from 1 to i) displayed in the same notation method as n among the first notation method and the second notation method; receiving information regarding the numbers clicked or sequentially connected by the user; determining, based on the information input by the user, whether the numbers belonging to the connector group are clicked or sequentially connected in ascending order from the smallest number to the largest number, and displaying the result on the screen. A method for providing a cognitive function test is provided, characterized by including the above steps.

[0029] According to one aspect, in the test providing method, when the distance between n + x and n + x + 1 (where x is an integer from 0 to i - 1) belonging to the connector group is defined as D1, the distance between n + x belonging to the connector group and n + x + 1 belonging to the interferer group is defined as D2, and the distance between n + x + 1 belonging to the interferer group and n + x + 1 belonging to the connector group is defined as D3, the conditions D1 ≧ D2 and D1 ≧ D3 are satisfied.

[0030] According to another aspect, any one or more selected from the group consisting of the font color of the displayed number, the shadow color of the displayed number, and the shadow shape of the displayed number in the first notation method and the second notation method may be different from each other.

[0031] According to yet another aspect, i is characterized in that it is 2 to 49.

[0032] According to yet another aspect, when the numbers belonging to the connectors are sequentially connected by line segments in ascending order from the smallest number to the largest number, all the line segments do not intersect each other.

[0033] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention includes a display unit that randomly displays numbers from n to n + i (n is an integer greater than or equal to 0, and i is an integer greater than or equal to 3) on a screen, an input / output unit that receives information regarding the numbers clicked or sequentially connected by a user, and a control unit that determines whether the numbers belonging to the connectors are sequentially clicked or sequentially connected from the smallest number to the largest number based on the information input by the user. The display unit displays the determination result of the control unit on the screen. n is displayed once, and n + 1 to n + i are each displayed twice. The same two numbers displayed twice are each displayed in a first notation method and a second notation method that are distinguishable from each other. These numbers are classified into two groups: connectors and blockers. The connectors include n defined as the starting point, and n is displayed in the first notation method or the second notation method. Also, the connectors include n + b (b is an odd number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to i) displayed in a notation method different from that of n and n + a (a is an even number greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to i) displayed in the same notation method as n among the first notation method and the second notation method. The blockers include n + a (a is an even number greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to i) displayed in a notation method different from that of n and n + b (b is an odd number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to i) displayed in the same notation method as n among the first notation method and the second notation method. A cognitive function test providing device is provided.

[0034] As used herein, the term "component" refers to a hardware component such as software, FPGA, or ASIC, and the "component" performs any role. However, the "component" is not limited to meaning software or hardware. The "component" may be configured to be in an addressable storage medium or may be configured to cause one or more processors to execute. Thus, by way of example, "components" include components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, and processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided in the components and "components" may be combined as a smaller number of components and "components" or further separated into additional components and "components".

[0035] According to one aspect, in the test providing apparatus, when the distance between n + x and n + x + 1 (x is an integer from 0 or more to i - 1 or less) belonging to the connector is D1, the distance between n + x belonging to the connector and n + x + 1 belonging to the blocker is D2, and the distance between n + x + 1 belonging to the blocker and n + x + 1 belonging to the connector is D3, the conditions D1 ≥ D2 and D1 ≥ D3 are satisfied.

[0036] According to another aspect, the first notation method and the second notation method are characterized in that any one or more selected from the group consisting of the font color of the displayed number, the shadow color of the displayed number, and the shadow shape of the displayed number are different from each other.

[0037] According to still another aspect, i is characterized in that it is 2 to 49.

[0038] According to still another aspect, when the numbers belonging to the connector are sequentially connected by line segments in ascending order from the smaller number to the larger number, all the line segments do not intersect each other.

[0039] According to another aspect, the present invention is a computer-readable storage medium including instructions for controlling a computer system to provide a cognitive function test method, where the instructions include a step of randomly displaying numbers from n to n+i (n is an integer greater than or equal to 0, and i is an integer greater than or equal to 3) on a screen, where n is displayed once, and n+1 to n+i are each displayed twice. The same two numbers displayed twice are each displayed in a first notation method and a second notation method that are distinguishable from each other. These numbers are classified into two groups: connectors and distractors. The connector includes n defined as the starting point, where n is displayed in the first notation method or the second notation method. Also, the connector includes n+b (b is an odd number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to i) displayed in a notation method different from n among the first notation method and the second notation method, and n+a (a is an even number greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to i) displayed in the same notation method as n. The distractor includes n+a (a is an even number greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to i) displayed in a notation method different from n among the first notation method and the second notation method, and n+b (b is an odd number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to i) displayed in the same notation method as n. It further includes a step of receiving information regarding the numbers clicked or sequentially connected by the user, and a step of determining, based on the information input by the user, whether the numbers belonging to the connector are clicked or sequentially connected in ascending order from the smallest number to the largest number, and displaying the result on the screen. A computer-readable storage medium is provided, characterized by including the above steps.

[0040] According to one aspect, in the computer-readable storage medium, when the distance between n+x and n+x+1 (x is an integer greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to i-1) belonging to the connector is defined as D1, the distance between n+x belonging to the connector and n+x+1 belonging to the distractor is defined as D2, and the distance between n+x+1 belonging to the distractor and n+x+1 belonging to the connector is defined as D3, the conditions D1≧D2 and D1≧D3 are satisfied.

[0041] According to another aspect, any one or more selected from the group consisting of the font color of the displayed number, the shadow color of the displayed number, and the shadow shape of the displayed number in the first notation method and the second notation method may be different from each other.

[0042] According to another aspect, it is characterized in that the i is 2 to 49.

[0043] According to another aspect, when connecting the numbers belonging to the connector in order from the smallest number to the largest number by line segments, all the line segments do not intersect each other.

Advantages of the Invention

[0044] By using the method and inspection system of the present invention, a very effective and highly reliable cognitive ability test related to prefrontal lobe activity can be performed, and the test results can be utilized to provide information for the diagnosis of diseases causing cognitive ability decline.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0045]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0046] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the basic principle of the inspection according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0048] The "inspection" may be an inspection for cognitive functions related to frontal lobe activity. Referring to FIG. 1, an inspection according to an example may be performed by providing a user with a test board for cognitive function diagnosis on which a plurality of numbers are arranged, having the user concatenate the numbers arranged on the test board in order, and determining whether the user concatenates the numbers arranged on the test board in the correct order according to a rule. According to an example, the rule may be to concatenate the numbers in ascending order from the smallest number to the largest number.

[0049] The "test board" according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a piece of paper on which numbers are printed or an electronic device on which numbers are displayed on a screen. When paper is used as the test board, the person to be examined may perform the test by drawing line segments in order to connect the selected numbers according to a predetermined rule, or by using a finger or other tool to connect or point out the selected numbers in order according to a predetermined rule while being visually confirmed by medical staff. In order to facilitate the post-processing of the inspection results, it is preferable to perform the test by drawing line segments in order to connect the selected numbers according to a predetermined rule. When the test board is provided in the form of an electronic device including a screen on which numbers are displayed, the same arrangement of numbers may be displayed each time the inspection is performed, or the arrangement of the numbers may change each time the inspection is performed. When the arrangement of the numbers is the same each time the inspection is performed, it is easy to mutually compare the inspection results between different examinees, and the reliability of the inspection results can be enhanced. When performing multiple inspections on the same examinee, the arrangement of the numbers may change each time the inspection is performed in order to reduce the bias that may occur due to getting used to the number arrangement, but it is not necessarily limited to this.

[0050] According to one example, the numbers displayed on the test board may be displayed in a first notation method or a second notation method that are separated from each other. In this case, the rule may further include alternately concatenating the first notation method and the second notation method. That is, the rule may be set to concatenate the numbers in ascending order from the smallest number to the largest number, but alternately select the notation method. Referring to the example of FIG. 1, the rule may be to sequentially concatenate the numbers 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 according to a predetermined rule.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 1, the numbers may be classified into two groups: a connector and an interferer. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the connectors 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 and the interferers 202, 203, 204, 205 can be confirmed. According to one example, the rule may be to concatenate the numbers in ascending order from the smallest number to the largest number, but only concatenate the connectors excluding the interferers.

[0052] According to one example, numbers from n to n + i (n is an integer greater than or equal to 0, and i is an integer greater than or equal to 3) are arranged on the test board. At this time, n may be displayed once, and n + 1 to n + i may each be displayed twice. One of the two identical numbers displayed twice may be used as a connector, and the remaining one may be used as an interferer. The connector and the interferer may be displayed in different ways. For example, the connector and the interferer may be visually distinguished by displaying the two identical numbers displayed twice in a first notation method and a second notation method that are separated from each other.

[0053] The first notation method and the second notation method may each be different from each other in any one or more selected from the group consisting of the font color of the displayed number, the shadow color of the displayed number, and the shadow shape of the displayed number. In one example, the first notation method and the second notation method may have different shadow colors of the displayed numbers. In another example, the first notation method and the second notation method may be distinguished from each other by being represented by different ones of black or white as the shadow color of the numbers. In the example of FIG. 1, in the first notation method, the number is represented in black and the shadow is represented in white, and in the second notation method, the number is represented in white and the shadow is represented in black.

[0054] Referring to the example of FIG. 1, an example where n = 1 and i = 4 will be described.

[0055] The connector includes n defined as the starting point, and n may be displayed in the first notation method or the second notation method. In the example of FIG. 1, the number 1 (101) displayed in the first notation method is the starting point.

[0056] The connector includes n + b (where b is an odd number from 1 to i) displayed in a notation method different from the said n and n + a (where a is an even number from 2 to i) displayed in the same notation method as n among the first notation method and the second notation method. The blocker may include n + a (where a is an even number from 2 to i) displayed in a notation method different from n and n + b (where b is an odd number from 1 to i) displayed in the same notation method as n among the first notation method and the second notation method. In the example of FIG. 1, the number 1 is displayed once (101), and the numbers 2 to 5 are each displayed twice. In the case of the numbers 2 to 5 displayed twice, one is displayed as the connector 102, 103, 104, 105, and the other is displayed as the blocker 202, 203, 204, 205. It can be seen that in the example of FIG. 1, the connector and the blocker are displayed in different ways.

[0057] According to one example, when the distance between n + x and n + x + 1 (x is an integer from 0 to i - 1) belonging to the connector is D1, the distance between n + x belonging to the connector and n + x + 1 belonging to the obstructer is D2, and the distance between n + x + 1 belonging to the obstructer and n + x + 1 belonging to the connector is D3, the conditions D1 ≥ D2 and D1 ≥ D3 may be satisfied. According to one example, D1 may be greater than D2 and D3. Thereby, the obstructer n + x + 1 can effectively obstruct the user from correctly connecting the connectors by being present near the line of sight of the user who attempts to connect the connector n + x and the connector n + x + 1. In the example of FIG. 1, the distance between the connectors 101 and 102 is D1, the distance between the connector 101 and the obstructer 202 is D2, and the distance between the obstructer 202 and the connector 102 is D3. In FIG. 1, it is shown that the conditions D1 ≥ D2 and D1 ≥ D3 are satisfied.

[0058] The obstructer can be used to increase the difficulty of inspection. For example, when the user looks around the connector n + x to move to the next number, at this time, although the next connector n + x + 1 and the number are the same, due to the different notation methods, it is highly possible to discover the obstructer n + x + 1 that is closer than the next connector n + x + 1 first. According to this, the user has to further make a judgment to exclude the obstructer n + x + 1 in order to correctly move to the next connector n + x + 1. Therefore, the obstructer can increase the difficulty of inspection.

[0059] The aforementioned i may be from 2 to 49. Or, the aforementioned i may be from 9 to 29.

[0060] FIG. 2 is an example of a test board. According to one embodiment, FIG. 2 may be used as a test board for a cognitive function test related to prefrontal lobe activity. If FIG. 1 is a figure for explaining the inspection rules, FIG. 2 is a figure showing the state where numbers are randomly arranged on the actual test board. The example of FIG. 2 shows the case where n = 1 and i = 4.

[0061] After explaining the rules to the user while providing the test board of FIG. 2, it is possible to perform an inspection by determining whether the user connects the connectors 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 in order according to the rules.

[0062] FIG. 3 is another example of a test board. According to one embodiment, the test paper of FIG. 3 may be used as a test board for a cognitive function test related to frontal lobe activity. The illustration of FIG. 3 shows the case where n = 1 and i = 14. In the same manner as the method described in FIG. 1, it can be seen that the connector 101 corresponding to the number 1 and the connectors 102 to 115 corresponding to the numbers 2 to 15 and the blockers 202 to 225 are respectively shown on the test board of FIG. 3.

[0063] After explaining the rules to the user while providing the test board of FIG. 3, it is possible to perform an inspection by determining whether the user connects the connectors 101 to 115 in order according to the rules.

[0064] FIG. 4 is another example of a test board. According to one embodiment, the test paper of FIG. 4 may be used as a test board for a cognitive function test related to frontal lobe activity. The illustration of FIG. 4 shows the case where n = 1 and i = 24. In the same manner as the method described in FIG. 1, it can be seen that the connector 101 corresponding to the number 1 and the connectors 102 to 125 corresponding to the numbers 2 to 25 and the blockers 202 to 225 are respectively shown on the test board of FIG. 4.

[0065] After explaining the rules to the user while providing the test board of FIG. 4, it is possible to perform an inspection by determining whether the user connects the connectors (101 to 125) in order according to the rules.

[0066] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the test board according to an example of the present invention may be provided such that when the numbers belonging to the connectors are connected in order of small numbers to large numbers by line segments, all the line segments do not cross each other.

[0067] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The inspection apparatus 500 includes a display unit 510, a control unit 520, and an input / output unit 530.

[0068] FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an inspection method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to both FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0070] In step 61, the display unit 510 can randomly display numbers from n to n + i (where n is an integer greater than or equal to 0 and i is an integer greater than or equal to 3) on the screen under the control of the control unit 520.

[0071] In step 62, the input / output unit 530 receives information regarding the numbers clicked or sequentially connected by the user.

[0072] In step 63, the control unit 520 determines whether the numbers belonging to the connector are connected according to a rule based on the information input in step 62. Here, the rule may be to click or sequentially connect the numbers belonging to the connector in ascending order.

[0073] In step 64, the display unit 510 displays the determination result of step 63 on the screen.

[0074] Here, n is displayed once, and n + 1 to n + i are each displayed twice. The two identical numbers displayed twice may be displayed in a first notation method and a second notation method that are distinguishable from each other. According to an example, i may be from 2 to 49. According to an example, i may be from 9 to 29.

[0075] The numbers may be classified into two groups: a connector and an interferer.

[0076] The connector may include n defined as the starting point. n may be represented in the first notation method or the second notation method. The connector may include n + b (where b is an odd number from 1 to i) represented in a notation method different from n among the first notation method and the second notation method, and n + a (where a is an even number from 2 to i) represented in the same notation method as n. According to an example, when connecting the numbers belonging to the connector in order from the smallest number to the largest number by line segments, all the line segments may be set so as not to intersect with each other.

[0077] The blocker may include n + a (where a is an even number from 2 to i) represented in a notation method different from n among the first notation method and the second notation method, and n + b (where b is an odd number from 1 to i) represented in the same notation method as the said n. When the distance between n + x and n + x + 1 (where x is an integer from 0 to i - 1) belonging to the connector is D1, the distance between n + x belonging to the connector and n + x + 1 belonging to the blocker is D2, and the distance between n + x + 1 belonging to the blocker and n + x + 1 belonging to the connector is D3, it may satisfy the condition that D1 ≥ D2 and D1 ≥ D3. For example, D1 may be larger than D2 and D3.

[0078] Any one or more selected from the group consisting of the font color of the displayed number, the shadow color of the displayed number, and the shadow shape of the displayed number in the first notation method and the second notation method may be different from each other respectively. According to an example, in the first notation method and the second notation method, the shadow colors of the displayed numbers may be different from each other. According to an example, the first notation method and the second notation method may be distinguished from each other by being represented by either different ones of black or white as the shadow colors of the numbers respectively.

[0079] The method described above according to an example of the present invention may be embodied in the form of program instructions executable by computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium.

[0080] According to an example of the present invention, a computer program stored in a computer-readable medium may be provided to execute the method described above.

[0081] TMT-B&W, which is an embodiment of the present invention, has the advantage that illiterate people and people with low educational levels can also conduct cross-cultural comparative studies without bias and without prejudice due to language barriers. TMT-B&W part B includes intruders from No. 2 to No. 25 and has characteristics sensitive to the measurement of prefrontal lobe function.

[0082] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the contents of the drawings. However, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can understand that various specific embodiments can be implemented by modifying the technical idea and essential technical features of the present invention without changing them. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are merely specific examples of the present invention and are not limited thereto.

[0083] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail using experimental examples. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains that these experimental examples are merely for more specifically explaining the present invention and that the scope of the present invention presented in the appended claims is not limited by these examples.

[0084] Example 1: Subject The health check questionnaire (Christensen KJ, Multhaup KS, Nordstrom S, Voss K. A cognitive battery for dementia: Development and measurement characteristics. Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1991;3(2):168.) was administered to healthy adults who expressed their willingness to participate in the study through personal contact at the elderly welfare center or in the local community. Trained psychologists (undergraduate or graduate students in psychology) conducted the mini-mental status examination and TMT-B&W on people who were confirmed to have no medical history related to cognitive function. All subjects were explained the purpose and procedures of the study, and written consent was obtained before the study.

[0085] Example 2: TMT-B&W Measurement TMT-B&W was composed of two subsets: TMT-B&W Part A and TMT-B&W Part B. TMT-B&W Part A consisted of 25 round numbers (1 - 25), with even numbers in black circles and odd numbers in white circles (Figure 1-a). TMT-B&W Part B displayed all numbers (2 - 25) except 1 twice. The number 1 was displayed only once in a white circle, and each corresponding number had black and white circles (Figure 1-b).

[0086] In TMT-B&W Part A, the subject was instructed to draw a line connecting the numbers in the circles in ascending order. In TMT-B&W Part B, the subject was instructed to alternately connect the two-color sets in ascending order. The time (seconds) taken to complete the test was measured. A maximum of 300 seconds was allowed to complete the test for each part of the test.

[0087] Example 3: Statistical Analysis Correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the correlation between demographic variables. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relative contributions of age, gender, and educational level. A series of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) using Bonferroni post hoc tests was conducted to confirm the main effects of age and educational level. Age was divided into eight categories (19 - 24 years old, 25 - 34 years old, 35 - 44 years old, 45 - 54 years old, 55 - 64 years old, 65 - 74 years old, 75 - 84 years old, 85 years old and above). Educational level was divided into eight items (illiterate, able to read but not educated group, 1 - 3 years, 4 - 6 years, 7 - 9 years, 10 - 12 years, 13 - 16 years, 17 years and above educational level) referring to the Korean education system. The normative data of TMT - B&W were presented as mean, standard deviation, median, 5th and 95th percentile scores. SPSS version 19.0 was used for all statistical analyses.

[0088] 3 - 1. Demographic Characteristics A total of 1012 subjects who participated in this study were 42% male (n = 430) and 58% female (n = 582). The demographic findings of the included subjects are shown in Table 1. There was no significant difference in the mean age between men and women. The mean educational level of male subjects was significantly higher than that of female subjects (p < 0.001).

[0089]

Table 1

[0090] aMean±SD 3 - 2. Effects of Age, Gender, and Educational Level on TMT - B&W The correlation between demographic variables and scores for parts A and B of TMT - B&W showed that age, gender, and educational level not only had a significant correlation with the scores of parts A and B of TMT - B&W, but also had a significant correlation with each other (Table 2).

[0091]

Table 2

[0092] * p < 0.001 Therefore, multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the independent effects of each variable on TMT-B&W. All age, gender, and education level had a significant effect on the TMT-B&W Part A and B scores. In TMT-B&W Part A, education level accounted for the largest proportion of score variation rather than the order of age and gender. In TMT-B&W Part B, age, education level, and gender had a significant effect in that order. The multiple regression analysis results are shown in Table 3. The three variables showed an explanatory power of 53% for TMT-B&W Part A and 70% for TMT-B&W Part B. Therefore, when analyzing the TMT-B&W results, education level, age, and gender must be considered, and appropriate norms stratified by such variables need to be established.

[0093]

Table 3

[0094] Regarding age, the age category was first subdivided into 8 categories (19 - 24 years old, 25 - 34 years old, 35 - 44 years old, 45 - 54 years old, 55 - 64 years old, 65 - 74 years old, 75 - 84 years old, 85 years old and above). ANCOVA was performed to examine the effect of age, and post-hoc analysis was performed to compare the effects of educational groups in the 8 age categories. For both TMT-B&W Part A and B, there was no significant difference between the age categories of 19 - 24 years old, 25 - 34 years old, and 34 - 44 years old, and the age groups of 75 - 84 years old and 85 years old and above. Therefore, the age category was reclassified into 5 categories (44 years old and below, 45 - 54 years old, 55 - 64 years old, 65 - 74 years old, 75 years old and above).

[0095] Regarding educational level, in the post-hoc analysis among the first eight educational levels, significant differences were found between any two educational level categories except for the categories of 13 - 16 years and 17 years or more. Therefore, the educational level categories were reclassified into seven categories (illiterate, able to read but not educated group, 1 - 3 years, 4 - 6 years, 7 - 9 years, 10 - 12 years, 13 years or more of educational level). Figure 7 shows the results of ANCOVA indicating that the time to complete both Parts A and B of the TMT-B&W is correlated with age and educational level.

[0096] 3. Normative Data Based on the analysis of the influence of demographic variables, the normative data of Parts A and B of the TMT-B&W were stratified by age and educational attainment. The normative data of Parts A and B of the TMT-B&W for men and women are shown in Tables 4 and 5 (TMT-B&W Part A) and Tables 6 and 7 (TMT-B&W Part B).

[0097] [Table 4]

[0098] N, number; SD, Standard deviation

[0099] [Table 5]

[0100] N, number; SD, Standard deviation

[0101] [Table 6]

[0102] * None of the individuals in this category could complete the test within 300 seconds. N, number; SD, Standard deviation

[0103]

Table 7

[0104] * None of the individuals in this category were able to complete the test within 300 seconds. N, number; SD, Standard deviation

Explanation of Signs

[0105] 101, 102, 103, 104, 105: Connectors 202, 203, 204, 205: Interferers 500: Inspection device 510: Display unit 520: Control unit 530: Input / output unit

Claims

1. A test plate for cognitive function diagnosis in which numbers from n to n + i (n is an integer greater than or equal to 0, and i is an integer greater than or equal to 3) are arranged. n is displayed once, and n + 1 to n + i are each displayed twice. The two identical numbers displayed twice are each displayed in a first notation method and a second notation method that are distinguishable from each other. The numbers are classified into two groups: connectors and obstructors. The connector includes n defined as the starting point, and n is displayed in the first notation method or the second notation method. The connector includes n + b (b is an odd number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to i) displayed in a notation method different from that of n and n + a (a is an even number greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to i) displayed in the same notation method as n among the first notation method and the second notation method. The obstructor includes n + a (a is an even number greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to i) displayed in a notation method different from that of n and n + b (b is an odd number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to i) displayed in the same notation method as n among the first notation method and the second notation method, a test plate for cognitive function diagnosis.

2. When the distance between n + x and n + x + 1 (x is an integer greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to i - 1) belonging to the connector is D1, the distance between n + x belonging to the connector and n + x + 1 belonging to the obstructor is D2, and the distance between n + x + 1 belonging to the obstructor and n + x + 1 belonging to the connector is D3, the test plate for cognitive function diagnosis according to Claim 1, characterized in that D1 ≥ D2 and D1 ≥ D3 are satisfied.

3. The first notation method and the second notation method are each characterized in that any one or more selected from the group consisting of the font color of the displayed number, the shadow color of the displayed number, and the shadow shape of the displayed number are different from each other, the test plate for cognitive function diagnosis according to Claim 1.

4. The first notation method and the second notation method are characterized in that the shadow colors of the displayed numbers are different from each other, the test plate for cognitive function diagnosis according to Claim 3.

5. The first notation method and the second notation method are characterized in that they are distinguished from each other by being represented by any one of black or white, which are different from each other, as the shadow color of the number, the test plate for cognitive function diagnosis according to Claim 4.

6. The test plate for cognitive function diagnosis according to Claim 1, characterized in that D1 is greater than D2 and D3.

7. The test plate for cognitive function diagnosis according to claim 1, wherein i is 2 to 49.

8. The test plate for cognitive function diagnosis according to claim 7, wherein i is 9 to 29.

9. The test plate for cognitive function diagnosis according to claim 1, wherein when connecting the numbers belonging to the connector in order from the smallest number to the largest number by line segments, all the line segments do not intersect each other.

10. A step of randomly displaying numbers from n to n + i (n is an integer of 0 or more, and i is an integer of 3 or more) on the screen, A step of receiving information regarding the numbers clicked or sequentially connected by the user, A step of determining whether the numbers belonging to the connector are sequentially clicked or sequentially connected from the smallest number to the largest number according to the information input by the user, and displaying the result on the screen, including: The n is displayed once, n + 1 to n + i are each displayed twice, and the same two numbers displayed twice are each displayed in a first notation method and a second notation method that are distinguishable from each other. These numbers are classified into two groups: a connector and an interferer. The connector includes n defined as a starting point, and n is displayed in the first notation method or the second notation method. Also, the connector includes n + b (b is an odd number from 1 to i) displayed in a notation method different from that of n and n + a (a is an even number from 2 to i) displayed in the same notation method as n among the first notation method and the second notation method. The interferer includes n + a (a is an even number from 2 to i) displayed in a notation method different from that of n and n + b (b is an odd number from 1 to i) displayed in the same notation method as n among the first notation method and the second notation method. An information providing method for cognitive function diagnosis.

11. When the distance between n + x and n + x + 1 (x is an integer from 0 to i - 1) belonging to the connector is D1, the distance between n + x belonging to the connector and n + x + 1 belonging to the interferer is D2, and the distance between n + x + 1 belonging to the interferer and n + x + 1 belonging to the connector is D3, the information providing method for cognitive function diagnosis according to claim 10, characterized in that D1 ≥ D2 and D1 ≥ D3 are satisfied.

12. The first notation method and the second notation method are each characterized in that any one or more selected from the group consisting of the font color of the displayed number, the shadow color of the displayed number, and the shadow shape of the displayed number are different from each other. The information providing method for cognitive function diagnosis according to claim 11.

13. The first notation method and the second notation method are characterized in that the shadow colors of the displayed numbers are different from each other. The information providing method for cognitive function diagnosis according to claim 12.

14. The first notation method and the second notation method are characterized in that they are distinguished from each other by being represented by any one of black or white, which are different from each other, as the shadow color of the number. The information providing method for cognitive function diagnosis according to claim 13.

15. The information providing method for cognitive function diagnosis according to claim 10, wherein D1 is larger than D2 and D3.

16. The information providing method for cognitive function diagnosis according to claim 10, wherein i is from 2 to 49.

17. The information providing method for cognitive function diagnosis according to claim 16, wherein i is from 9 to 29.

18. When connecting the numbers belonging to the connector in order from the smallest number to the largest number by line segments, all the line segments do not intersect each other. The information providing method for cognitive function diagnosis according to claim 10.

19. A display unit that randomly displays numbers from n to n + i (n is an integer of 0 or more, and i is an integer of 3 or more) on the screen, An input / output unit that receives information regarding the numbers clicked or sequentially connected by the user, A control unit that determines whether the numbers belonging to the connector are sequentially clicked or sequentially connected from the smallest number to the largest number according to the information input by the user, and The display unit displays the determination result of the control unit on the screen. The n is displayed once, and n+1 to n+i are each displayed twice. The same two numbers displayed twice are respectively displayed in a first notation method and a second notation method that are distinguishable from each other. These numbers are classified into two groups: a connector group and an interferer group. The connector group includes n defined as the starting point, and the n is displayed in the first notation method or the second notation method. Also, the connector group includes n+b (b is an odd number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to i) displayed in a notation method different from that of the n among the first notation method and the second notation method, and n+a (a is an even number greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to i) displayed in the same notation method as the n. The interferer group includes n+a (a is an even number greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to i) displayed in a notation method different from that of the n among the first notation method and the second notation method, and n+b (b is an odd number greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to i) displayed in the same notation method as the n. A cognitive function test providing device characterized by the above.

20. When the distance between n+x and n+x+1 (x is an integer greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to i-1) belonging to the connector group is D1, the distance between n+x belonging to the connector group and n+x+1 belonging to the interferer group is D2, and the distance between n+x+1 belonging to the interferer group and n+x+1 belonging to the connector group is D3, the cognitive function test providing device according to claim 19, characterized in that D1≥D2 and D1≥D3 are satisfied.

21. The cognitive function test providing device according to claim 20, characterized in that at least one selected from the group consisting of the font color of the displayed number, the shadow color of the displayed number, and the shadow shape of the displayed number in the first notation method and the second notation method is different from each other.

22. The cognitive function test providing device according to claim 20, characterized in that the i is 2 to 49.

23. The cognitive function test providing device according to claim 20, characterized in that when the numbers belonging to the connector group are connected in order of line segments from the smallest number to the largest number, all the line segments do not intersect each other.

24. A computer program stored in a computer-readable recording medium for causing a computer to execute each step according to any one of claims 10 to 18.

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