System and interactive method for evaluating cognitive function of subjects based on fNIRS

Abstract

The present application discloses a system and interactive method for evaluating the cognitive function of a subject based on fNIRS. The head cap and near-infrared light emitting / receiving probe in the system enable the imaging range to cover the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe; the cognitive assessment paradigm interactive device sequentially executes the inhibitory control assessment paradigm, the alert attention assessment paradigm, the selective attention assessment paradigm, the core attention network assessment paradigm, the working memory assessment paradigm, and the cognitive control assessment paradigm in a single-block mode in an order of execution from simple to difficult; the signal acquisition device collaboratively collects near-infrared brain function imaging time series data during the sequential execution of each assessment paradigm; the processing device evaluates the cognitive function of the subject based on the near-infrared brain function imaging time series data and the behavioral data generated based on the assessment paradigm. The present application can obtain brain function data of more dimensions associated with cognitive function in a relatively short period of time, which is convenient for clinical evaluation and analysis of the cognitive function of the subject from multiple angles based on fNIRS.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of brain function assisted assessment, and in particular relates to a system and interactive method for assessing a subject's cognitive function based on fNIRS. Background Art

[0002] Prolonged, high-intensity tasks can impair cognitive function, impacting productivity, quality of life, and physical and mental health. In the workplace, cognitive decline can also increase the risk of errors and accidents, threatening productivity and safety. Furthermore, aging or illness can also lead to cognitive impairment, ranging from mild cognitive impairment to severe conditions like Alzheimer's disease, all of which can lead to reduced quality of life and increased social burdens.

[0003] A comprehensive and accurate assessment of cognitive function is a prerequisite for intervention and treatment. Comprehensively assessing a subject's cognitive function requires corroboration of brain function data across multiple dimensions. Currently, there are two primary approaches: one involves having the subject perform multiple paradigms continuously, and the other involves simultaneously collecting multimodal data within a single paradigm using different devices. In the former scenario, different paradigms often have inconsistent hardware requirements. In the paradigm adapted for near-infrared data acquisition, due to the data volume requirements of near-infrared data analysis, an experimental paradigm often requires multiple blocks. A complete experimental paradigm often takes at least 15-20 minutes. Continuously executing multiple paradigms requires changing hardware equipment and software settings, which takes a long time overall. The subjects often have mental illness tendencies or are elderly or have other medical conditions, so it is often difficult to cooperate with the execution of too many experimental paradigms. Currently, in clinical practice, only 2-3 complete experimental paradigms can be executed continuously. In the latter scenario, EEG (Electroencephalogram), fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy), etc. Each technology has its unique advantages and limitations. The purpose of multimodal signal acquisition technology is to integrate these technologies to obtain more comprehensive brain activity information. However, when different devices are used together, in addition to considering whether the subject's brain has enough space to accommodate multiple devices, different devices working simultaneously may also affect each other, thereby reducing the accuracy of the final collected data. In addition, there are problems such as data baseline alignment when collecting data within different measurement systems. In order to avoid the influence of the above-mentioned multiple factors, related technologies generally only use 2-3 specific devices at the same time to collect data simultaneously.

[0004] It can be seen that the existing related technologies lack a complete solution that can obtain multi-dimensional brain data of the subject in a short period of time. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application is provided to address the aforementioned deficiencies in the prior art. A system and interactive method for assessing a subject's cognitive function based on fNIRS is needed, which can obtain more dimensional brain function-related data associated with the subject's cognitive function in a relatively short period of time, thereby facilitating a multi-faceted and more comprehensive evaluation and analysis of the subject's brain, particularly cognitive function, based on fNIRS in clinical practice.

[0006] According to the first scheme of the present application, a system for evaluating the cognitive function of a subject based on fNIRS is provided, wherein the system includes a portable signal acquisition device, a head cap, a cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device and a processing device, wherein the head cap is used to install a near-infrared light transmitting probe and a receiving probe, and the transmitting probe and the receiving probe enable the imaging range to cover at least the target positions of each brain region of the frontal lobe, temporal lobe and occipital lobe, the transmitting probe is connected to the signal acquisition device to power the light source component in the transmitting probe with the electric energy transmitted by the signal acquisition device; the receiving probe is connected to the signal acquisition device to transmit near-infrared light to the signal acquisition device; the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device is used to execute inhibition control in sequence in a single block mode in an order of execution from simple to difficult. The present invention relates to a cognitive control assessment paradigm, a vigilance attention assessment paradigm, a selective attention assessment paradigm, a core attention network assessment paradigm, a working memory assessment paradigm, and a cognitive control assessment paradigm, which includes sequentially presenting paradigm materials that match the corresponding assessment paradigm to the subject, receiving the subject's feedback results during the cognitive function assessment process, and transmitting the feedback results and the corresponding time information as the subject's behavioral data to the processing device; the signal acquisition device is used to collect the subject's near-infrared brain function imaging time series data during the sequential execution of each assessment paradigm, and transmit the near-infrared brain function imaging time series data to the processing device, so that the processing device can evaluate the subject's cognitive function based on the received near-infrared brain function imaging time series data and behavioral data.

[0007] According to a second embodiment of the present application, an interactive method for collecting fNIRS data from a subject is provided. The interactive method includes executing, by a processor of a cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, the following steps: sequentially executing, in descending order, an inhibitory control assessment paradigm, a vigilance attention assessment paradigm, a selective attention assessment paradigm, a core attention network assessment paradigm, a working memory assessment paradigm, and a cognitive control assessment paradigm as described in the various embodiments of the present application in a single-block mode, including sequentially presenting paradigm materials matching the corresponding assessment paradigms to the subject and receiving feedback from the subject during the cognitive function assessment process; wherein the feedback results and corresponding time information are used as the subject's behavioral data, together with the near-infrared brain function imaging time series data of the subject collected by the fNIRS signal acquisition device during the sequential execution of each assessment paradigm, for the processing device to evaluate the subject's cognitive function.

[0008] The various embodiments of the present application provide a system and interactive method for evaluating a subject's cognitive function based on fNIRS, which uses an fNIRS head cap with an imaging range that can at least cover target locations in various brain regions such as the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe, as well as a cognitive assessment paradigm interactive device with a highly integrated, unified software and hardware framework. Therefore, during the entire assessment process, the subject does not need to tediously change wearable devices, nor will the process be prolonged or possible failures occur due to switching software and hardware. In addition, during the execution of the assessment paradigm, the process proceeds step by step from simple to complex, and each paradigm only executes a single optimized block. Compared with executing multiple blocks, the entire process takes less time and is less boring. It is more friendly to subjects who may suffer from mental illness, or are elderly and have other adverse health conditions. Especially in clinical practice, it is also easy for subjects to complete the entire assessment experiment process in a more compliant state, and the obtained test results will often more realistically reflect the state of their cognitive function. Moreover, the optimized and designed multiple evaluation paradigms are used as a composite paradigm under a unified framework and are executed continuously in the same time period. The overall execution time is equivalent to or even shorter than the execution time of multiple blocks of a single paradigm. The execution process is not boring and is easier for the subjects to accept. Moreover, when multiple paradigms are executed from simple to difficult, it is more conducive to the subjects to maintain a stable evaluation state. The collected data have a unified benchmark and can be integrated without too much additional processing to form high-value near-infrared brain functional imaging data with more dimensions and larger data volumes. This is conducive to a comprehensive and accurate evaluation of the subjects' cognitive functions based on these data and behavioral data of multi-paradigm evaluations with internal logic, mutual correlation, and hierarchical progression. It can provide strong support for early screening, diagnosis, intervention, treatment and prognosis evaluation of brain diseases, especially cognitive functions, as well as wider clinical applications. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0010] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the system composition for evaluating a subject's cognitive function based on fNIRS according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0011] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the execution steps of the inhibitory control evaluation paradigm according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0012] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the execution steps of the alertness and attention assessment paradigm according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0013] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the execution steps of the selection attention assessment paradigm according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0014] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the execution steps of the core attention network evaluation paradigm according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0015] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the execution steps of a working memory assessment paradigm according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0016] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the execution steps of the cognitive control evaluation paradigm according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present application, the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The embodiments of the present application are further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but are not intended to limit the present application.

[0018] The words "first", "second" and similar terms used in this application do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish. The words "include" or "comprises" and similar terms used in this application mean that the elements before the word include the elements listed after the word, and do not exclude the possibility of covering other elements. In this application, the arrows shown in the figures of each step are only examples of the execution order, not limitations. The technical solution of this application is not limited to the execution order described in the embodiments. The steps in the execution order can be combined, decomposed, or swapped, as long as the logical relationship of the execution content is not affected.

[0019] All terms used in this application (including technical or scientific terms) have the same meaning as understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in common dictionaries, for example, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or highly formal sense, unless explicitly defined as such herein. Techniques and devices known to a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques and devices should be considered part of the specification.

[0020] In this application, the arrows shown in the figures of each step are only examples of the execution order, not limitations. The technical solution of this application is not limited to the execution order described in the embodiments. The various steps in the execution order can be combined for execution, can be decomposed for execution, and can be swapped in order, as long as it does not affect the logical relationship of the execution content.

[0021] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a system composition for evaluating a subject's cognitive function based on fNIRS according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, the system 1 for evaluating a subject's cognitive function based on fNIRS according to an embodiment of the present application may include a portable signal acquisition device 10 , a head cap 11 , a cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device 12 , and a processing device 13 .

[0022] Figure 1 The head cap 11 is used to install the near-infrared light transmitting probe S and receiving probe D, wherein the multiple SD channels formed by the transmitting probe S and the receiving probe D should be able to make the imaging range of fNIRS cover at least the target positions of the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe and other brain regions. Preferably, the head cap 11 can make the imaging range of fNIRS cover the target positions of the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe and parietal lobe. Brain functions, especially cognitive functions, are closely related to the above-mentioned brain regions. For example, it is known that lesions related to Alzheimer's disease, dementia, cognitive impairment, etc. widely involve the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, pineal gland and other brain regions and target positions. The parietal-occipital network is closely related to supporting multiple representations in visual working memory. More specifically, experimental studies have shown that inflammation in the hippocampus may lead to neurodegenerative changes, affecting memory and cognitive function, and worsening Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and cognitive impairment. However, inhibition of inflammation in the hippocampus produced by near-infrared light therapy targeting the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, or further together with the occipital lobe and parietal lobe can significantly improve related cognitive function and emotional state.

[0023] Therefore, the coverage of the head cap 11 of the present application and the transmitting probe S and receiving probe D that can be installed thereon covers most of the brain regions and important target positions involved in the evaluation of brain function, especially cognitive function, based on fNIRS. In other embodiments, by installing transmitting / receiving probes at corresponding positions such as the top of the head cap, it is possible to further achieve coverage of target positions of the parietal lobe and even all brain regions. In this way, it can be ensured that during the execution of each evaluation paradigm, there is no need to require the subject to change the head cap, thereby avoiding discomfort to the subject due to increased links and evaluation time.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, the transmitting probe S is connected to the signal acquisition device 10 to power the light source component in the transmitting probe S with the electric energy transmitted by the signal acquisition device 10, so that each transmitting probe S radiates near-infrared light to the brain area of ​​the subject according to preset parameters; the receiving probe D is connected to the signal acquisition device 10 to transmit the near-infrared light emitted from the brain area of ​​the subject to the signal acquisition device 10.

[0025] In some embodiments, the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device 12 can be used, for example, to execute the inhibitory control assessment paradigm, the alert attention assessment paradigm, the selective attention assessment paradigm, the core attention network assessment paradigm, the working memory assessment paradigm, and the cognitive control assessment paradigm in a single block mode in an order of execution from simple to difficult, including sequentially presenting paradigm materials matching the corresponding assessment paradigm to the subject, receiving the subject's feedback results during the cognitive function assessment process, and transmitting the feedback results and corresponding time information as the subject's behavioral data to the processing device 13. The data transmission between the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device 12 and the processing device 13 can be wired or wireless, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0026] For the assessment of inhibitory control, specific implementation methods that can be commonly used include, for example, the Go / No-Go (GNG) paradigm (which requires subjects to respond quickly to a specific stimulus while inhibiting responses to another type of stimulus), the Stroop task (subjects are required to ignore the semantic meaning of the text and name the font color. The reaction time extension and error rate under conflict conditions are measured to reflect the ability to inhibit semantic interference), the Flanker task (subjects are required to focus on the central target stimulus and inhibit attention to the interference stimuli on both sides. The performance differences between conflict and non-conflict conditions are used to quantify the efficiency of selective attention and interference inhibition), as well as variants and extended paradigms of the above paradigms.

[0027] For the assessment of vigilance and attention, for example, it can be specifically implemented as a continuous performance test paradigm (CPT, requiring the subject to quickly respond to a specific target (such as the letter X followed by the Y) in a long monotonous stimulus sequence (such as a random letter or number stream), a time expectation prompting paradigm (using regular cues (such as fixed interval cues) to guide the subject to predict the time of target appearance, and to detect the vigilance sensitivity to time cues) and a non-spatial cue prompting paradigm (using auditory or visual non-directional cues (such as global brightness changes) to initiate the vigilance state and measure the degree to which the effectiveness of the cue improves the reaction time), rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP, for example, presenting a visual sequence at a speed of 10-20 items per second, requiring the subject to detect occasional targets in a continuous stimulus stream, and evaluating the efficiency of vigilance resource allocation under high load), etc.

[0028] For the assessment of selective attention, for example, it can be specifically implemented as the Stroop task, the spatial cue paradigm (effective cues are used to indicate the location of the target to shorten the reaction time, and invalid cues are used to mislead the direction of attention to prolong the reaction time, and the difference in cue effects is used to quantify the accuracy of spatial attention orientation), the visual search task (locating the target stimulus in a complex scene, recording the search time and error rate, and the slope of the search function is used to reflect the visual screening efficiency), the bilateral task paradigm (requiring the subject to focus on the central target stimulus and ignore the distractors on both sides, and the spatial attention inhibition ability is assessed through the consistency effect between the distractor stimulus and the target), as well as variants and advanced paradigms of the above paradigms.

[0029] For the core attention network assessment, for example, a method of integrating multiple paradigms that respectively assess the executive control network, the orienting network, and the alertness network can be adopted. Alternatively, a paradigm such as the Attention Network Test (ANT) that integrates the three components of alertness (response preparation under uncued conditions), orienting (spatial cue effect), and executive control (Flanker conflict effect) can be adopted. This application does not impose specific restrictions on this.

[0030] Working memory assessment usually covers capacity testing, information processing efficiency and central executive system function verification, such as digital recall experiments and N-Back tasks to test basic capacity, operational span tasks and dual-task paradigms to evaluate information processing and executive functions, visual-spatial working memory tasks that can achieve comprehensive evaluation, interference inhibition paradigms (such as variations of the Stroop paradigm), etc.

[0031] ‌For cognitive control assessment, core functional modules such as conflict inhibition, response inhibition, and task switching should generally be covered. For example, the Stroop paradigm and its extended variations, the Flanker task, etc. can be used to assess conflict inhibition; the stop signal task, the Go / No-Go task, etc. can be used to assess response inhibition; the task switching paradigm and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) can be used to assess task switching and flexibility; the emotional Stroop task, the hot / cold executive function task, etc. can be used to assess the integration of emotion and cognition, etc.

[0032] ‌ According to the embodiments of the present application, the specific implementation of the various evaluation paradigms as mentioned above is comprehensively considered. On the premise that the paradigm execution is from simple to difficult, the specific implementation method adopted by each evaluation paradigm and the mode, content and parameters adopted during execution are optimized through research and experiments. The execution steps and parameter settings of each paradigm after optimization will be described in detail below.

[0033] In some embodiments, the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device 12 can be implemented as a desktop device, for example, or as a more portable device such as a laptop computer, PAD, etc., so that it can be conveniently changed in venues together with a portable signal acquisition device, and test evaluation can be conveniently performed in a more suitable environment desired by different subjects, further improving the user experience of the system.

[0034] Figure 1 The signal acquisition device 10 shown is used to collect near-infrared brain function imaging time-series data of the subject during the sequential execution of each assessment paradigm, and transmit the near-infrared brain function imaging time-series data to the processing device 13, so that the processing device 13 can evaluate the subject's cognitive function based on the received near-infrared brain function imaging time-series data and behavioral data from the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device 12. The data transmission between the signal acquisition device 10 and the processing device 13 can be wired or wireless, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0035] In some embodiments, the processing device 13 may be a processing device comprising one or more general-purpose processing devices, such as a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), etc. More specifically, the general-purpose processing device may be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, a processor that executes other instruction sets, or a processor that executes a combination of instruction sets. The general-purpose processing device may also be a special-purpose processing device, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), a system-on-chip (SoC), etc. In some embodiments, the processing device 13 may also be implemented as the same device as the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device 12. In other embodiments, the processing device 13 may also be implemented based on cloud computing capabilities, which is not a limitation of this application.

[0036] According to the embodiment of the present application, a near-infrared data acquisition system is set up with close cooperation between software and hardware, coordinated application and convenient operation. In terms of hardware, on the one hand, the head cap and its transmitting / receiving probe can make fNIRS imaging cover the target positions of the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe and other brain regions required for cognitive function assessment. On the other hand, the six assessment paradigms are all controlled and executed in sequence through a unified cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, and the signal acquisition device can collect the near-infrared brain function imaging time series data of the subject in coordination with the paradigm execution. In this way, during the entire process of the six paradigm execution and data acquisition, there is no need to replace or switch hardware such as the head cap, so as to avoid additional interference to the subject. At the same time, since there is no need to frequently control the signal acquisition device, the system can automatically detect the target positions of the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe and other brain regions required for cognitive function assessment. The acquisition device is set up in a complex manner, so it can also make it easier and faster for medical personnel to perform assessments, which can not only shorten the time required for the assessment, but also reduce the risk of inaccurate assessment results caused by misoperation; in terms of software, by making the preferred 6 assessment paradigms executed in order from simple to difficult, it can make it easier for the subject to enter the assessment state and complete the entire assessment process more smoothly. In addition, each assessment paradigm is set to execute only a single block, so the time setting for each paradigm is shorter, and data collection can be completed within the time range of the subject's single acquisition tolerance. In addition, since the data is accumulated during the execution of multiple paradigms covering the assessment of cognitive functions in complex dimensions, compared with the prior art, the system in the embodiment of the present application can meet the data volume requirements of near-infrared data analysis, and there is no need to deploy multimodal signal acquisition facilities in the subject's head area. Therefore, it can take into account the data collection needs of richer dimensions without introducing adverse factors such as space limitations and signal interference caused by this.

[0037] As mentioned above, the cognitive assessment paradigm interactive device pre-sets the execution order of 6 assessment paradigms according to the order of task execution from simple to difficult. Figure 2-Figure 7 , specifically explains the steps of the cognitive assessment paradigm interactive device when executing each assessment paradigm. Figure 2-Figure 7 The parameter values ​​shown are exemplary or preferred values ​​and are for example only and not for limitation.

[0038] It is worth noting that before performing each cognitive assessment task paradigm assessment, the subject needs to wear a headgear, adjust the near-infrared light channel signal, and explain the rules, including the physical sensations that may occur during the assessment, the duration of the assessment, etc., and practice the relevant operations. This process takes about 10 minutes. After the explanation and practice, the subject is asked to remain calm. For example, the subject's brain blood oxygen signal can be observed through relevant instruments to ensure that he enters a resting state and maintains it for about 5 minutes. After the resting period, the execution process of each cognitive assessment paradigm can be entered.

[0039] Figure 2 The following is a schematic diagram showing the specific steps of the cognitive assessment paradigm interactive device according to an embodiment of the present application when executing the inhibitory control assessment paradigm. The inhibitory control assessment paradigm is designed to systematically assess an individual's ability to inhibit inappropriate or predetermined responses. Response inhibition, as a key component of executive function, plays an important role in cognitive control and behavioral regulation. Figure 2 In the inhibitory control assessment paradigm, the subject is required to selectively respond or inhibit a response according to predefined rules in a series of rapidly presented visual stimuli. In the embodiment of the present application, the following steps are performed:

[0040] First, a fixation point can be presented on the screen for the subject to fixate on and enter a resting state, wherein the duration of the fixation point presentation can be as follows: Figure 2 The setting shown is 20000ms (20s), but it can also be other durations as long as the subject is ensured to enter a resting state.

[0041] Then, a first number of inhibitory control assessment trials are performed, each inhibitory control assessment trial comprising: sequentially presenting a first stimulus image within a preset first stimulation duration and receiving the subject's judgment result on the first stimulus image, and presenting a fixation point within a first fixation duration; wherein, the inhibitory control assessment paradigm comprises two stages, at least part of the first stimulus images in the first stage inhibitory control assessment trials contain a first target stimulus, and at least part of the first stimulus images in the second stage inhibitory control assessment trials contain an interference stimulus, the first target stimulus is fed back through a first interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, the interference stimulus is used to inhibit the subject's interaction with the first interactive element, the first stimulation duration is between 800ms-1500ms, and the first fixation duration is between 900ms-1100ms.

[0042] exist Figure 2 In the inhibitory control assessment paradigm shown in the example, since the second stage paradigm requires the subject to inhibit interference stimuli and is therefore more difficult, the relatively easy first stage paradigm trials are performed first. Figure 2 As can be seen, the first number is set to 40 times, the first stage inhibitory control assessment paradigm and the second stage inhibitory control assessment paradigm each perform 20 trials, and the first stimulation duration and the first fixation duration are both set to 1000ms. In this case, the total time for performing the two stages of 40 trials, calculated from the time the block is entered and the rest period ends, is approximately 80s. This also means that the signal acquisition device will collect at least the near-infrared functional brain imaging time series data of the subject corresponding to this assessment paradigm for this duration.

[0043] In addition, it is understandable that before officially entering the inhibitory control assessment paradigm and each other assessment paradigm, the specific operation method of the paradigm, the meaning of the stimulus, and the correct operation method corresponding to different stimuli need to be explained in detail to the subjects. If necessary, the subjects can also be provided with opportunities for practical practice. This process usually takes 1-3 minutes for each assessment paradigm and will not be repeated later. Therefore, assuming that the explanation time of the inhibitory control assessment paradigm is 2 minutes and 30 seconds, then, plus 80 seconds of executing 40 trials and 20 seconds of fixation point presentation, the paradigm assessment takes about 4 minutes.

[0044] It is worth noting that Figure 2 The settings of the various parameters shown in the figure are the preferred values ​​determined by comprehensive adjustment in the process of clinical practice, taking into account the total duration of the paradigm execution, the degree of adaptation of the subjects, and the needs of near-infrared data collection. It can be understood that adaptive adjustments are allowed based on the actual situation of the subjects without significantly deviating from the numerical ranges of the various parameters as described above. However, it should be noted that during the execution of the paradigm, the subjects should not be unable to provide normal feedback, or unable to properly recover, or the amount of collected data should not be sufficient due to the time set for each link being too short. On the other hand, the total execution time should not be too long, as too long a time may also cause the subjects to be intolerant of the evaluation process.

[0045] During the inhibitory control assessment paradigm, assume that the subjects are informed that in the first phase, cat and dog images are the first target stimuli; in the second phase, duck images are the target stimuli and chicken images are the distractor stimuli. The first interactive element can be the left mouse button (or a virtual button on the screen, etc., without specific restrictions). Therefore, during the first phase of the inhibitory control assessment paradigm, when the subject judges the first stimulus image to be a cat or dog image, they should quickly press the left mouse button as feedback. During the second phase of the inhibitory control assessment paradigm, when the subject judges the first stimulus image to be the target stimulus duck image, they should quickly press the left mouse button as feedback. When the subject judges the distractor stimulus chicken image to be the distractor, they are required to suppress their left mouse button press and not perform any action.

[0046] In the inhibitory control assessment paradigm, the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device transmits the subject's feedback through the first interactive element and the feedback time in each trial (including the failure to provide feedback through the first interactive element in the case of successful inhibition) as the subject's behavioral data to the processing device.

[0047] It is worth noting that, since the various paradigms in this application are typically performed through visual or auditory stimulation, from a brain region perspective, relevant areas of the frontal, temporal, and occipital lobes are generally involved. The frontal lobe is closely associated with cognitive and control-related functions such as motor control and coordination, higher-level cognitive functions, language functions, emotion and behavior regulation, multitasking coordination, and visual and spatial processing. The temporal lobe is associated with auditory information processing, language comprehension and expression, memory formation and storage, emotion and behavior regulation, vision and face recognition, and other higher-level cognitive activities. The occipital lobe is associated with visual information reception and processing, visual memory and attention regulation, visual cognition and motor coordination, and language comprehension and support. More specifically, in the inhibitory control assessment paradigm, a two-stage test focuses on assessing the subject's response inhibition function. Response inhibition is more closely associated with brain regions such as the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC). In the first stage, the subject only needs to determine whether the first stimulus image exists, but in the second stage, he needs to inhibit when encountering interfering stimuli and interact only when the first stimulus image exists. Therefore, the execution difficulty of the second stage is greater than that of the first stage, and the cognitive function of the subject can be evaluated from the inhibitory control dimension based on the collected near-infrared brain functional imaging time series data. The overall execution difficulty also conforms to the overall execution order from simple to difficult.

[0048] Figure 3A schematic diagram shows the execution steps of the cognitive assessment paradigm interactive device according to an embodiment of the present application when executing the alertness and attention assessment paradigm. The alertness and attention assessment paradigm is designed to systematically measure an individual's alertness and attention and reaction time. As an important component of cognitive function, alertness is closely related to an individual's ability to maintain attention and respond quickly. The alertness and attention assessment paradigm requires participants to respond quickly to visual or auditory stimuli presented at unexpected intervals within a specific time period. Its design goal is to capture the dynamic changes in alertness state and the stability of reaction time. The alertness and attention assessment paradigm can enhance the measurement accuracy of alertness fluctuations by randomizing the stimulus interval (ranging from a few seconds to tens of seconds) and counting escape stimuli.

[0049] Similar to the inhibitory control assessment paradigm, a fixation point must first be presented on the screen for the subject to focus on and enter a resting state. The duration of the fixation point presentation can be 20,000 ms (20 s) or other durations, as long as the subject enters a resting state.

[0050] Then, a second number of alertness and attention assessment trials are performed, each alertness and attention assessment trial comprising: sequentially providing visual target stimulation or auditory target stimulation within a first random duration and receiving the subject's judgment result, and presenting the fixation point within a second random duration; wherein, the visual target stimulation and the auditory target stimulation are fed back through the first interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, the first random duration is between 2000ms-10000ms, and the second random duration is between 2000ms-10000ms.

[0051] exist Figure 3 In the predefined visual target stimulus, an orange circle was predefined. Because this paradigm places high demands on the subject's attention and each trial is inherently long, the second number of trials was adaptively reduced to 10. The first and second random durations were pseudo-randomly selected between 2000 and 10000 ms. For the vigilance assessment, subjects were required to quickly respond via a first interactive element, such as a specific mouse button, upon receiving the red circular visual target stimulus. Assuming that the first and second random durations in the vigilance assessment paradigm are both calculated as a maximum of 10000 ms (i.e., 10 seconds), the maximum duration of 10 trials is approximately 200 seconds. Including the 20 seconds of fixation presentation after entering the block and the approximately 90 seconds of instruction (this paradigm has simpler rules than the two-stage inhibitory control assessment paradigm, thus requiring less instruction and practice time), the entire paradigm takes approximately 5 minutes.

[0052] In the alertness and attention assessment paradigm, the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device transmits the time when the target stimulus appears in each trial and the time when the subject receives feedback through the first interactive element as the subject's behavioral data to the processing device. The processing device then determines that the trial that does not receive feedback from the first interactive element after 800ms after the target stimulus appears is an escape stimulus.

[0053] In the alert attention assessment paradigm, since the duration of the target stimulus and the subsequent fixation duration are random, the subject is required to respond quickly to the visual or auditory stimuli presented at unexpected intervals within a specific time period, so as to capture the dynamic changes in the alert state of the subject in the alert state. Then, based on the collected near-infrared brain functional imaging time series data, the cognitive function of the subject can be evaluated from the dimension of alert attention, focusing on the brain regions / target locations associated with the brainstem reticular activating system, locus coeruleus, and thalamic reticular nucleus. The difficulty of executing the paradigm is slightly increased compared to the inhibitory control assessment paradigm presented at expected intervals, which can achieve a gradual increase in the difficulty of paradigm execution.

[0054] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the steps when the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device according to an embodiment of the present application performs the selective attention assessment paradigm. The selective attention assessment paradigm is designed to systematically assess an individual's sustained attention, selective attention, and response control abilities. Sustained attention, as an important dimension of cognitive function, plays a key role in long-term task execution and behavior regulation. The CPT task requires participants to maintain focus in a dynamically changing stimulus sequence, respond quickly to specific target stimuli, and inhibit responses to non-target stimuli, thereby detecting the comprehensive ability of attention maintenance and response regulation. In the research practice of this application, it was found that the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) can reveal individual differences in attention deficits and cognitive control by requiring participants to respond differentially to specific stimuli. Therefore, this paradigm has potential value in diagnosing attention-related disorders and understanding the cognitive structure of different populations. Therefore, based on the CPT task, this application introduces a more adaptive stimulation mechanism. For example, multiple levels of targeted stimulation and non-targeted signals are embedded in the stimulation sequence. For example, parameters such as the ratio and similarity between targeted and non-targeted stimulation can be adjusted according to the specific situation of the subject. This enhances the measurement accuracy of sustained attention fluctuations and allows the rhythm and complexity of stimulus presentation to be adjusted as needed, thereby more carefully capturing the dynamic process of attention regulation. The exemplary implementation steps are as follows.

[0055] like Figure 4 As shown, first, a fixation point is presented for the subject to fixate on and enter a resting state.

[0056] Next, a third number of selective attention assessment trials are performed, each of which includes: presenting a second stimulus image in sequence within a preset first stimulus duration and receiving the subject's judgment result on the second stimulus image, and presenting a gaze point within a second gaze duration; the stimulus image contains a second targeted stimulus or a non-targeted stimulus, the second targeted stimulus is fed back through the first interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, and the non-targeted stimulus is fed back through the second interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, and the second gaze duration is between 1300ms and 1700ms.

[0057] exist Figure 4 In the experiment, the second target stimulus is predefined and informed to the subject as the letter "X", while the non-target stimulus includes the letter "A", the letter "D" and the letter "W", the third number is 20 times, the first stimulus duration is set to 1000ms, and the second fixation duration is 1500ms. For the selective attention assessment, the subject is required to provide feedback as soon as possible through the first interactive element when judging that the second stimulus image is the second targeted stimulus letter "X", and to provide feedback as soon as possible through the second interactive element when judging that the second stimulus image is a non-target stimulus, that is, the letter "A", the letter "D" and the letter "W". Under the above exemplary parameters, the selective attention assessment paradigm takes about 50 seconds to execute 20 trials. Adding the 20 seconds of fixation point presentation after entering the block and the 1-3 minutes of explanation time, the entire paradigm assessment can be completed in 3-5 minutes.

[0058] In the selective attention assessment paradigm, the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device transmits the interaction elements and feedback time through which the subject provides feedback in each trial as the subject's behavioral data to the processing device, so that the processing device can determine whether the feedback is correct and evaluate the subject's feedback speed to the stimulus.

[0059] In the selective attention assessment paradigm, in addition to presenting targeted stimuli to the subjects, non-targeted stimuli may also be presented to the subjects in a certain proportion. That is to say, the number of non-targeted stimuli may be more than one, and the targeted stimuli and non-targeted stimuli correspond to different interactive elements respectively. Therefore, it is possible to comprehensively test whether the subjects can select the correct interactive elements when receiving different types of stimuli, and the speed of feedback can also be used to test their attention state to the stimulus presentation. The difficulty of executing the paradigm is slightly increased compared with the previous two paradigms (in the inhibitory control assessment paradigm, only the feedback through the first interactive element needs to be inhibited, and in the alert attention assessment paradigm, only one interactive element is involved). However, for the subjects, the gradient of difficulty increase is still relatively smooth, so as not to induce negative emotions such as fear of difficulty.

[0060] Figure 5The specific steps of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device according to the embodiment of the present application when executing the core attention network assessment paradigm are shown. The core attention network assessment paradigm aims to systematically evaluate the efficiency of the human core attention network. These core attention networks can be further broken down into alertness (alertness) subsystem, spatial orientation (orientation) subsystem and conflict resolution (executive control) subsystem, and each attention subsystem corresponds to a different cognitive function. The embodiment of the present application adjusts the allocation of attention resources through spatial guidance prompts and neutral prompts based on the influence of prompt signals on spatial orientation and alertness, and conducts a comprehensive task design for the core attention network assessment paradigm, thereby realizing the interaction of the above-mentioned attention subsystems and their influence on behavioral performance. The specific execution steps are as follows.

[0061] like Figure 5 As shown, a fixation point is first presented for the subject to fixate on and enter a resting state.

[0062] Then, a fourth number of core attention network assessment trials are performed, each core attention network assessment trial including: sequentially presenting stimulation prompt content within a preset second stimulation duration, presenting a third stimulation image within a third stimulation duration and receiving the subject's judgment result on the third stimulation image, and presenting a fixation point within a third fixation duration; wherein the stimulation prompt content includes at least one of a first prompt content and a second prompt content, the first prompt content is used to indicate that a third stimulation image will be presented, and the second prompt content is used to indicate the presentation position of the third stimulation image, the third stimulation image contains content-consistent stimulation or content-inconsistent stimulation, the multiple stimulation contents in the content-consistent stimulation are exactly the same, and the stimulation contents in the content-inconsistent stimulation are not exactly the same, the content-consistent stimulation is fed back through the first interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, and the content-inconsistent stimulation is fed back through the second interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, the second stimulation duration is between 800ms and 1200ms, the third stimulation duration is between 1300ms and 1700ms, and the third fixation duration is between 800ms and 1200ms.

[0063] exist Figure 5 In the example, the fourth number is set to 20 times, the second stimulation duration is set to 1000ms, the third stimulation duration is set to 1500ms, and the third fixation duration is set to 1000ms. Figure 5As shown, during the second stimulation duration, three types of stimulus prompts, a, b, and c, are presented as examples. Item a contains only the first prompt, located in the center of the screen, which serves as a neutral prompt. This type of prompt simply indicates that a third stimulus image will appear, without indicating its possible location. In other words, the third stimulus image can appear anywhere. Item b contains only the second prompt, located in the upper and lower parts of the screen. This type of prompt indicates the location of the third stimulus image. Specifically, item b indicates that the third stimulus image can appear in either the upper or lower parts of the screen. Item c contains both the first prompt, located in the center of the screen, and the second prompt, located in the upper part of the screen. Therefore, it indicates that the third stimulus image will appear in the upper part of the screen, and it can also appear in any area. Furthermore, during the third stimulation duration, the third stimulus image will be presented in the corresponding area of ​​the screen in a manner consistent with the previous prompt. If the subject determines that the third stimulus image contains consistent stimulus content, they are required to provide feedback quickly using the first interactive element. If they determine that the third stimulus image contains inconsistent stimulus content, they are required to provide feedback quickly using the second interactive element. Under the above exemplary parameters, the core attention network assessment paradigm takes about 70 seconds to execute 20 trials. Combined with the 20-second duration of the fixation point presentation after entering the block and 1-3 minutes of explanation time, the entire paradigm assessment can be completed within 5 minutes.

[0064] In this evaluation paradigm, the cognitive evaluation paradigm interaction device transmits the interactive elements and feedback time through which the subject's feedback is provided in each trial as the subject's behavioral data to the processing device, so that the processing device can determine whether the feedback is correct, evaluate the subject's feedback speed to the stimulus, and analyze the relationship between different categories of stimulus prompt content and the subject's feedback correctness and feedback speed before the third stimulus image appears, etc. The above is only an example, and this application does not limit the specific application method of the subject's behavioral data.

[0065] In the core attention network assessment paradigm, the functional state of the core attention network associated with multiple core brain regions / target locations, such as the alertness system, the orientation system, and the executive control system, is actually assessed through two closely related content presentations. As mentioned above, the alertness system is closely related to brain regions / target locations such as the brainstem reticular activating system, the locus coeruleus, and the thalamic reticular nucleus. The orientation system is closely related to at least the superior colliculus, the frontal eye area, and other locations, while the executive control system is associated with key brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex, namely the anterior cingulate gyrus. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, it is actually based on the fact that the first three assessment paradigms have more or less involved the functional assessment of the relevant brain regions and their corresponding operation methods, and then enter the execution process of the fourth assessment paradigm. Therefore, although its steps are more complicated, the brain region functions are more networked, and the degree of collaborative cross-linking is higher, it is still step-by-step and easy to accept for the subjects.

[0066] Figure 6 The specific steps of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device according to the embodiment of the present application in executing the working memory assessment paradigm are shown. As an example only, the working memory assessment paradigm can be implemented as an N-BACK paradigm, which is intended to evaluate working memory capacity and cognitive control ability. In other embodiments, it can also be implemented in other ways. In the N-BACK paradigm, by adjusting the "N" value, researchers can determine the maximum number of information items that an individual can simultaneously maintain and operate in a working memory task. This application systematically evaluated the effects of different "N" values ​​on task difficulty and cognitive load of the target group by combining preliminary experiments on the elderly and stroke patients, and based on the preliminary experimental results, ultimately set the preferred "N" value to 1, that is, using the 1-BACK paradigm to perform working memory assessment. The specific 1-BACK paradigm design includes Figure 6 Each step in .

[0067] First, a fixation point is presented for the subject to fixate on and enter a resting state.

[0068] Then, a fifth number of working memory assessment trials are performed, each working memory assessment trial including: sequentially presenting a fourth stimulation image within a preset fourth stimulation duration and receiving the subject's judgment result on the fourth stimulation image, and presenting a fixation point within a fourth fixation duration; the judgment result of the fourth stimulation image includes a consistency judgment result between the fourth stimulation image presented in the current working memory assessment trial and the fourth stimulation image presented in the previous working memory assessment trial, and the consistency judgment result is fed back through the first interactive element and the second interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, the fourth stimulation duration is between 800ms-1500ms, and the fourth fixation duration is between 1300ms-1700ms.

[0069] exist Figure 6 In the experiment, the fifth number is set to 20 times, the fourth stimulation duration is set to 1000ms, and the fourth fixation duration is set to 1500ms. Figure 6 For example, using a digital fourth stimulus image, subjects were instructed to provide feedback as quickly as possible through the first interactive element if the fourth stimulus image in the current trial was consistent with the previous one. Conversely, if it was inconsistent, feedback was provided through the second interactive element. Under these exemplary parameters, the working memory assessment paradigm took approximately 50 seconds to complete 20 trials. Combined with the 20-second fixation presentation after entering the block and 1-3 minutes of instruction, the entire paradigm assessment can be completed within 3-5 minutes.

[0070] In the working memory assessment paradigm, the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device transmits the interaction elements and feedback time of the subject's feedback in each trial as the subject's behavioral data to the processing device, so that the processing device can determine whether the feedback is correct and evaluate the subject's feedback speed to the stimulus.

[0071] In the working memory assessment paradigm, the subject's memory retention ability is actually reflected by testing the accuracy / error rate of matching different stimulus contents and the feedback time. This ability is at least associated with the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, basal ganglia, etc. Among them, the prefrontal cortex is responsible for information temporary storage, memory processing and interference inhibition; the hippocampus supports the transformation of short-term memory to long-term memory and its integration role in complex working memory; the basal ganglia is responsible for regulating the allocation of attention resources, coordinating the interaction between working memory and motor execution, etc. This shows that the fifth assessment paradigm is also based on the assessment of the previous paradigms, and from different dimensions and the perspective of coordinated application, it evaluates and tests the functions of various related brain regions and cognition. In addition, if the subject has experienced the previous assessment paradigm, he will also be very smooth when executing this assessment paradigm.

[0072] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrates the specific steps involved in executing the cognitive control assessment paradigm using a cognitive assessment paradigm interactive device according to an embodiment of the present application. The cognitive control assessment paradigm is widely adopted by the industry for its ability to effectively reveal the neural mechanisms of the brain when processing conflicting information. It focuses on assessing inhibitory control and controlled response capabilities, particularly in scenarios where automatic responses need to be suppressed to complete goal-oriented tasks. The specific design steps for the paradigm are as follows.

[0073] First, a fixation point is presented for the subject to fixate on and enter a resting state.

[0074] Then, a sixth number of cognitive control assessment trials are performed, each cognitive control assessment trial including: sequentially presenting condition-consistent trials or condition-inconsistent trials within a preset fifth stimulation duration and receiving the subject's judgment result, and presenting a fixation point within a fifth fixation duration; the semantics and color of the stimulus content presented in the condition-consistent trials are consistent, and the semantics and color of the stimulus content presented in the condition-inconsistent trials are inconsistent, the condition-consistent trials are fed back through the first interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, and the condition-inconsistent trials are fed back through the second interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, the fifth stimulation duration is between 2800ms-3500ms, and the fifth fixation duration is between 1800ms-2500ms.

[0075] exist Figure 7 In the experiment, the sixth number was set to 20 times, the fifth stimulation duration was set to 3000ms, and the fifth fixation duration was set to 2000ms. Figure 6 Of the nine stimuli shown in the figure, only the "red," "white," and "yellow" images on the positive diagonal lines are congruent trials; the remaining content is semantically inconsistent with color and is therefore incongruent trials. The subjects are required to provide feedback through the first interactive element when they judge the stimulus content to be a congruent trial, and through the second interactive element when they judge it to be a congruent trial. Under the above exemplary parameters, the cognitive control assessment paradigm takes approximately 100 seconds to execute 20 trials. Combined with the 20-second duration of the fixation point after entering the block and 1-3 minutes of explanation time, the entire paradigm assessment can be completed in 3-5 minutes.

[0076] In the cognitive control assessment paradigm, the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device transmits the interaction elements and feedback time through which the subject provides feedback in each trial as the subject's behavioral data to the processing device, so that the processing device can determine whether the feedback is correct and evaluate the subject's feedback speed to the stimulus.

[0077] In the aforementioned cognitive control assessment paradigm, by presenting conflict-involved content, the subject's brain function related to conflict monitoring and selective attention is assessed. These include core brain regions / target locations, such as the inferior frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate gyrus, associated with response inhibition; the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), associated with working memory; the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate gyrus, associated with conflict monitoring; and the frontopolar (FP) and medial prefrontal cortex (MFC), associated with goal maintenance and switching. As such, the sixth assessment paradigm involves the most complex brain regions and functions. As the last implementation of this composite paradigm, the progression from simple to complex facilitates better subject compliance. Furthermore, the subsequent, more complex assessment paradigms involve at least some of the same or adjacent brain regions / target locations as those involved in the preceding assessment paradigms. Therefore, the assessment data from these subsequent assessment paradigms can complement and cross-validate each other, ensuring that the near-infrared functional brain imaging time-series data collected based on these six assessment paradigms not only possesses multiple dimensions and sufficient data volume, but also enhances data credibility.

[0078] In the research practice of proposing this application, it was found that not only is there a problem of data benchmark alignment in multimodal data collected in different measurement systems, but even when collecting near-infrared brain functional imaging data, data collected at different times using the same or different evaluation paradigms often produce adverse factors such as benchmark drift due to factors such as the evaluation environment, test facilities, and the subject's own state, thereby causing the measurement data to produce systematic deviations that are difficult to correct. As a result, the value of the near-infrared brain functional imaging data collected multiple times is reduced when it is comprehensively utilized, and it may even be impossible to effectively integrate and utilize it. In the embodiments of the present application, from the targeted selection of evaluation paradigms, the specific design of the material content and execution steps of each paradigm, to the execution order of different paradigms and the selection of trials in different paradigms, etc., all have been iteratively optimized in combination with a large amount of research practice. From the analysis and calculation in the previous article, it can be seen that the multiple evaluation paradigms in the embodiments of the present application, as a composite paradigm under a unified framework, have an overall execution time that is equivalent to or even shorter than the execution time of multiple blocks of a single paradigm. The difficulty of the paradigms is gradually progressive and not boring, making it easier for the subject to complete the entire evaluation process in a compliant and stable state. Therefore, in the context of near-infrared brain functional imaging data acquisition, the composite evaluation paradigm according to the embodiment of the present application can be executed sequentially and continuously in the same time period, and the acquired data can be integrated into high-value near-infrared brain functional imaging data with more dimensions and larger data volume without excessive additional processing due to the advantages of unified benchmark and no inter-system deviation. This is also more conducive to a comprehensive and accurate evaluation of the cognitive function of the subject based on these near-infrared brain functional imaging data and the behavioral data of multi-paradigm evaluation that are interconnected and hierarchically progressive with internal logic. This is incomparable to the existing technology that only uses a single / small number of evaluation paradigms, or collects near-infrared brain functional imaging data of multiple evaluation paradigms multiple times in different time periods, or uses different measurement systems to collect multimodal data. It is a new method for evaluating the brain function of the subject.

[0079] In an embodiment of the present application, the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device is pre-set with a program that facilitates the automatic execution of each assessment paradigm in sequence. For different assessment paradigms, data acquisition can be performed on all available SD channels to obtain as comprehensive near-infrared brain functional imaging data of the brain region as possible for subsequent processing by the processing device. In other embodiments, it is also possible to focus on specific brain regions / target locations of brain regions based on the brain regions / target locations of brain regions emphasized by different assessment paradigms, or based on specific assessment requirements such as the disease suffered by the subject. In this case, the near-infrared data acquisition mode that matches each assessment paradigm can be pre-set in the signal acquisition device, including but not limited to channel configuration (corresponding to different brain regions or target locations in brain regions), signal transmission / reception parameters, etc., and pre-loaded into the signal acquisition device so as to achieve near-infrared data acquisition that matches and synchronizes the near-infrared brain functional imaging time series data with the assessment paradigm execution process based on the communication or control signal between the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device.

[0080] In some embodiments, when evaluating the cognitive function of the subject based on the received near-infrared brain functional imaging time series data and behavioral data, the processing device may further perform the following steps:

[0081] First, according to the time information corresponding to each feedback result in the behavioral data, the near-infrared data to be spliced ​​that meet the predetermined time requirements before and after the feedback occurs are screened from the near-infrared brain functional imaging time series data corresponding to each evaluation paradigm.

[0082] Then, the near infrared data to be spliced ​​corresponding to each evaluation paradigm are sequentially spliced ​​to obtain the near infrared data to be analyzed.

[0083] Furthermore, the near-infrared data to be analyzed can be used to perform brain activation calculations to determine the activation status of the subject's brain regions, so as to evaluate the subject's cognitive function based on the activation status of the subject's brain regions.

[0084] It should be noted that since the above-mentioned cognitive assessment paradigms are all single-block, multi-trial, single-interaction designs (i.e., one block contains multiple trials, and the subjects interact once in each trial), and the overall acquisition process is continuous, there is a basis for splicing the near-infrared data to be spliced. The above-mentioned 6 single-block cognitive assessment paradigms can be equivalent to a cognitive assessment paradigm with multiple blocks. The near-infrared data to be analyzed after splicing have high clinical value and also meet the data analysis requirements of near-infrared data.

[0085] In other embodiments, the near-infrared brain functional imaging time series data corresponding to each cognitive assessment paradigm can also be processed to obtain the cognitive assessment results corresponding to each cognitive assessment paradigm, and the cognitive assessment results corresponding to each cognitive assessment paradigm can be summarized and analyzed to obtain the cognitive assessment results of the subject.

[0086] In other embodiments, when the subject's brain activation map can be reconstructed based on the near-infrared functional brain imaging time-series data corresponding to a single assessment paradigm, the brain activation maps under various cognitive assessment task paradigms can also be displayed and various analyses or diagnoses can be performed, including but not limited to the following methods:

[0087] Performing a first analysis to identify the probability parameters of whether the subject belongs to a patient with cognitive dysfunction or a normal population;

[0088] A second analysis was conducted to identify parameters related to the severity of cognitive impairment in the subjects;

[0089] A third analysis is performed to identify brain regions associated with cognitive dysfunction based on the identification that the subject is a patient with cognitive dysfunction, etc. The above is only an example and not a limitation.

[0090] When performing brain activation calculation based on the near-infrared data of the subject's brain and reconstructing the subject's brain area activation map, techniques such as diffuse light tomography based on neural networks or any applicable near-infrared spectral brain functional imaging technology can be used, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0091] In other embodiments, when the processing device evaluates the cognitive function of the subject based on the received near-infrared brain functional imaging time series data and behavioral data, it can also be used to perform the following steps:

[0092] In the case of a specific transcranial near-infrared light therapy for the subject, combining the cognitive function assessment results before and after the treatment, analyzing the correlation between the transcranial near-infrared light therapy and the cognitive function characterized by each assessment paradigm; or

[0093] When the subject is subjected to neurofeedback training associated with the assessment paradigm, the correlation between the neurofeedback training and the subject's brain region activation is analyzed in combination with the cognitive function assessment results before and after training.

[0094] According to an embodiment of the present application, an interactive method for collecting fNIRS data of a subject is further provided. The interactive method includes a processor of a cognitive assessment paradigm interactive device performing the following operations:

[0095] In accordance with the execution order from simple to difficult, the inhibitory control assessment paradigm, vigilance attention assessment paradigm, selective attention assessment paradigm, core attention network assessment paradigm, working memory assessment paradigm, and cognitive control assessment paradigm as described in each embodiment of the present application are sequentially executed in a single block mode, including sequentially presenting the paradigm materials matching the corresponding assessment paradigm to the subject, receiving the subject's feedback results during the cognitive function assessment process, etc. The specific design and execution steps of each assessment paradigm have been combined Figure 2-Figure 7 This has been explained in detail in the previous article and will not be repeated here.

[0096] In addition, the subject's feedback results and corresponding time information during the cognitive function assessment process will also be used as the subject's behavioral data, together with the near-infrared brain functional imaging time series data of the subject collected by the fNIRS signal acquisition device during the sequential execution of each assessment paradigm, for the processing device to evaluate the subject's cognitive function.

[0097] The systems and interactive methods for assessing cognitive functions of subjects based on fNIRS provided in various embodiments of this application, through optimized design and coordinated and coordinated application of software and hardware, can execute each of the six assessment paradigms in an average of only 3-5 minutes. The time spent on the entire assessment process is greatly shortened compared to existing technologies, which not only provides a better experience for the subjects, but also reduces the operational burden on medical personnel performing the assessment. In addition, it is possible to obtain a larger amount of data and more dimensional brain data from the subjects without introducing unfavorable factors such as spatial limitations and signal interference in multimodal data acquisition, making it easier to conduct a more comprehensive assessment and analysis of the subjects' brains, especially cognitive functions, based on fNIRS in clinical practice. It can provide strong support for early screening, diagnosis, intervention, treatment and prognostic assessment of brain diseases, especially cognitive functions, as well as a wider range of clinical applications, and has clinical application potential.

[0098] This application describes various operations or functions that can be implemented as software code or instructions or defined as software code or instructions. Such content can be source code or differential code ("incremental" or "patch" code) that can be directly executed ("object" or "executable" form). Software code or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium and, when executed, can cause a machine to perform the described functions or operations, and include any mechanism for storing information in a form accessible to a machine (e.g., a computing device, an electronic system, etc.), such as recordable or non-recordable media (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, etc.).

[0099] The exemplary methods described herein can be at least partially machine- or computer-implemented. In some embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium stores computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the operations of the diffuse optical tomography reconstruction method described in various embodiments of the present invention.

[0100] Implementations of such methods may include software code, such as microcode, assembly language code, high-level language code, and the like. Various software programming techniques may be used to create various programs or program modules. For example, program portions or program modules may be designed using or with the aid of Java, Python, C, C++, assembly language, or any other known programming language. One or more of such software portions or modules may be integrated into a computer system and / or computer-readable media. Such software code may include computer-readable instructions for performing the various methods. The software code may form part of a computer program product or computer program module. Furthermore, in an example, the software code may be tangibly stored on one or more volatile, non-transitory, or non-volatile tangible computer-readable media, such as during execution or at other times. Examples of such tangible computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, hard disks, removable disks, removable optical disks (e.g., optical disks and digital video disks), magnetic cassettes, memory cards or sticks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and the like.

[0101] Furthermore, although exemplary embodiments have been described herein, the scope includes any and all embodiments based on the present application with equivalent elements, modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., solutions that intersect various embodiments), adaptations, or changes. The elements of the claims are to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and are not limited to the examples described in this specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive. Therefore, it is intended that this specification and examples be considered merely as examples, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims and their full scope of equivalents.

[0102] The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the above examples (or one or more of their embodiments) may be used in combination with each other. For example, a person of ordinary skill in the art may use other embodiments when reading the above description. In addition, in the above detailed description, various features may be grouped together to simplify the application. This should not be interpreted as an intention that a disclosed feature that is not claimed for protection is essential to any claim. On the contrary, the subject matter of the present application may have less than all the features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims are incorporated herein into the detailed description as examples or embodiments, with each claim independently serving as a separate embodiment, and it is contemplated that these embodiments may be combined with each other in various combinations or arrangements. The scope of the present application should be determined with reference to the appended claims and the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

[0103] The above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application. The scope of protection of the present application is defined by the claims. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications or equivalent substitutions to the present application within the essence and scope of protection of the present application, and such modifications or equivalent substitutions shall also be deemed to fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A system for assessing a subject's cognitive function based on fNIRS, characterized in that: The system includes a portable signal acquisition device, a head cap, a cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device and a processing device, wherein: The head cap is used to install a near-infrared light transmitting probe and a receiving probe, and the transmitting probe and the receiving probe enable the imaging range to cover at least the target positions of the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe brain regions. The transmitting probe is connected to the signal acquisition device to power the light source component in the transmitting probe with the electric energy transmitted by the signal acquisition device; the receiving probe is connected to the signal acquisition device to transmit near-infrared light to the signal acquisition device; The cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device is used to sequentially execute the inhibitory control assessment paradigm, the vigilance attention assessment paradigm, the selective attention assessment paradigm, the core attention network assessment paradigm, the working memory assessment paradigm, and the cognitive control assessment paradigm in a single-block mode in an ascending order of execution, including sequentially presenting paradigm materials matching the corresponding assessment paradigm to the subject, receiving feedback from the subject during the cognitive function assessment process, and transmitting the feedback results and corresponding time information as the subject's behavioral data to the processing device; The signal acquisition device is used to collect the near-infrared brain function imaging time series data of the subject during the sequential execution of each evaluation paradigm, and transmit the near-infrared brain function imaging time series data to the processing device, so that the processing device can evaluate the cognitive function of the subject based on the received near-infrared brain function imaging time series data and behavioral data.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device is used to perform the following steps when executing the inhibitory control assessment paradigm: Present a fixation point for the subject to fixate on and enter a resting state; A first number of inhibitory control assessment trials are performed, each inhibitory control assessment trial comprising: sequentially presenting a first stimulus image within a preset first stimulation duration and receiving a judgment result of the subject on the first stimulus image, and presenting a fixation point within a first fixation duration; wherein the inhibitory control assessment paradigm comprises two stages, at least part of the first stimulus images in the first stage inhibitory control assessment trials contain a first target stimulus, and at least part of the first stimulus images in the second stage inhibitory control assessment trials contain an interference stimulus, the first target stimulus is fed back through a first interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, the interference stimulus is used to inhibit the subject's interaction with the first interactive element, the first stimulation duration is between 800ms-1500ms, and the first fixation duration is between 900ms-1100ms.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device is used to perform the following steps when executing the alertness and attention assessment paradigm: Present a fixation point for the subject to fixate on and enter a resting state; A second number of vigilance and attention assessment trials are performed, each of which includes: sequentially providing visual target stimulation or auditory target stimulation within a first random duration and receiving the subject's judgment result, and presenting the fixation point within a second random duration; wherein the visual target stimulation and the auditory target stimulation are fed back through the first interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, the first random duration is between 2000ms-10000ms, and the second random duration is between 2000ms-10000ms.

4. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device is used to perform the following steps when executing the selective attention assessment paradigm: Present a fixation point for the subject to fixate on and enter a resting state; performing a third number of selective attention assessment trials, each selective attention assessment trial comprising: sequentially presenting a second stimulus image within a preset first stimulus duration and receiving a subject's judgment result on the second stimulus image, and presenting a fixation point within a second fixation duration; The stimulation image includes a second targeted stimulus or a non-targeted stimulus, the second targeted stimulus is fed back through the first interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, and the non-targeted stimulus is fed back through the second interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, and the second gaze duration is between 1300ms and 1700ms.

5. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device is used to perform the following steps when executing the core attention network assessment paradigm: Present a fixation point for the subject to fixate on and enter a resting state; A fourth number of core attention network assessment trials are performed, each core attention network assessment trial comprising: sequentially presenting stimulation prompt content within a preset second stimulation duration, presenting a third stimulation image within a third stimulation duration and receiving the subject's judgment result on the third stimulation image, and presenting a fixation point within a third fixation duration; wherein the stimulation prompt content comprises at least one of a first prompt content and a second prompt content, the first prompt content is used to indicate that a third stimulation image will be presented, the second prompt content is used to indicate the presentation position of the third stimulation image, the third stimulation image comprises content-consistent stimulation or content-inconsistent stimulation, the multiple stimulation contents in the content-consistent stimulation are identical, the stimulation contents in the content-inconsistent stimulation are not identical, the content-consistent stimulation is fed back via a first interactive element of a cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, the content-inconsistent stimulation is fed back via a second interactive element of a cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, the second stimulation duration is between 800ms and 1200ms, the third stimulation duration is between 1300ms and 1700ms, and the third fixation duration is between 800ms and 1200ms.

6. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device is used to perform the following steps when executing the working memory assessment paradigm: Present a fixation point for the subject to fixate on and enter a resting state; performing a fifth number of working memory assessment trials, each working memory assessment trial comprising: sequentially presenting a fourth stimulus image within a predetermined fourth stimulation duration and receiving a judgment result of the subject regarding the fourth stimulus image, and presenting a fixation point within a fourth fixation duration; The judgment result of the fourth stimulus image includes the consistency judgment result of the fourth stimulus image presented in the current working memory assessment trial and the fourth stimulus image presented in the previous working memory assessment trial. The consistency judgment result is fed back through the first interactive element and the second interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device. The fourth stimulus duration is between 800ms-1500ms, and the fourth fixation duration is between 1300ms-1700ms.

7. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device is used to perform the following steps when executing the cognitive control assessment paradigm: Present a fixation point for the subject to fixate on and enter a resting state; performing a sixth number of cognitive control assessment trials, each cognitive control assessment trial comprising: sequentially presenting a congruent trial or an incongruent trial within a preset fifth stimulation duration and receiving a judgment result from the subject, and presenting a fixation point within a fifth fixation duration; The semantics and color of the stimulus content presented in the condition-consistent trial are consistent, and the semantics and color of the stimulus content presented in the condition-inconsistent trial are inconsistent. The condition-consistent trial is fed back through the first interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device, and the condition-inconsistent trial is fed back through the second interactive element of the cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device. The fifth stimulation duration is between 2800ms-3500ms, and the fifth fixation duration is between 1800ms-2500ms.

8. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that When evaluating the cognitive function of the subject based on the received near-infrared brain function imaging time series data and behavioral data, the processing device is configured to perform the following steps: According to the time information corresponding to each feedback result in the behavioral data, the near-infrared brain functional imaging time series data corresponding to each evaluation paradigm are screened to select the near-infrared data to be pieced together that meets the predetermined time requirements before and after the feedback occurs; The near infrared data to be spliced ​​corresponding to each evaluation paradigm are sequentially spliced ​​to obtain the near infrared data to be analyzed; The near-infrared data to be analyzed is used to perform brain activation calculation to determine the activation status of the subject's brain regions, so as to evaluate the subject's cognitive function based on the activation status of the subject's brain regions.

9. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that When the processing device evaluates the cognitive function of the subject based on the received near-infrared brain functional imaging time series data and behavioral data, it is specifically configured to perform the following steps: In the case of a specific transcranial near-infrared light therapy for the subject, combining the cognitive function assessment results before and after the treatment, analyzing the correlation between the transcranial near-infrared light therapy and the cognitive function characterized by each assessment paradigm; or When the subject is subjected to neurofeedback training associated with the assessment paradigm, the correlation between the neurofeedback training and the subject's brain region activation is analyzed in combination with the cognitive function assessment results before and after training.

10. An interactive method for acquiring fNIRS data from a subject, characterized in that: The interaction method includes executing, by a processor of a cognitive assessment paradigm interaction device: According to the execution order from simple to difficult, the inhibitory control assessment paradigm, vigilance attention assessment paradigm, selective attention assessment paradigm, core attention network assessment paradigm, working memory assessment paradigm, and cognitive control assessment paradigm in the system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 are sequentially executed in a single block mode, including sequentially presenting paradigm materials matching the corresponding assessment paradigm to the subject, and receiving feedback results from the subject during the cognitive function assessment process; wherein the feedback results and corresponding time information are used as the subject's behavioral data, and together with the near-infrared brain function imaging time series data of the subject collected by the fNIRS signal acquisition device during the sequential execution of each assessment paradigm, are used for the processing device to evaluate the subject's cognitive function.

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