Autonomic nervous system function assessment device, method, and program

Abstract

The system provides users with an easy way to objectively understand the state of their autonomic nervous system function. [Solution] The device 10 for determining the state of the user's autonomic nervous system function includes a data acquisition unit 11 that acquires an estimated value of the user's heart rate estimated based on interoceptive sensation, the user's confidence level regarding the estimated heart rate, and the actual measured value of the user's heart rate; a determination unit 12 that determines the accuracy of the user's interoceptive sensation and the user's metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation from the error between the estimated value and the actual measured value and the confidence level, and further determines the state of the user's autonomic nervous system function based on the accuracy of interoceptive sensation and the metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation; and an output unit 13 that outputs the determination result.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus, method, and program for determining the state of a user's autonomic nervous system function.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, prevention of mental health disorders in workers has been emphasized, and stress checks have been made mandatory for companies. In order to maintain the "mental health" of workers, it is important that each worker knows their own mental stress state, and that managers grasp the mental stress state of each worker and respond appropriately. For this purpose, a mechanism capable of measuring the mental stress state is required. In this regard, conventionally, a technique is known in which a user is asked questions and the degree of the user's mental fatigue is quantified from the answers (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Long-term exposure to mental fatigue and stress may cause deterioration or disharmony of autonomic nervous system function, which may manifest as various physical and mental symptoms. It is known that interoception is greatly involved in autonomic nervous system function (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). Interoception refers to the ability to perceive one's own physiological state, and refers to sensations related to physiological states and visceral sensations. Conventionally, a technique is known that sharpens such interoception to reduce postpartum depressive symptoms and anxiety (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Non-Patent Documents

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Suksasilp C, Garfinkel SN. Towards a comprehensive assessment of interoception in a multi-dimensional framework. Biol Psychol. 2022 Feb;168:108262. doi: 10.1016 / j.biopsycho.2022.108262. Epub 2022 Jan 10. PMID: 35026353. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Evaluating a person's interoceptive sensation typically involves acquiring and analyzing their physiological information using measuring instruments. Therefore, it's difficult to easily assess interoceptive sensation anytime, anywhere. If it were possible to evaluate interoceptive sensation without measuring instruments, and also assess the state of autonomic nervous system function, individuals could objectively understand their own mental fatigue at any time, ultimately contributing to improved mental health.

[0007] Therefore, the objective of this invention is to provide a mechanism that allows users to easily and objectively understand the state of their autonomic nervous system function. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, an autonomic nervous system function determination device is provided, which is a device for determining the state of a user's autonomic nervous system function, comprising: a data acquisition unit that acquires an estimated value of the user's heart rate estimated by the user based on interoceptive sensation, the user's confidence level regarding the estimated heart rate, and the actual value of the user's heart rate; a determination unit that determines the accuracy of the user's interoceptive sensation and the user's metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation from the error between the estimated value and the actual value and the confidence level, and further determines the state of the user's autonomic nervous system function based on the accuracy of the interoceptive sensation and the metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation; and an output unit that outputs the determination result. Also provided is an autonomic nervous system function determination method corresponding to the autonomic nervous system function determination device, and a program for causing a computer to function as an autonomic nervous system function determination device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this invention, by having the user provide information on their heart rate, the accuracy of interoceptive sensations and the degree of metacognition regarding interoceptive sensations can be determined, and furthermore, the state of autonomic nervous system function can be judged. As a result, users can easily and objectively understand their own mental fatigue at any time, which can help improve their mental health. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a system configuration for realizing an autonomic nervous system function determination device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the user terminal and server in the system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a functional block diagram of an autonomic nervous system function determination device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart of a method for determining autonomic nervous system function according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a user terminal screen when obtaining an estimated heart rate based on the user's interoceptive sensations. [Figure 6]This is a diagram showing an example of a user terminal screen when acquiring the user's confidence level in the estimated heart rate value based on interoceptive sensation. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing an example of a user terminal screen when acquiring a measured value of a user's heart rate. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing an example of a determination table for interoceptive sensation accuracy and interoceptive sensation metacognitive level. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing an example of a determination table for the state of autonomic nervous system function. [Figure 10] This is a diagram showing an example of a user terminal screen presenting the determination result of the state of autonomic nervous system function. [Figure 11] This is an elbow plot related to class classification of interoceptive sensation accuracy. [Figure 12] This is another elbow plot related to class classification of interoceptive sensation accuracy. [Figure 13] This is a diagram showing an example of BPQ. [Figure 14] This is a diagram showing an example of a determination table for interoceptive sensation sensitivity. [Figure 15] This is a diagram showing an example of a dashboard that displays recorded data of determination results, metadata, and related information by the autonomic nervous system function determination device. [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. However, descriptions that are more detailed than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of already well-known matters and duplicate descriptions for substantially the same configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. It should be noted that the inventor provides the accompanying drawings and the following description to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present invention, and does not intend to limit the subject matter described in the claims thereby.

[0012] [Outline of Autonomic Nervous System Function Determination Device] An autonomic nervous system function determination device according to an embodiment of the present invention determines the state of a user's autonomic nervous system function from the user's own physiological information acquired based on interoceptive sensation, and presents the result to the user. As an example, the autonomic nervous system function determination device according to an embodiment of the present invention acquires information related to one's own heart rate as physiological information based on interoceptive sensation. The autonomic nervous system includes both an efferent mechanism that regulates the functions of various visceral organs and an afferent mechanism that transmits information from the viscera to the central nervous system. That is, the autonomic nervous system referred to herein is an expression that includes not only the autonomic nerves themselves, the sympathetic nerves and parasympathetic nerves that transmit physical information to each region, but also regions that process information obtained via the autonomic nerves.

[0013] As an example, the autonomic nervous system function determination device according to an embodiment of the present invention determines the fatigue level of the brain as the state of the autonomic nervous system function. Non-Patent Document 1 states that interoception is not merely a passive reception of sensations, but can be regarded as an active monitoring process that includes "sensing, interpreting, and integrating" signals generated from inside the body at both conscious and unconscious processing levels, and it is explained that this monitoring ability is a complex ability evaluated across multiple dimensions (accuracy, attention, insight, attribution, etc.). When the brain, which is one of the regions that process information obtained via the autonomic nerves, becomes fatigued, the ability to monitor the body through interoceptive sensation naturally declines. In addition, the ability to monitor the body through interoceptive sensation also declines when there is mental fatigue or stress. As such, the fatigue level of the brain, the ability to monitor the body, and mental stress are closely related to each other. Therefore, it can also be said that the brain fatigue level determined by the autonomic nervous system function determination device according to an embodiment of the present invention represents the ability to monitor the body or mental stress.

[0014] [Overall System Configuration] An autonomic nervous system function determination device according to one embodiment of the present invention is implemented as a web application utilizing the Web mechanism, or as a native application that operates without a web browser. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration for realizing an autonomic nervous system function determination device according to one embodiment of the present invention. System 100 according to one example comprises a user terminal 101, a server 102, and a database 103. The user terminal 101 is specifically a smartphone, tablet terminal, PC, etc. The server 102 integrates a web server and an application server into one. The database 103 is an independent system that stores and records user profiles and determination results, and performs efficient retrieval of this data. The user terminal 101 and the server 102 can communicate with each other via a communication network such as the Internet. The server 102 accesses the database 103 as needed to record and retrieve necessary data.

[0015] In such a system 100, the autonomic nervous system function determination device according to one embodiment of the present invention is implemented on the user terminal 101 as a web application utilizing the Web mechanism. Alternatively, the autonomic nervous system function determination device according to one embodiment of the present invention can be installed on the user terminal 101 and implemented as a native application that operates without a web browser. In the former case, the functional blocks of the autonomic nervous system function determination device described later are implemented on the server 102, and the user terminal 101 functions primarily as a user interface that exchanges data with the server 102. In the latter case, all of the functional blocks of the autonomic nervous system function determination device described later are implemented on the user terminal 101, and the user terminal 101 functions not only as a user interface but also as a data processing device.

[0016] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the user terminal and server in system 100 of Figure 1. Generally, the user terminal 101 and server 102 are equipped with a processor 104, memory 105, storage 106, and interface 107. These elements are interconnected via a bus or the like. Note that server 102 may consist of a single computer device, or it may be configured as a distributed system in which multiple servers are connected via a network.

[0017] The processor 104 is the element that reads the program stored in the storage 106, loads it into memory 105, and executes the program. The processor 104 can be a general-purpose CPU, GPU, or dedicated hardware (ASIC, FPGA, etc.).

[0018] Memory 105 is an element for storing temporary data such as input data, output data, and intermediate calculation results that are necessary when the processor 104 executes a program. DRAM, SDRAM, etc., are used for memory 105.

[0019] Storage 106 is a storage device for long-term storage of a program that enables the user terminal 101 or server 102 to function as an autonomic nervous system function determination device. Storage 106 can be an SSD, flash memory, HDD, or other non-volatile storage device.

[0020] Interface 107 is an element for sending and receiving data, issuing operation instructions, and displaying results between the user, external systems, and devices. Interface 107 includes a GUI, a communication interface, and interfaces for input / output devices such as a keyboard and mouse, which allow the user to input data for autonomic nervous system function assessment and receive assessment results.

[0021] [Detailed configuration of the autonomic nervous system function assessment device] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of an autonomic nervous system function determination device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a flowchart of an autonomic nervous system function determination method according to one embodiment of the present invention. The autonomic nervous system function determination device 10 according to this embodiment includes a data acquisition unit 11, a determination unit 12, an output unit 13, and a data storage unit 14. These elements are performed on the server 102 in the case of a web application, and on the user terminal 101 in the case of a native application. The operation of each element of the autonomic nervous system function determination device 10 will be described below with reference to the flowchart in Figure 4.

[0022] The data acquisition unit 11 acquires an estimated value of the user's heart rate based on interoceptive sensations (S1). Figure 5 shows an example of the user terminal screen when acquiring the estimated heart rate based on the user's interoceptive sensations. The user is prompted to count their heart rate by senses alone through the user terminal screen, and when ready, they press the start button on the user terminal screen to activate a timer for a certain period of time (for example, 30 seconds), during which time the user counts their heart rate by senses alone. After the timer ends, the user enters the heart rate they counted by senses alone into the input field on the user terminal screen, and the data acquisition unit 11 acquires this input value as the estimated heart rate.

[0023] Returning to Figure 4, the data acquisition unit 11 acquires the user's confidence level regarding the estimated heart rate (S2). Figure 6 shows an example of the user terminal screen when acquiring the user's confidence level regarding the estimated heart rate based on interoceptive sensation. The user is prompted to input their confidence level regarding the heart rate they have counted by sensation alone through the user terminal screen, and the user enters the confidence level into the input field on the user terminal screen, at which point the data acquisition unit 11 acquires the input value as the user's confidence level regarding the estimated heart rate.

[0024] The input field may be designed to allow input of confidence levels in multiple increments (for example, in 10% increments), with 100% representing the highest level of confidence and 0% representing the lowest level of confidence. Furthermore, confidence levels may be entered not as numerical values, but as symbols associated with specific numerical values ​​(e.g., ○, △, ×). In this case, the data acquisition unit 11 retrieves the numerical values ​​associated with the entered symbols. Alternatively, a slider bar may be displayed on the user terminal screen, allowing the user to input confidence levels by operating the slider.

[0025] Returning to Figure 4, the data acquisition unit 11 acquires the actual measured value of the user's heart rate (S3). Figure 7 shows an example of the user terminal screen when acquiring the actual measured value of the user's heart rate. The user is prompted to use a part of their body, that is, to count their pulse rate or heart rate based on extreme sensory input, through the user terminal screen. When ready, the user presses the start button on the user terminal screen, which activates a timer for a certain period of time (for example, 30 seconds), during which the user counts their pulse rate or heart rate using a part of their body. After the timer ends, the user enters the pulse rate or heart rate they counted using their body into the input field on the user terminal screen, and the data acquisition unit 11 acquires this input value as the actual measured value of the user's heart rate.

[0026] Returning to Figure 4, the determination unit 12 calculates the accuracy of the user's interoceptive sensation and the user's interoceptive insight from the error between the estimated and actual heart rate values ​​acquired by the data acquisition unit 11, and the user's confidence level regarding the estimated heart rate values ​​acquired by the data acquisition unit 11 (S4). Furthermore, the determination unit 12 determines the state of the user's autonomic nervous system function based on the calculated accuracy of interoceptive sensation and interoceptive insight (S5).

[0027] Metacognition is a "higher-level awareness" of one's own abilities and judgments, and refers to "knowing how much one knows / can do." In this embodiment, metacognition is expressed as the degree to which one's ability to accurately perceive one's own heart rate (actual ability) matches one's own evaluation of that ability (degree of confidence).

[0028] The error between the estimated and actual heart rate of a user is obtained as a numerical value, and the accuracy of the user's interoceptive sensation derived from this error is evaluated as a rank or level on a scale of several levels. Similarly, the user's confidence in the estimated heart rate is expressed, for example, as a percentage, and the user's metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation derived from this is evaluated as a rank or level on a scale of several levels.

[0029] The state of the user's autonomic nervous system function is comprehensively assessed based on two scales: the accuracy of interoceptive sensation and the metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation, to determine the user's degree of mental fatigue or stress (referred to as "brain fatigue" in this embodiment). The state of autonomic nervous system function is also evaluated as a rank or level in several stages.

[0030] In steps S4 and S5, the determination unit 12 refers to a table in which each numerical value is associated with an evaluation value to determine the accuracy of interoceptive sensation, the metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation, and the state of autonomic nervous system function.

[0031] Figure 8 shows examples of assessment tables for interoceptive accuracy and interoceptive metacognition. Tables are provided for both interoceptive accuracy and interoceptive metacognition. In the table, "difference" is the absolute error between the estimated heart rate over 30 seconds and the actual heart rate over 30 seconds. Interoceptive accuracy is classified into three classes with thresholds of difference = 8.85 and 20.22. Interoceptive accuracy (acc_evaluate in the table) is ranked as follows: the highest rank (3 stars) if the absolute error is less than 8.85, the middle rank (2 stars) if the absolute error is between 8.85 and less than 20.22, and the lowest rank (1 star) if the absolute error is 20.22 or higher. The classification of interoceptive accuracy is determined based on data obtained from empirical experiments. More details will be provided later.

[0032] Metacognition is determined by two correlations: the absolute error between the estimated heart rate over 30 seconds and the actual heart rate over 30 seconds (difference in the table), and the user's confidence level regarding the estimated heart rate (confidence level in the table). For the absolute error, similar to the accuracy of interoceptive sensation, it is classified into three classes with thresholds of difference = 8.85 and 20.22. For the confidence level, for simplicity, a single threshold (e.g., 50%) is used to classify it into two classes: high confidence and low confidence.

[0033] When the confidence level is 50% or higher, the metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation is ranked as follows: if the absolute error is less than 8.85, it is the highest rank (3 stars); if the absolute error is between 8.85 and less than 20.22, it is the middle rank (2 stars); and if the absolute error is 20.22 or higher, it is the lowest rank (1 star). In other words, if the user is confident in their estimated heart rate and the error between the estimated value and the actual value is relatively small, the metacognitive level is highly rated because it indicates that the user has a good understanding of their own body.

[0034] On the other hand, when the confidence level is less than 50%, the metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation is the opposite of the above: if the absolute error is less than 8.85, it is ranked lowest (1 star); if the absolute error is in the range of 8.85 to less than 20.22, it is ranked middle (2 stars); and if the absolute error is 20.22 or higher, it is ranked highest (3 stars). This means that if a user is not confident in their estimated heart rate and the error between the estimated and actual values ​​is large, the metacognitive level is highly rated because the user is well aware that they do not know their own body very well.

[0035] Figure 9 shows an example of a table for determining the state of autonomic nervous system function (brain fatigue level). The state of autonomic nervous system function (brain fatigue level) is determined in three ranks based on two scales: accuracy of interoceptive sensation and metacognition of interoceptive sensation. The brain fatigue level (brain_evaluate in the table) is the highest rank (3 stars) if both accuracy of interoceptive sensation and metacognition of interoceptive sensation are at the highest rank (3 stars), the lowest rank (1 star) if both accuracy of interoceptive sensation and metacognition of interoceptive sensation are at the lowest rank (1 star), and the middle rank (2 stars) otherwise.

[0036] Returning to Figure 4, the output unit 13 outputs the judgment result (S6). The judgment result output by the output unit 13 is presented to the user via the user terminal screen. At this time, the output unit 13 may output only the judgment result of a single trial, or it may output it together with past judgment results. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the data storage unit 14 may store and record data acquired by the data acquisition unit 11 (e.g., estimated heart rate, measured value, confidence level, etc.) and data generated by the judgment unit 12 (e.g., accuracy of interoceptive sensation, metacognition of interoceptive sensation, state of autonomic nervous system function, etc.), and the output unit 13 may output newly acquired data from the data acquisition unit 11 and newly generated data from the judgment unit 12 together with past data stored in the data storage unit 14.

[0037] Figure 10 shows an example of a user terminal screen displaying the results of the assessment of the state of autonomic nervous system function. The output unit 13 displays three results on the user terminal screen as the assessment result: the overall assessment result, the brain fatigue level, and, if necessary, the accuracy of interoceptive sensation and the metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation. For the brain fatigue level, in addition to displaying stars, comments corresponding to the number of stars, as shown in the table in Figure 8, may also be displayed, or only comments corresponding to the number of stars may be displayed instead of stars. Furthermore, the accuracy and confidence level of interoceptive sensation may be displayed as a scatter plot, showing past data and current data together. In addition, the assessment history may be displayed.

[0038] [Classification of the accuracy of interoceptive sensations] The classification of interoceptive accuracy was based on scientific evidence, obtained by collecting and analyzing estimated and actual heart rate data from a large number of subjects. In Experiment 1, 175 subjects (59 men and 116 women) were asked to sit in a chair and count their own heart rate by sensation alone for 30 seconds, and then count their own pulse rate for 30 seconds, to obtain estimated and actual heart rate values. The age distribution of the 175 subjects was 64 (oldest) to 22 (youngest), with a mean of 45.43, a median of 48, and a standard deviation of 10.06. In Experiment 2, 200 subjects (87 men and 113 women) were asked to sit in a chair and count their own heart rate by sensation alone for 30 seconds, and then count their own pulse rate for 30 seconds, to obtain estimated and actual heart rate values. The age distribution of the 200 subjects was 82 (oldest) to 19 (youngest), with a mean of 45.45, a median of 48, and a standard deviation of 12.09.

[0039] From the data obtained in Experiments 1 and 2, the absolute error between the estimated heart rate over 30 seconds and the actual heart rate over 30 seconds for each subject was calculated. This was then classified into multiple clusters using the k-means method, and the midpoint of the centroid (or center) of each cluster was used as the threshold. Figure 11 is an elbow plot relating to the classification of interoceptive accuracy. The vertical axis represents the sum of squared distances from each data point to the cluster center to which it belongs (Inertia), and the horizontal axis represents the number of clusters. From the elbow plot in Figure 11, it can be said that a cluster count of 2 to 4 is appropriate. However, with 2 clusters, the classification is too coarse, and with 4 clusters, it is too fine, so in this embodiment, an intermediate value of 3 is adopted.

[0040] Figure 12 shows another elbow plot related to the classification of interoceptive sensory accuracy. The elbow plot in Figure 12 was obtained from another empirical experiment (88 subjects). This elbow plot also suggests that 2 to 4 clusters are appropriate for the classification of interoceptive sensory accuracy.

[0041] When the number of clusters is set to 3, the two thresholds generally converge to values ​​of 8-9 and 20-21. The thresholds of 8.85 and 20.22 shown in Figure 8 are merely examples.

[0042] [BPQ] Another measure of interoceptive sensation, interoceptive attention, is assessed using the Body Perception Questionnaire (BPQ). The BPQ consists of 122 items in total, including the Body Awareness (BA) scale which measures awareness of interoceptive sensations, and five subscales which measure stress responses, autonomic nervous system responses, stress coping mechanisms, and medical history. A shortened version of the BPQ with fewer questions has also been reported (Kobayashi, R., Honda, T., Machizawa, M., Ichikawa, N., and Nakao, T. (2021). Factor structure, reliability and validation of the Japanese version of the body perception questionnaire-body awareness very short form (BPQ-BAVSF-J). Jpn. J. Res. Emot. 28, 38-48. doi: 10.4092 / jsre.28.2_38).

[0043] Figure 13 shows an example of a BPQ. This BPQ is an excerpt from the above-mentioned paper. As shown in the figure, each option for each question in the BPQ is associated with a numerical value. The data acquisition unit 11 may also acquire the user's BPQ score. In this case, the BPQ questions should be presented one by one on the user terminal screen, and the user should answer them via the user terminal 101. The BPQ score is the sum of the numerical values ​​corresponding to the options selected by the user as answers, or a converted value obtained by converting the sum with a specific numerical value (e.g., 100) as the upper limit. The BPQ score may be converted with a specific numerical value, such as 50, as the upper limit. The judgment unit 12 determines the user's interoceptive sensitivity from the BPQ score acquired by the data acquisition unit 11. Then, the judgment unit 12 determines the state of the user's autonomic nervous system function, taking into account the interoceptive sensitivity. This allows for a more accurate determination of the state of the autonomic nervous system function.

[0044] Figure 14 shows an example of a table for determining interoceptive sensitivity. The "difference" in the table represents the BPQ score. The BPQ score is classified into three classes, with thresholds of difference=27.84 and 19.85. Interoceptive sensitivity (BPQ_evaluate in the table) is ranked as follows: a BPQ score of 27.84 or higher is the highest rank (high), a BPQ score between 19.85 and 27.84 is the middle rank (fair), and a BPQ score below 19.85 is the lowest rank (low).

[0045] [effect] According to this embodiment, by having the user provide information about their heart rate, the accuracy of their interoceptive sensations and their metacognitive level regarding interoceptive sensations can be determined, and furthermore, the state of their autonomic nervous system function can be judged. As a result, users can easily and objectively understand their own mental fatigue at any time, which can help improve their mental health.

[0046] [Differentiation] While obtaining actual heart rate data from a user by having them count their own pulse or heart rate using their extroseceptive senses is meaningful not only because it eliminates the need for measuring equipment, but also because it encourages the user to become more aware of their own body, it is also possible to automatically measure heart rate using a device. For example, heart rate data could be obtained from a wearable device, or the user could press their finger against the camera of the user terminal 101 and the camera image could be analyzed to calculate the heart rate. When automatically measuring heart rate using a device, step S3 in Figure 4 may be performed simultaneously with step S1.

[0047] The period for estimating and measuring heart rate is not limited to 30 seconds; it can be shorter or longer. Furthermore, the time may not always be constant but may be randomly varied. By randomizing the period for estimating and measuring heart rate for each assessment of the autonomic nervous system function state, it is possible to prevent users from inputting estimated and measured values ​​based on past data, thereby improving the accuracy of the assessment of the autonomic nervous system function state.

[0048] The output unit 13 may output the accuracy of interoceptive sensation, the degree of metacognition of interoceptive sensation, the sensitivity of interoceptive sensation, and the degree of brain fatigue as quantitative evaluations (numerical expressions) instead of or in combination with qualitative evaluations (expressions using symbols such as stars). Outputting as quantitative evaluations makes it easier for the user to grasp the changes in the state of autonomic nervous system function when comparing past data with current data.

[0049] When outputting the accuracy of interoceptive sensation, metacognition of interoceptive sensation, sensitivity of interoceptive sensation, and brain fatigue as quantitative evaluations (numerical expressions), the determination unit 12 may perform the determination process based on, for example, the following formula. / / Accuracy score $acc_evaluate = 100 - $difference; / / Objective score $metacog_evaluate = 100 - abs($acc_evaluate - $confidence_level); / / Sensitivity score $BPQ_evaluate = ($BPQ_total - 12) * 100 / (60 - 12) / / Brain fatigue score $brain_evaluate = 100 - ($acc_evaluate + $metacog_evaluate + $BPQ_evaluate) / 3

[0050] The judgment unit 12 calculates a value ($acc_evaluate) as the accuracy of interoceptive sensation by subtracting the absolute error ($difference) between the estimated heart rate and the measured heart rate from a specific numerical value (e.g., 100). The judgment unit 12 also calculates a value ($metacog_evaluate) as metacognitive level (objectivity score) by subtracting the numerical value ($confidence_level) obtained as confidence level from the accuracy of interoceptive sensation.

[0051] Furthermore, the judgment unit 12 calculates the BPQ score (sensitivity score) by converting the sum of the numerical values ​​corresponding to the options selected by the user as answers ($BPQ_total) to a maximum of 100 points ($BPQ_evaluate). Specifically, since the BPQ score is out of 60 points, it is divided by the value obtained by subtracting 12 (the minimum score) from 60. Note that the above formula assumes a lower limit of 12 and an upper limit of 60 for the total value, but it is not limited to these values ​​and can be set appropriately depending on the number of questions in the BPQ. In other words, the value obtained by subtracting the lower limit of the total value from the total value ($BPQ_total), multiplying the result by 100, and then dividing by the value obtained by subtracting the lower limit of the total value from the upper limit of the total value can be "$BPQ_evaluate".

[0052] The judgment unit 12 then calculates the state of autonomic nervous system function (degree of brain fatigue) as a value obtained by subtracting the average of the accuracy of interoceptive sensation ($acc_evaluate), metacognition (objectivity score; $metacog_evaluate), and BPQ score (sensitivity score; $BPQ_evaluate) from 100 ($brain_evaluate).

[0053] The output unit 13 presents "$acc_evaluate" as the accuracy of interoceptive sensation, "$metacog_evaluate" as the metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation, "$BPQ_evaluate" as the sensitivity of interoceptive sensation, and "$brain_evaluate" as the state of autonomic nervous system function (brain fatigue). The output unit 13 may also present comments in addition to or instead of the value "$brain_evaluate" which indicates the state of autonomic nervous system function (brain fatigue). The comments are similar to those in the table shown in Figure 8, and the highest rank (3 stars), middle rank (2 stars), and lowest rank (1 star) in Figure 8 can be replaced with any set threshold (threshold for "$brain_evaluate").

[0054] [Application Examples] Each person belonging to an organization such as a workplace or group may continuously check the state of their autonomic nervous system function using the autonomic nervous system function assessment device according to this embodiment, record the results on a server, and present the recorded data, metadata, and related information for the entire organization to the user in the form of a dashboard. Figure 15 is a diagram showing an example of a dashboard that displays the recorded data, metadata, and related information of the assessment results from the autonomic nervous system function assessment device. The example dashboard includes four widgets. Widget A is a bar graph showing the usage status of the device for each team within the organization. From the usage status of the device, it is possible to know the level of awareness of mental health care in each team. Widget B is a line graph showing the trend of the average score of interoceptive sensation stability for users belonging to each team and the average score for the entire organization. From the trend of the scores, it is possible to know the mental health trend of each team. Widget C shows the number of clicks on various links that are useful for mental health care. From the number of clicks on the links, it is possible to know what kind of information each person is interested in regarding mental health care. Widget D shows each user's score and trend along with the team they belong to and their contact information. This type of information disclosure can facilitate connections among people interested in mental health care. By presenting recorded data, metadata, and related information on a dashboard, it can not only help maintain and improve each individual's mental health, but also enable organizations to plan mental health measures and control stress within the organization.

[0055] As described above, embodiments have been explained as examples of the technology in the present invention. For this purpose, accompanying drawings and a detailed description have been provided. Therefore, among the components described in the accompanying drawings and detailed description, there may be not only components that are essential for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem, in order to illustrate the above technology. For this reason, the mere fact that these non-essential components are described in the accompanying drawings and detailed description should not be immediately assumed to be essential. Furthermore, since the above embodiments are for the purpose of illustrating the technology in the present invention, various changes, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc., can be made within the scope of the claims or equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10. Autonomic Nervous System Function Assessment Device 11 Data Acquisition Unit 12 Judgment section 13 Output section 14. Data Storage Unit

Claims

1. A device for determining the state of a user's autonomic nervous system function, A data acquisition unit that acquires an estimated value of the user's own heart rate based on interoceptive sensations, the user's confidence level regarding the estimated heart rate, and the actual measured value of the user's heart rate. A determination unit that determines the accuracy of the user's interoceptive sensation and the user's metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation from the error between the estimated value and the measured value and the confidence level, and further determines the state of the user's autonomic nervous system function based on the accuracy of the interoceptive sensation and the metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation, An autonomic nervous system function determination device comprising an output unit that outputs the aforementioned determination result.

2. The autonomic nervous system function determination device according to claim 1, wherein the data acquisition unit acquires the pulse rate or heart rate measured by the user based on exteroceptive sensation as the measured value.

3. The autonomic nervous system function determination device according to claim 1, wherein the data acquisition unit acquires the user's pulse rate or heart rate, which is automatically measured by the device, as the measured value.

4. The autonomic nervous system function determination device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit divides the error between the estimated value and the measured value into three or four classes to determine the accuracy of the interoceptive sensation.

5. The aforementioned data acquisition unit further acquires the user's BPQ (Body Perception Questionnaire) score. The autonomic nervous system function determination device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the determination unit further determines the state of the autonomic nervous system function by taking the BPQ score into consideration.

6. The system includes a data storage unit that stores and records the data acquired by the data acquisition unit and the data generated by the determination unit. The autonomic nervous system function determination device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the output unit outputs a combination of past data stored in the data storage unit and newly obtained data by the data acquisition unit and the determination unit.

7. The system includes a data storage unit that stores and records the data acquired by the data acquisition unit and the data generated by the determination unit. The autonomic nervous system function determination device according to claim 5, wherein the output unit outputs a combination of past data stored in the data storage unit and newly obtained data by the data acquisition unit and the determination unit.

8. A method for determining the state of a user's autonomic nervous system function, Computers The first step is to obtain an estimated value of the user's own heart rate based on interoceptive sensations, A second step is to obtain the user's confidence level regarding the estimated heart rate, The third step is to obtain the actual measured value of the user's heart rate, A fourth step involves determining the accuracy of the user's interoceptive sensation and the user's metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation from the error between the estimated value and the measured value and the degree of confidence, A fifth step involves determining the state of the user's autonomic nervous system function based on the accuracy of the interoceptive sensation and the metacognitive level of the interoceptive sensation, A method for determining autonomic nervous system function, comprising the sixth step of outputting the aforementioned determination result.

9. The method for determining autonomic nervous system function according to claim 8, wherein, after the second step, in the third step, the computer obtains the pulse rate or heart rate measured by the user based on exteroceptive sensation as the measured value.

10. The method for determining autonomic nervous system function according to claim 8, wherein, simultaneously with or after the first step, in the third step, the computer acquires the user's pulse rate or heart rate, which has been automatically measured by the device, as the measured value.

11. The method for determining autonomic nervous system function according to claim 8, wherein in the fourth step, the computer divides the error between the estimated value and the measured value into three or four classes to determine the accuracy of the interoceptive sensation.

12. Following the third step, the system includes a seventh step in which the computer obtains the user's BPQ (Body Perception Questionnaire) score. The method for determining autonomic nervous system function according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein in the fifth step, the computer further determines the state of autonomic nervous system function by taking the BPQ score into consideration.

13. A program that determines the state of the user's autonomic nervous system function, A data acquisition unit that acquires an estimated value of the user's own heart rate based on interoceptive sensations, the user's confidence level regarding the estimated heart rate, and the actual measured value of the user's heart rate. A determination unit that determines the accuracy of the user's interoceptive sensation and the user's metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation from the error between the estimated value and the measured value and the confidence level, and further determines the state of the user's autonomic nervous system function based on the accuracy of the interoceptive sensation and the metacognitive level of interoceptive sensation, and A program that causes a computer to function as an output unit that outputs the aforementioned judgment result.

14. The program according to claim 13, wherein the data acquisition unit acquires the pulse rate or heart rate measured by the user based on exteroceptive sensation as the measured value.

15. The program according to claim 13, wherein the data acquisition unit acquires the user's pulse rate or heart rate, which is automatically measured by the device, as the measured value.

16. The program according to claim 13, wherein the determination unit divides the error between the estimated value and the measured value into three or four classes to determine the accuracy of the interoceptive sensation.

17. The aforementioned data acquisition unit further acquires the user's BPQ (Body Perception Questionnaire) score. The program according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the determination unit further determines the state of the autonomic nervous system function by taking the BPQ score into consideration.

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