Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

The present invention appropriately controls the secretion of a neurotransmitter and / or hormone in a user.　A control unit (13) instructs a patient to swipe an emotion-presenting image (22) that corresponds to the produced emotion in a first direction for promoting the secretion of a hormone and / or neurotransmitter secreted due to said emotion. In addition, the control unit (13) instructs the patient to swipe an emotion-presenting image (22) that does not correspond to the produced emotion in a second direction for suppressing the secretion of a hormone and / or neurotransmitter.

Description

Information processing device, information processing method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program, and more particularly to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can appropriately control the secretion of neurotransmitters and / or hormones in a user.

[0002] It is known that patients use information processing devices such as smartphones, smart watches, tablet computers, personal computers, etc. to perform training for treatment (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). The entire specifications, claims, and drawings of Patent Documents 1 and 2 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] International Publication No. 2020 / 222264 International Publication No. 2022 / 079923

[0004] Such training is desired to be simple and effective, and to achieve this, it is necessary to appropriately control the secretion of neurotransmitters and / or hormones in the patient.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a treatment support device, a treatment support method, and a program that can appropriately control the secretion of neurotransmitters and / or hormones in the user.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing device (1) according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a touch panel (11) that displays a predetermined image (22), and a control unit (13) that instructs a user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to an emotion that is occurring in a first direction that promotes the secretion of the predetermined hormone and / or neurotransmitter that is secreted by the emotion.

[0007] In the information processing device (1), the control unit (23) may instruct the user to swipe the image (22) that does not correspond to the emotion being experienced in a second direction that suppresses secretion of the predetermined hormone and / or neurotransmitter.

[0008] In the information processing device (1) described above, the control unit (13) may display content (21) that induces feelings of joy on the touch panel (11) for the user who is experiencing abnormalities in the secretion of dopamine and endorphins, and instruct the user to swipe the image (22) that corresponds to the feeling of joy in the first direction, and instruct the user to swipe the image (22) that does not correspond to the feeling of joy in the second direction, thereby normalizing the secretion of dopamine and endorphins.

[0009] In the above-described information processing device (1), the control unit (13) may execute a first process of displaying content (21) that induces feelings of anger, disgust, fear, and / or sadness on the touch panel (11) in the user having reduced stress tolerance, and instructing the user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to the feelings of anger, disgust, fear, and / or sadness in the second direction, and after executing the first process, execute a second process of displaying content (21) that induces feelings of joy on the touch panel (11) in the user having reduced stress tolerance, and instructing the user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to the feeling of joy in the first direction, thereby normalizing the secretion of cortisol and improving the stress tolerance of the user.

[0010] In the information processing device (1), the control unit (13) may execute the second process more times than the first process.

[0011] In the information processing device (1) described above, the control unit (13) may display content (21) that induces a feeling of joy on the touch panel (11) for the user who has reduced function of the anterior cingulate gyrus, and instruct the user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to the feeling of joy in the first direction, thereby promoting the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine, thereby improving the function of the anterior cingulate gyrus of the user.

[0012] In the information processing device (1) described above, the control unit (13) may display content (21) that induces a feeling of joy on the touch panel (11) for the user with reduced function of the amygdala and nucleus accumbens, and instruct the user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to the feeling of joy in the first direction, thereby promoting the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine, and then display content (21) that induces a feeling of surprise on the touch panel (11) and instruct the user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to the feeling of surprise in the first direction, thereby promoting the secretion of noradrenaline and adrenaline, thereby stimulating the amygdala and nucleus accumbens of the user, thereby improving the functions of the amygdala and nucleus accumbens of the user.

[0013] In the information processing device (1) described above, the control unit (13) may display content (21) that induces feelings of anger, disgust, fear, and / or sadness on the touch panel (11) in the user with reduced frontal lobe function, and instruct the user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to the feelings of anger, disgust, fear, and / or sadness in the second direction, thereby eliminating the anxiety of the user and improving the function of the user's frontal lobe.

[0014] In the information processing device (1), the control unit (13) may display, on the touch panel (11), an arrow (23) instructing the user in a direction to swipe the image (22) in a different color depending on the predetermined hormone and / or neurotransmitter secreted within the user.

[0015] In the above-described information processing device (1), the control unit (13) may display the arrow (23) instructing the user to swipe the image (22) related to the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphin, and dopamine in a color different from the arrow (23) instructing the user to swipe the image (22) related to the secretion of noradrenaline, adrenaline, and cortisol.

[0016] In the above-described information processing device (1), the control unit (13) may display the arrow (23) instructing the user to swipe the image (22) related to the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphin, and dopamine in a blue or green color, while displaying the arrow (23) instructing the user to swipe the image (22) related to the secretion of noradrenaline, adrenaline, and cortisol in a red color.

[0017] In the information processing device (1), the control unit (23) may display the arrow (23) instructing the user to swipe the image (22) related to the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine in a pastel color.

[0018] In the information processing device (1), the control unit (13) may adjust the hue, saturation, and / or brightness of the content (21) that induces an emotion in the user, and display the content on the touch panel (11) in accordance with the predetermined hormone and / or neurotransmitter secreted when the emotion is generated.

[0019] In the information processing device (1) described above, the control unit (13) may instruct the user to swipe downward as the first direction.

[0020] In the information processing device (1) described above, the control unit (13) may instruct the user to swipe in the direction of the user's dominant arm as the first direction.

[0021] In the above information processing device (1), the second direction may be opposite to the first direction.

[0022] An information processing method according to a second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that a touch panel (11) displays a predetermined image (22), and a control unit (13) instructs a user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to an emotion that is occurring in a first direction that promotes the secretion of the predetermined hormone and / or neurotransmitter that is secreted by the emotion.

[0023] A program according to a third aspect of the present invention causes a computer to execute the steps of displaying a predetermined image (22) on a touch panel (11) and instructing a user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to an emotion that is occurring in a first direction that promotes the secretion of the predetermined hormone and / or neurotransmitter that is secreted by the emotion.

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that are capable of appropriately controlling the secretion of neurotransmitters and / or hormones in a user.

[0025] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on a touch panel; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a training pattern selection table; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a training pattern; FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating details of training processing executed by the information processing device; FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram of training processing according to Example 1; FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of training processing according to Example 2; and FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram of training processing according to Example 3.

[0026] The best mode for carrying out the present invention will now be described.

[0027] First, the configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] The information processing device 1 is configured, for example, as a general-purpose smartphone with a touch panel, a smartwatch, a tablet computer, a personal computer, etc. The information processing device 1 treats the patient by inducing six basic emotions (anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise) in the patient (user) through training, and promoting or reducing the secretion of hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, oxytocin, and endorphins) and / or neurotransmitters (noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine) associated with those emotions.

[0029] Noradrenaline is known as a neurotransmitter that triggers the "fight or flight" response, activating parts of the brain such as the amygdala, which regulates emotional responses and evaluations, and the nucleus accumbens, which plays a central role in the reward system, causing a state of physical and mental alertness. Adrenaline is a stress hormone that controls the "fight or flight" response and is involved in increasing heart rate and blood pressure. The secretion of noradrenaline and adrenaline is promoted by emotions such as anger, disgust, fear, and surprise.

[0030] Cortisol is a hormone involved in stress response and regulates the body's energy supply. Its secretion is triggered by stress responses, and it reduces the function of parts of the brain, particularly the frontal lobe, which is involved in decision-making and self-control, and the hippocampus, which is involved in memory and learning. Cortisol secretion is promoted by emotions such as anger, disgust, fear, and sadness.

[0031] Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in mood stability, appetite, sleep, and social behavior, and is also known as the "happiness hormone" because it affects feelings of happiness. Serotonin activates areas of the brain such as the anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala, which are involved in emotional evaluation and self-awareness. Serotonin secretion is promoted by emotions of "joy."

[0032] Oxytocin is known as a hormone that promotes social bonds and affection, activating areas of the brain such as the frontal lobe and anterior cingulate cortex, and enhancing trust and affinity. Oxytocin is secreted more effectively when experiencing feelings of joy.

[0033] Endorphins are hormones that are naturally produced in the body and function as painkillers and pleasure-inducing substances, and are also known as "nature's painkillers." Endorphins activate areas of the brain such as the nucleus accumbens and anterior cingulate cortex, relieving pain and creating a sense of pleasure. Endorphins are secreted more efficiently when we experience feelings of joy.

[0034] Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in reward, pleasure, and motivation, and activates areas of the brain such as the nucleus accumbens (reward system) and the frontal lobe. Dopamine is secreted more efficiently when we experience feelings of pleasure.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an information processing apparatus according to this embodiment.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 1 includes a touch panel 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13, which are connected via a bus or the like.

[0037] The touch panel 11 is configured, for example, by a general-purpose touch panel that combines a liquid crystal display device and a pointing device. The touch panel 11 displays various screens and accepts various operations by the patient. In this embodiment, the touch panel 11 displays a treatment program setting screen, and the patient or the patient's supporter sets patient information such as the patient's illness, dominant arm, and favorite color by tapping the setting screen with a finger.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on a touch panel.

[0039] 2, when training begins, emotion-inducing images 21 are displayed on the touch panel 11 as content intended to induce one of the six basic emotions in the patient and promote or reduce the secretion of hormones and / or neurotransmitters associated with those emotions. The emotion-inducing images 21 may be still or moving images such as landscapes, or captions explaining a specific situation.

[0040] For example, the touch panel 11 displays emotion-inducing images 21 that induce a feeling of "joy" in the patient and promote the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine" within the patient, such as images of beautiful or relaxing landscapes, cute images of children or pets, moving images, and images that make the patient laugh.

[0041] In addition, the touch panel 11 displays emotion-inducing images 21 that induce emotions of "anger," "disgust," "fear," and / or "sadness" in the patient, thereby promoting the secretion of the neurotransmitter "noradrenaline" and the stress hormones "adrenaline" and "cortisol" from a negative perspective within the patient.

[0042] Furthermore, the touch panel 11 displays images of a dramatic reversal from a pinch, images of good triumphing over evil, etc., as emotion-inducing images 21 that induce a feeling of "surprise" or induce emotional changes such as courage (inspiration) in the patient, thereby promoting the secretion of the neurotransmitter "noradrenaline" and the stress hormones "adrenaline" and "cortisol" from a positive perspective within the patient.

[0043] Here, Elliot, AJ, & Maier, MA (2014). Color psychology: How colors influence the mind. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 8(4), 368-375. describes the relationship between color and hormones and / or neurotransmitters. Specifically, Elliot, AJ, & Maier, MA (2014). describes that color affects emotions and behavior, and that emotional and stress responses affect hormone and / or neurotransmitter levels. That is, Elliot, AJ, & Maier, MA (2014). describes that color affects hormone and / or neurotransmitter levels via emotions, etc. Note that Elliot, AJ, & Maier, MA (2014). is incorporated herein by reference.

[0044] The color red is generally associated with danger, failure, and stopping. Red attracts people's attention and makes them aware of the risk of danger or failure, which triggers an alert. For example, if red is shown before a test, test performance will decrease. Thus, red often acts as an alert sign in stressful or dangerous situations, which promotes the secretion of noradrenaline and adrenaline.

[0045] Excessively bright colors and unpleasant color combinations are known to cause stress and anxiety, and stimulate the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol.

[0046] For this reason, bright red colors have a stress-inducing effect and promote the secretion of noradrenaline, adrenaline, and cortisol.

[0047] Blue-based colors such as "blue" are generally associated with "safety," "peace," and "moving forward." Blue-based colors such as "blue" encourage better performance in creative thinking and problem-solving tasks. In addition to blue-based colors such as "blue," calming colors such as green-based colors enhance feelings of relaxation and peace, which promotes the secretion of "serotonin" and the like.

[0048] Pale pastel colors, which are associated with pleasant environments and happy memories, promote the secretion of endorphins.

[0049] For this reason, calming blue colors such as "blue" and green colors such as "green," as well as pale "pastel colors," have a relaxing effect and promote the secretion of "serotonin" and "endorphins."

[0050] Additionally, activities associated with reward and pleasure, such as viewing beautiful scenery or using a patient's favorite color, stimulate the release of dopamine. How specific colors and experiences affect dopamine levels varies greatly from patient to patient.

[0051] Therefore, in this embodiment, based on the relationship between the above-mentioned colors and hormones and / or neurotransmitters, the emotion-inducing image 21 is displayed on the touch panel 11 with its hue, saturation, and brightness adjusted according to the hormones and / or neurotransmitters that it promotes secretion.

[0052] Specifically, by adjusting the hue, saturation, and brightness to intensify the reddish hues of the emotion-inducing image 21 and to increase the color tones consisting of saturation and brightness to make them more flashy, the stress effect is enhanced and the secretion of "noradrenaline," "adrenaline," and "cortisol" is promoted in the patient. On the other hand, by intensifying the hues of the emotion-inducing image 21, such as calming "blue" or blue-based colors like "green," or by weakening the color tones to pale "pastel colors," the relaxation effect is enhanced and the secretion of "serotonin," "endorphin," etc. is promoted in the patient.

[0053] After a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the emotion-inducing image 21 was displayed, the touch panel 11 displays an emotion-presenting image (predetermined image) 22 that presents an emotion to the patient, and an arrow 23 that instructs the patient in which direction to swipe the emotion-presenting image 22. The patient swipes the emotion-presenting image 22 displayed on the touch panel 11 by sliding their finger in the direction of the arrow 23.

[0054] In this embodiment, among the emotions presented by the emotion presenting image 22, examples of "pleasant" emotions related to the emotion of "joy" include "relief," "happy," "fun," "cute," and "moved." Furthermore, examples of "pleasant" emotions different from the emotion of "joy" (hereinafter referred to as "stimulating emotions") include "motivation," "courage," "confidence," "hope," "willingness," and "enthusiasm." Furthermore, examples of "unpleasant" emotions opposite to the emotion of "joy" include "anxiety," "anger," "disgust," "fear," and "sadness."

[0055] Furthermore, the arrow 23 is displayed in different colors depending on the hormones and / or neurotransmitters secreted, based on the relationship between the above colors and the hormones and / or neurotransmitters. Specifically, by displaying the arrow 23 in a bright red color or the like, the stress effect is enhanced and the secretion of "noradrenaline," "adrenaline," "cortisol," and the like is promoted in the patient. In contrast, by displaying the arrow 23 in a calm blue color such as "blue," a green color such as "green," or a pale pastel color, the relaxation effect is enhanced and the secretion of "serotonin," "endorphin," and the like is promoted in the patient.

[0056] It is known that when a patient swipes downward on the emotion-presenting image 22 displayed on the touch panel 11, an image of drawing the emotion into oneself is generated, the emotion presented by the emotion-presenting image 22 becomes stronger, and the secretion of hormones and / or neurotransmitters corresponding to that emotion is promoted. In contrast, when a patient swipes upward on the emotion-presenting image 22 displayed on the touch panel 11, an image of drawing the emotion away from oneself is generated, the emotion presented by the emotion-presenting image 22 becomes weaker, and the secretion of hormones and / or neurotransmitters corresponding to that emotion is reduced.

[0057] It is also known that when a patient swipes the emotion-presenting image 22 displayed on the touch panel 11 in the direction of their dominant arm (rightward if they are right-handed, leftward if they are left-handed), an image of drawing the emotion-presenting image 22 into themselves is generated, the emotion presented by the emotion-presenting image 22 becomes stronger, and the secretion of hormones and / or neurotransmitters corresponding to that emotion is promoted. On the other hand, when a patient swipes the emotion-presenting image 22 displayed on the touch panel 11 in the direction opposite their dominant arm (leftward if they are right-handed, rightward if they are left-handed), an image of drawing the emotion-presenting image 22 away from themselves is generated, the emotion presented by the emotion-presenting image 22 becomes weaker, and the secretion of hormones and / or neurotransmitters corresponding to that emotion is reduced.

[0058] Therefore, in this embodiment, based on the relationship between the swipe direction and hormones and / or neurotransmitters, an arrow 23 is displayed on the touch panel 11 instructing the patient to swipe the emotion-presenting image 22 presenting the associated emotion downward or in the direction of the patient's dominant arm (rightward if right-handed, leftward if left-handed), or downward in the direction of the dominant arm (downward right if right-handed, downward left if left-handed) when intensifying the emotion induced by the emotion-inducing image 21. On the other hand, an arrow 23 is displayed on the touch panel 11 instructing the patient to swipe the emotion-presenting image 22 presenting the associated emotion upward or in the direction opposite to the patient's dominant arm (leftward if right-handed, rightward if left-handed), or upward in the direction opposite to the dominant arm (upward left if right-handed, upward right if left-handed).

[0059] By swiping in the direction of arrow 23 on emotion-presenting image 22, which presents an emotion related to the emotion induced by emotion-inducing image 21, the patient can strengthen the emotion induced by emotion-inducing image 21 and promote the secretion of hormones and / or neurotransmitters corresponding to that emotion, or conversely, weaken the emotion induced by emotion-inducing image 21 and reduce the secretion of hormones and / or neurotransmitters corresponding to that emotion.

[0060] The display from when the emotion-inducing image 21 is displayed until the patient swipes the emotion-presenting image 22 in the direction of the arrow 23 is considered one set, and multiple sets of displays are displayed on the touch panel 11 during one training session.

[0061] 1 is configured with a non-volatile memory such as a general-purpose flash memory, etc. Various application programs are installed in the memory 12, such as an application program (hereinafter referred to as a "treatment program") for treating a patient by inducing the six basic emotions in the patient through training and promoting or reducing the secretion of hormones and / or neurotransmitters associated with the emotions.

[0062] The memory unit 12 also stores patient information such as the patient's illness set by the patient or a supporter such as the patient's family or doctor, the patient's dominant hand (right-handed or left-handed), and the patient's favorite color.

[0063] Furthermore, the storage unit 12 stores a plurality of types of emotion-inducing images 21, emotion-presenting images 22, and arrows 23 to be displayed on the touch panel 11 during training for the patient.

[0064] In addition, the memory unit 12 stores a training pattern selection table 3 for selecting a training pattern that specifies the type of emotion-inducing image 21, the type of emotion-presenting image 22, and the type of arrow 23 to be displayed sequentially on the touch panel 11 during the patient's training.

[0065] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a training pattern selection table.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 3, the training pattern selection table 3 registers a plurality of selectable training patterns TPi (i is a natural number) in association with the patient's disease, dominant arm, and favorite color identified from the patient information.

[0067] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a training pattern.

[0068] 4, for each training pattern TPi, the types of emotion-inducing images 21, emotion-presenting images 22, and arrows 23 to be displayed on the touch panel 11 are set in association with the number of sets. Note that the training pattern selection table 3 may register one training pattern TPi for each combination of the patient's disease, dominant arm, and favorite color, or may register multiple types of selectable training patterns TPi.

[0069] 1 is configured with, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The CPU uses the RAM as a work memory and controls various operations of the information processing device 1 by appropriately executing various programs, etc. stored in the ROM and the storage unit 12.

[0070] In this embodiment, the RAM is provided with a display counter for counting how many times one set of displays has been made, and a random number counter for counting the random number used to determine the color and direction of the arrow 23.

[0071] In response to the patient tapping an icon corresponding to a treatment program displayed on the touch panel 11, the control unit 13 launches the treatment program stored in the memory unit 12 and displays a setting screen for the treatment program on the touch panel 11.

[0072] The control unit 13 stores patient information such as the patient's own disease, dominant arm, and favorite color, which the patient sets by tapping the setting screen with a finger, in the storage unit 12. Note that the patient information may also be set by a supporter of the patient.

[0073] After the patient information is set, the control unit 13 reads out the patient information stored in the storage unit 12 in response to the patient giving an instruction to start training on the touch panel 11 .

[0074] Next, the control unit 13 selects from the training pattern selection table 3 a training pattern TPi that corresponds to the patient's disease, dominant arm, and favorite color identified from the patient information read from the storage unit 12. If the training pattern selection table 3 has multiple types of training patterns TPi registered in a selectable manner for each combination of the patient's disease, dominant arm, and favorite color, the control unit 13 may select one training pattern TPi from the multiple types of training patterns TPi that correspond to the combination of the patient's disease, dominant arm, and favorite color by, for example, extracting a random number from a random number counter.

[0075] Then, the control unit 13 executes training for treating the patient by sequentially displaying emotion-inducing images 21, emotion-presenting images 22, and arrows 23 on the touch panel 11 in accordance with the selected training pattern TPi.

[0076] Next, the training process executed by the information processing device 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0077] In the information processing device 1, the control unit 13 starts the training process in response to the patient tapping an icon corresponding to the treatment program displayed on the touch panel 11 to start the treatment program, and then instructing the patient to start training on the touch panel 11.

[0078] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the details of the training process executed by the information processing device.

[0079] In the training process shown in FIG. 5, first, the control unit 13 reads out the patient information stored in the storage unit 12 (step S51).

[0080] Next, the control unit 13 selects a training pattern TPi from the training pattern selection table 3 that corresponds to the patient's disease, dominant arm, and favorite color identified from the patient information read out in step S51 (step S52).

[0081] Next, the control unit 13 initializes the count value (display count value) of a display counter provided in the RAM or the like to "0" (step S53).

[0082] Furthermore, the control unit 13 counts up the display count value by "1" to update it (step S54), and determines whether the updated display count value is equal to or less than the total number of sets displayed according to the selected training pattern TPi (step S55). For example, if one set of display, from the time when the emotion-inducing image 21 is displayed according to the selected training pattern TPi until the patient swipes the emotion-presenting image 22 in the direction of the arrow 23, is performed five times, the total number of sets will be "5."

[0083] If the updated display count value is less than or equal to the total number of sets (step S55; No), the control unit 13 reads out from the memory unit 12 the types of emotion-inducing images 21, emotion-presenting images 22, and arrows 23 registered in the training pattern TPi corresponding to the updated display count value (step S56).

[0084] Next, the control unit 13 extracts a random number from a random number counter provided in the RAM or the like, and determines the color and direction of the arrow 23 to be displayed on the touch panel 11 (step S57).

[0085] Specifically, when the control unit 13 instructs the patient to swipe the emotion presenting image 22 that presents the emotion of “pleasure,” the control unit 13 determines the color of the arrow 23 from among colors that enhance the relaxation effect, such as “blue,” “green,” and “pastel colors,” based on the value of the extracted random number, and determines the direction of the arrow 23 to be either downward, toward the patient's dominant arm (to the right if the patient is right-handed, or to the left if the patient is left-handed), or downward toward the dominant arm (to the right and downward if the patient is right-handed, or to the left and downward if the patient is left-handed).

[0086] On the other hand, when the control unit 13 instructs the patient to swipe the emotion-presenting image 22 that presents the emotion of "irritation" or "discomfort," the control unit 13 determines the color of the arrow 23 from among bright red colors that enhance the stress effect based on the value of the extracted random number.

[0087] When the control unit 13 strengthens the patient's emotion induced by the emotion-inducing image 21 and promotes the secretion of hormones and / or neurotransmitters corresponding to that emotion, it determines the direction of the arrow 23 to be one of the first directions (downward, toward the patient's dominant arm (rightward if right-handed, leftward if left-handed), and downward toward the dominant arm (downward right if right-handed, downward left if left-handed)) that creates an image of taking in the emotion.

[0088] In contrast, when the control unit 13 weakens the patient's emotion induced by the emotion-inducing image 21 and reduces the secretion of hormones and / or neurotransmitters corresponding to that emotion, it determines the direction of the arrow 23 to be one of the second directions (upward, the direction opposite the patient's dominant arm (leftward if the patient is right-handed, rightward if the patient is left-handed), and upward in the direction opposite the dominant arm (upward and leftward if the patient is right-handed, and upward and rightward if the patient is left-handed)) that gives the impression of being moved away from the patient.

[0089] The emotion-inducing image 21 and emotion-presenting image 22 may also be selected from a plurality of types based on the value of a random number extracted from a random number counter.

[0090] Then, the control unit 13 displays the emotion-inducing image 21 read out in step S56 on the touch panel 11, and after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, displays the emotion-presenting image 22 and the arrow 23 determined in step S57 (step S58). Furthermore, while the emotion-presenting image 22 and the arrow 23 are displayed on the touch panel 11, the control unit 13 displays instructions to the patient, such as "Swipe down the one that matches your current emotion" and "Swipe up the one that does not match your current emotion."

[0091] Thereafter, the control unit 13 determines whether or not the emotion-presenting image 22 displayed in step S58 has been swiped by the patient (step S59).

[0092] The control unit 13 loops and waits until the emotion presenting image 22 is swiped (step S59; No), and when the emotion presenting image 22 is swiped (step S59; Yes), it determines that one set of display has ended and returns to step S54.

[0093] Then, when the updated display count value becomes greater than the total number of sets (step S55; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that the display of all sets performed according to the selected training pattern TPi has been completed, and ends the training process.

[0094] Next, the above training process will be described in more detail using a specific example.

[0095] In the first embodiment, a training process for treating a patient with "addiction" will be described as an example.

[0096] Patients with addictions secrete excessive amounts of dopamine and endorphins when they take or use addictive substances such as opioids or alcohol. On the other hand, when patients with addictions do not take or use addictive substances, the secretion of dopamine and endorphins is insufficient, and stress and anxiety increase, leading to the excessive secretion of cortisol. Additionally, patients with addictions generally have a lack of secretion of serotonin.

[0097] The central mechanism of addiction is related to the abnormal activation of the nucleus accumbens (reward system), a central area that regulates sensitivity to reward and preference for addictive substances. As mentioned above, the nucleus accumbens (reward system) plays a role in processing the pleasure and rewards obtained from substances and behaviors in particular. Ingestion or use of an addictive substance increases the secretion of dopamine, activating the nucleus accumbens (reward system), allowing addicted patients to experience pleasure and satisfaction. However, repeated ingestion or use of an addictive substance causes the nucleus accumbens (reward system) to become resistant to the secretion of dopamine, and the patient is no longer able to experience the same pleasure from ingesting or using the same amount of the addictive substance.

[0098] Additionally, some addictive substances, such as opioids and alcohol, stimulate the release of endorphins, which produce a pleasurable feeling. Excessive activation of this system can reinforce the desire to continue taking the substance. Excessive activation of the nucleus accumbens (reward system) by endorphins reinforces the desire of addicted individuals to continue taking or using the addictive substance.

[0099] Therefore, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment induces feelings of "joy" in patients with "addiction" without ingesting or using addictive substances, and promotes the secretion of "dopamine" and "endorphin" in the patients with "addiction," thereby normalizing the secretion of "dopamine" and "endorphin."

[0100] Furthermore, as addiction progresses, the function of the frontal lobe, which is involved in behavioral control, willpower, and decision-making, declines, leading to a decline in inhibitions and an increase in impulsive behavior. The hippocampus, which is involved in memory formation and emotions, is also involved in the formation and activation of memories associated with the experience of using addictive substances. When stress and anxiety increase in addicted patients due to non-ingestion or non-use of addictive substances, the secretion of cortisol increases, causing a decline in the function of the frontal lobe and hippocampus. By taking or using addictive substances, addicted patients can temporarily alleviate their stress response, but in the long term, the secretion of cortisol reduces the function of the frontal lobe and hippocampus.

[0101] Therefore, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment induces emotions of "anger," "disgust," "fear," and "sadness" in an "addicted" patient, promoting the secretion of "cortisol" in the "addicted" patient, and then induces emotions of "joy" in the "addicted" patient, promoting the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine" in the "addicted" patient, thereby building resistance to stress and anxiety in the "addicted" patient and normalizing the secretion of "cortisol."

[0102] Furthermore, the amygdala, which is involved in emotions and stress responses, is associated with the emotional instability that occurs during the progression of addiction and withdrawal. Some addictive substances are known to alter the movement of serotonin, which plays a role in regulating emotions and mood. For this reason, drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be useful in treating addiction.

[0103] Therefore, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment induces feelings of "joy" in patients with "addiction" without ingesting or using addictive substances, thereby promoting the secretion of "serotonin" and other substances within the patients with "addiction," thereby resolving the lack of "serotonin" secretion.

[0104] 5, the control unit 13 of the information processing device 1 selects a training pattern TP1 from the training pattern selection table 3 that corresponds to the patient's illness "addiction" and dominant arm "right-handed" identified from the patient information (step S52), and sequentially displays emotion-inducing images 21, emotion-presenting images 22, and arrows 23 on the touch panel 11 according to the selected training pattern TP1 (steps S54 to S59). The total number of sets displayed according to the training pattern TP1 is "5."

[0105] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram of the training process according to the first embodiment.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 6, in the training process for treating an "addicted" patient, the first set (first set) mainly displays for normalizing the secretion of "dopamine" and "endorphin" in the "addicted" patient.

[0107] Specifically, when the display count value is "1", the control unit 13 first displays, in step S58, emotion-inducing images 21 on the touch panel 11 that induce emotions of "joy" in patients with "addiction", such as images of beautiful or relaxing scenery, cute images of children or pets, moving images, and images that make people laugh.

[0108] After a predetermined period of time has passed since the emotion-inducing image 21 was displayed, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 a plurality of emotion-presenting images 22 presenting "pleasant" emotions related to the emotion of "joy", such as "happy", "fun", "cute", and "moved", as well as a plurality of emotion-presenting images 22 presenting "unpleasant" emotions opposite to the emotion of "joy", such as "anxiety", "anger", "disgust", "fear", and "sadness".

[0109] In addition, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11, for example, a pastel-colored downward arrow 23 (a first direction that creates the image of drawing something in to yourself) and an upward arrow 23 in a bright red color (a second direction that creates the image of moving something away from you), and also displays instructions to the patient with "addiction" such as "Swipe downwards if it matches your current emotions, and upwards if it does not."

[0110] Then, when the “addicted” patient swipes downward the emotion-presenting image 22 that corresponds to the emotion currently being experienced and swipes upward the emotion-presenting image 22 that does not correspond (step S59; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that one set of display has ended and counts up the display count value by “1” to “2” (step S54).

[0111] In this way, the "addicted" patient can swipe downwards along the pastel-colored arrow 23 that enhances the relaxing effect to absorb the emotion-presenting image 22, which presents the emotion of "pleasure" corresponding to the emotion of "joy," thereby strengthening the emotion of "joy" and effectively promoting the secretion of "dopamine," "endorphin," and the like within the "addicted" patient.

[0112] Furthermore, an "addicted" patient can swipe the emotion-presenting image 22, which presents the emotion of "unpleasantness" opposite to the emotion of "joy," upwards, away from the patient, following the bright red arrow 23 that enhances the stress effect, thereby weakening the emotion of "unpleasantness" and inducing emotional fluctuations, thereby more effectively promoting the secretion of "dopamine," "endorphin," and the like within the "addicted" patient.

[0113] As a result, in the first set (first set), the information processing device 1 of this embodiment can induce feelings of "joy" in an "addicted" patient without ingesting or using an addictive substance, thereby promoting the secretion of "dopamine" and "endorphin" in the "addicted" patient, thereby normalizing the secretion of "dopamine" and "endorphin."

[0114] Furthermore, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment allows an "addicted" patient to swipe away from the emotion-presenting image 22 that presents the emotion of "discomfort" rather than the image of the addictive substance, and therefore the secretion of "dopamine" and "endorphin" can be normalized without making the "addicted" patient aware of the addictive substance.

[0115] In the subsequent second to fourth sets, displays are made to build tolerance to stress and anxiety in the "addicted" patient and normalize the secretion of "cortisol" in the "addicted" patient. Specifically, in the second set, after the first process of promoting the secretion of "cortisol" in the "addicted" patient is executed once, the second process of promoting the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine" is executed twice, thereby building tolerance to stress and anxiety in the "addicted" patient and normalizing the secretion of "cortisol."

[0116] If the display count value is "2", first, in step S58, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 emotion-inducing images 21, such as cluttered landscapes, images evoking poverty or crime, that induce feelings of "anger," "disgust," "fear," and / or "sadness" in the "addiction" patient, thereby inducing stress.

[0117] After a predetermined period of time has passed since the emotion-inducing image 21 was displayed, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 a plurality of emotion-presenting images 22 that present "unpleasant" emotions such as "anxiety," "anger," "disgust," "fear," and "sadness," which are the opposite of the emotion of "joy."

[0118] In addition, the control unit 13 displays an arrow 23 on the touch panel 11 in the direction of the "addicted" patient's dominant arm (to the right) (the first direction that creates the image of taking something into oneself) in a bright red color, for example, and displays instructions to the "addicted" patient such as "Swipe to the right on the item that matches your current feelings."

[0119] Then, when the “addicted” patient swipes the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the currently occurring emotion in the direction of their dominant arm (to the right) (step S59; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that one set of display has ended and counts up the display count value by “1” to “3” (step S54).

[0120] In this way, the "addict" patient can intensify the emotions of "anger," "disgust," "fear," and / or "sadness" and effectively promote the secretion of "cortisol" within the "addict" patient by swiping in the direction of their dominant arm (to the right) as if to take in the emotion-presenting image 22, which presents the emotions of "anxiety," "anger," "disgust," "fear," and "sadness," following the bright red arrow 23 that enhances the stress effect.

[0121] If the display count value is "3", first, in step S58, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 emotion-inducing images 21 that induce emotions of "joy" in patients with "addiction", such as images of beautiful or relaxing scenery, cute images of children or pets, moving images, and images that make people laugh.

[0122] A predetermined period after displaying the emotion-inducing image 21, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 multiple types of emotion-presenting images 22 presenting emotions of "pleasure" related to the emotion of "joy", such as "happy", "fun", "cute", and "moved".

[0123] In addition, the control unit 13 displays an arrow 23 on the touch panel 11, for example in blue, pointing downward (to the bottom right) of the patient's dominant arm (the first direction that creates the image of taking something into oneself), and also displays instructions to the patient, such as "Swipe downward to the right on the item that matches your current feelings."

[0124] Then, when the “addicted” patient swipes the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the currently occurring emotion downward (to the lower right) with their dominant arm (step S59; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that one set of display has ended and counts up the display count value by “1” to “4” (step S54).

[0125] If the display count value is "4", the control unit 13 displays, in step S58, on the touch panel 11 an emotion-inducing image 21 that induces the emotion of "joy" in the "addiction" patient, just as when the display count value is "3", and after a predetermined period of time, displays an emotion-presenting image 22 that presents multiple types of "pleasure" emotions related to the emotion of "joy", and an arrow 23 pointing in a first direction in a color that enhances the relaxing effect and creates an image of taking the image in oneself.

[0126] In this case, it is preferable that the emotion-eliciting image 21, emotion-presenting image 22, and arrow 23 be different from those when the display count value is "3." For example, if a cute image of a child, pet, or the like is displayed as the emotion-eliciting image 21 when the display count value is "3," a touching image may be displayed as the emotion-eliciting image 21 when the display count value is "4." Furthermore, since the arrow 23 pointing downward (to the lower right) toward the dominant arm of an "addict" patient is displayed in blue when the display count value is "3," the downward arrow 23 may be displayed in green when the display count value is "4."

[0127] Then, when the patient with "addiction" swipes downward on the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the emotion currently being experienced (step S59; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that one set of display has ended and counts up the display count value by "1" to "5" (step S54).

[0128] In this way, the "addicted" patient can intensify the emotion of "joy" by swiping downward (downward and to the right) or downward with their dominant arm, following the blue or green arrow 23 that enhances the relaxing effect, to absorb the emotion-presenting image 22, which presents the emotion of "pleasure" related to the emotion of "joy," thereby effectively promoting the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine" within the "addicted" patient.

[0129] As a result, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment can induce emotions of "anger," "disgust," "fear," and "sadness" in the "addicted" patient in the second set, thereby promoting the secretion of "cortisol" in the "addicted" patient, and then, in the third and fourth sets, induce emotions of "joy" in the "addicted" patient, thereby promoting the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine" in the "addicted" patient.

[0130] In this way, the information processing device 1 performs the first process once to promote the secretion of "cortisol" in an "addicted" patient, and then performs the second process twice to promote the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine," thereby enabling the "addicted" patient to develop resistance to stress and anxiety and normalize the secretion of "cortisol."

[0131] The control unit 13 may perform the first process two times and then the second process three times, as long as it secretes more serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine than cortisol.

[0132] And in the final set (the fifth set), displays are mainly provided to alleviate the lack of "serotonin" secretion in "addicted" patients.

[0133] Specifically, when the display count value is "5", the control unit 13 displays an emotion-inducing image 21 on the touch panel 11 in step S58, which induces an emotion of "joy" in the patient with "addiction", just as when the display count value is "1".

[0134] In this case, in order to more effectively promote the secretion of "serotonin" in the "addiction" patient, it is preferable that the emotion-inducing image 21 be one that has a strong relaxing effect, such as an image of a beautiful landscape or a relaxing scene.

[0135] In addition, the control unit 13 may adjust the emotion-inducing image 21 to have a more relaxing color by strengthening the calming hues of "blue" or "green" or by weakening the color tone, and then display it on the touch panel 11.

[0136] A predetermined period after displaying the emotion-inducing image 21, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 a plurality of emotion-presenting images 22 presenting the emotion of "pleasure" and a plurality of emotion-presenting images 22 presenting the emotion of "unpleasant."

[0137] In addition, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11, for example, an arrow 23 in blue in the direction of the "addicted" patient's dominant arm (to the right) (a first direction that gives the impression of drawing something in to oneself), and an arrow 23 in a bright red color that instructs the patient to swipe in the direction opposite to the dominant arm (to the left) (a second direction that gives the impression of moving something away from oneself), and also displays instructions to the "addicted" patient such as "Swipe right if it matches your current emotion, and left if it does not match."

[0138] Thereafter, when the “addicted” patient swipes the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the currently occurring emotion in the direction of their dominant arm (to the right) and swipes the emotion-presenting image 22 that does not correspond in the direction opposite to their dominant arm (to the left) (step S59; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that one set of display has ended and counts up the display count value by “1” to “6” (step S54).

[0139] Then, since the updated display count value "6" is greater than the total number of sets "5" (step S55; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that the display of all sets performed according to the selected training pattern TP1 has been completed, and terminates the training process.

[0140] As a result, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment can induce feelings of "joy" in the "addicted" patient in the final set (fifth set), thereby promoting the secretion of "serotonin" and other substances within the "addicted" patient, thereby eliminating the lack of "serotonin" secretion.

[0141] As described above, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment can normalize the secretion of "dopamine" and "endorphin" in an "addiction" patient in the first set (first set). Furthermore, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment can build resistance to stress and anxiety in an "addiction" patient and normalize the secretion of "cortisol" in the second to fourth sets of displays. Then, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment can eliminate the deficiency in the secretion of "serotonin" in the final set (fifth set). In this way, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment can treat an "addiction" patient.

[0142] In the second embodiment, the above training process will be described taking as an example a case where the disease of the patient himself / herself identified from the patient information is "depression."

[0143] Patients with depression experience a decline in brain function in the anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, frontal lobe, and nucleus accumbens, primarily due to a lack of serotonin secretion.

[0144] Specifically, patients with depression show abnormal activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, which is involved in self-awareness, emotional evaluation, and pain perception, and this activity is associated with low self-esteem and negative thoughts about oneself.

[0145] Therefore, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment induces a feeling of "joy" in a patient with "depression" and promotes the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," and "endorphin" in the patient, thereby activating the "anterior cingulate cortex" and enhancing its function.

[0146] In addition, in patients with depression, the amygdala, which regulates emotional responses and evaluations, particularly those related to fear and danger, is overly activated, which is associated with the excessively negative emotional responses and evaluations of patients with depression.

[0147] Therefore, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment induces a feeling of "joy" in a patient with "depression" and promotes the secretion of "serotonin" in the patient, thereby suppressing overactivity of the "amygdala," while inducing a feeling of "surprise" and promoting the secretion of "adrenaline" and "noradrenaline" in the patient with "depression," thereby adjusting the "amygdala" to function appropriately.

[0148] Furthermore, patients with depression tend to have reduced activity in the frontal lobe, which is responsible for higher-order functions such as decision-making, planning, self-control, and motivation, and this is associated with symptoms such as lethargy, loss of motivation, and difficulty making decisions.

[0149] Therefore, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment induces a feeling of "joy" in a patient with "depression" and promotes the secretion of "oxytocin" and "dopamine" in the patient with "depression," while encouraging an emotional change in the patient with "depression" and promoting the secretion of "cortisol" in the patient with "depression," thereby activating the "frontal lobe" and enhancing its function.

[0150] Furthermore, patients with depression experience dysfunction in the nucleus accumbens, which plays a central role in the reward system and is involved in pleasure and motivation, and this is associated with difficulty feeling joy and pleasure.

[0151] Therefore, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment induces a feeling of "joy" in a patient with "depression" to promote the secretion of "endorphin" and "dopamine" in the patient, while inducing a feeling of "surprise" to promote the secretion of "adrenaline" and "noradrenaline" in the patient with "depression," thereby activating the "nucleus accumbens" and enhancing its function.

[0152] In this way, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment promotes the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine" in patients with "depression," while also promoting and stimulating the secretion of "noradrenaline" as well as the stress hormones "adrenaline" and "cortisol" as appropriate, thereby enhancing brain functions such as the "anterior cingulate cortex," "amygdala," "frontal lobe," and "nucleus accumbens," thereby treating patients with "depression."

[0153] 5, the control unit 13 of the information processing device 1 selects a training pattern TP2 from the training pattern selection table 3 that corresponds to the patient's illness "depression" and dominant arm "right-handed" identified from the patient information (step S52), and sequentially displays emotion-inducing images 21, emotion-presenting images 22, and arrows 23 on the touch panel 11 according to the selected training pattern TP2 (steps S54 to S59). The total number of sets displayed according to the training pattern TP2 is "4."

[0154] FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of the training process according to the second embodiment.

[0155] 7, in the training process for treating a patient with "depression," the first two sets (the first and second sets) display information to improve the function of the "anterior cingulate cortex" by promoting the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine" in the patient with "depression." In this embodiment, the first set displays information to promote the secretion of "serotonin" in particular, and the second set displays information to promote the secretion of "oxytocin" in particular.

[0156] Specifically, when the display count value is "1," first, in step S58, the control unit 13 displays an emotion-eliciting image 21 with a high relaxation effect, such as an image of a beautiful landscape or a relaxing landscape, on the touch panel 11. In this case, the control unit 13 may adjust the emotion-eliciting image 21 to a color with a high relaxation effect by strengthening the hues of calming "blue" or "green" or by weakening the color tone, and then display it on the touch panel 11.

[0157] A predetermined period after displaying the emotion-inducing image 21, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 multiple types of emotion-presenting images 22 presenting emotions of "pleasure" related to the emotion of "joy", such as "happy", "fun", "cute", and "moved".

[0158] In addition, the control unit 13 displays a downward arrow 23 (the first direction that creates the image of taking in oneself) in blue on the touch panel 11, for example, and displays instructions to the patient with depression, such as "Swipe downward on the item that matches your current feelings."

[0159] In addition, the training process for treating patients with "depression" focuses on the emotion of "pleasure," and therefore, unlike the training process for treating patients with "addiction," only emotion-presenting images 22 presenting the emotion of "pleasure" are displayed on the touch panel 11, and emotion-presenting images 22 presenting the emotion of "unpleasant" are not displayed.

[0160] Then, when the patient with depression swipes downward on the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the emotion that is currently occurring (step S59; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that one set of display has ended and counts up the display count value by "1" to "2" (step S54).

[0161] In this way, a patient with depression can swipe downwards along the blue arrow 23, which enhances the relaxing effect, to absorb the emotion-presenting image 22, which presents the emotion of "pleasure" related to the emotion of "joy," thereby strengthening the emotion of "joy" and effectively promoting the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine," especially "serotonin," within the patient with depression.

[0162] If the display count value is "2," the control unit 13 in step S58 displays an emotion-eliciting image 21 that evokes affection, such as a cute image of a child or a pet, on the touch panel 11. In this case, the control unit 13 may adjust the emotion-eliciting image 21 to have a high relaxing color by strengthening the hues of calming "blue" or "green" or by weakening the color tone, and then display it on the touch panel 11.

[0163] A predetermined period after displaying the emotion-inducing image 21, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 multiple types of emotion-presenting images 22 presenting emotions of "pleasure" related to the emotion of "joy", such as "happy", "fun", "cute", and "moved".

[0164] In addition, the control unit 13 displays an arrow 23 on the touch panel 11, for example in green, in the direction of the patient's dominant arm (to the right) (the first direction that creates an image of taking in the patient), and also displays instructions to the patient with depression, such as "Swipe to the right on the item that matches your current feelings."

[0165] Then, when the patient with depression swipes the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the currently occurring emotion in the direction of their dominant arm (to the right) (step S59; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that one set of display has ended and counts up the display count value by "1" to "2" (step S54).

[0166] In this way, a patient with depression can enhance the feeling of "joy" by swiping the emotion-presenting image 22, which presents the emotion of "pleasure" related to the emotion of "joy," in the direction of their dominant arm (to the right) as if to take it in, following the green arrow 23, to enhance the relaxation effect, thereby strengthening the emotion of "joy" and effectively promoting the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine," especially "oxytocin," within the patient with depression.

[0167] As a result, in the first two sets (sets 1 and 2), the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment can induce feelings of "joy" in the "depressed" patient and promote "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," etc. in the "depressed" patient, thereby activating the "anterior cingulate cortex" and enhancing its function.

[0168] Incidentally, "endorphin" and "dopamine" can be promoted by emotion eliciting images 21 that induce the emotion of "joy," even if they are emotion eliciting images 21 that have a high relaxing effect, such as images of beautiful or relaxing scenery, or emotion eliciting images 21 that do not evoke feelings of love, such as cute images of children or pets. For this reason, in the training process for treating patients with "depression," emotion eliciting images 21 other than emotion eliciting images 21 that have a high relaxing effect or emotion eliciting images 21 that evoke feelings of love may be displayed on the touch panel 11.

[0169] In the subsequent third and fourth sets, a display is displayed to stimulate and promote the secretion of appropriate "noradrenaline" and the stress hormones "adrenaline" and "cortisol" in a patient with "depression," thereby improving the function of the "amygdala," "frontal lobe," and "nucleus accumbens." In this embodiment, in the third set, a display is displayed to improve the function of the "amygdala" and "nucleus accumbens" by promoting the secretion of "noradrenaline" and "adrenaline." In the fourth set, a display is displayed to improve the function of the "frontal lobe" by promoting the secretion of "cortisol."

[0170] If the display count value is "3", in step S58, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 an emotion-inducing image 21 that induces a feeling of "surprise" in the patient, such as an image of a major turnaround from a pinch, and induces stress from a positive perspective.

[0171] After a predetermined period of time has passed since the emotion eliciting image 21 was displayed, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 a plurality of emotion presenting images 22 presenting the emotion of "stimulation" related to the emotion of "surprise."

[0172] In addition, the control unit 13 displays an arrow 23 on the touch panel 11, for example in a bright red color, pointing downward (to the bottom right) of the patient's dominant arm (the first direction that creates an image of incorporating the image into oneself), and also displays instructions to the patient with depression, such as "Swipe downward to the right on the item that matches your current feelings."

[0173] Then, when the patient with depression swipes the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the currently occurring emotion downward with their dominant arm (to the lower right) (step S59; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that one set of display has ended and counts up the display count value by "1" to "4" (step S54).

[0174] In this way, a patient with depression can intensify the emotion of "surprise" by swiping downward (to the lower right) with their dominant arm, following the bright red arrow 23 that enhances the stress effect, on emotion-presenting image 22, which presents the emotion of "stimulation" related to the emotion of "surprise," as if to take it in themselves. By positively promoting and stimulating the secretion of appropriate "noradrenaline" and "adrenaline," which is a stress hormone, within the patient with depression, the amygdala and nucleus accumbens can be activated and their functions can be improved.

[0175] If the display count value is "4", in step S58, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 an emotion-inducing image 21, such as an image of good punishing evil, which encourages an emotional change such as giving courage (inspiration) to a patient with depression.

[0176] The emotion-inducing images 21 that promote such emotional changes induce "stimulating" emotions such as "motivation," "courage," "confidence," "hope," "willingness," and "enthusiasm" in patients with "depression," rather than emotions such as "anger," "disgust," "fear," and / or "sadness," thereby inducing stress in a positive way.

[0177] In addition, the control unit 13 may, in some cases, display sexual images on the touch panel 11 as emotion-inducing images 21 that encourage a change in emotions in a patient with "depression" and induce feelings of "stimulation."

[0178] A predetermined period after displaying the emotion-inducing image 21, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 multiple types of emotion-presenting images 22 that present "stimulating" emotions such as "motivation," "courage," "confidence," "hope," "willingness," and "enthusiasm."

[0179] In addition, the control unit 13 displays a downward arrow 23 (the first direction that creates the image of taking something in) in a bright red color on the touch panel 11, and also displays instructions to the patient with depression, such as "Swipe downward on the item that matches your current feelings."

[0180] Thereafter, when the patient with "depression" swipes downward the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the emotion currently occurring (step S59; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that one set of display has ended and counts up the display count value by "1" to "5" (step S54).

[0181] Then, since the updated display count value "5" is greater than the total number of sets "4" (step S55; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that the display of all sets performed according to the selected training pattern TP2 has been completed, and terminates the training process.

[0182] In this way, a patient with depression can swipe downwards on emotion-presenting image 22, which presents the emotion of "stimulation," as if to take it in, following the bright red arrow 23 that enhances the stress effect, thereby encouraging an emotional change in the patient with depression. This promotes the appropriate secretion of the stress hormone "cortisol" within the patient with depression, stimulating them from a positive perspective, thereby activating the "frontal lobe" and improving its function.

[0183] As described above, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment promotes the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine" in patients with "depression" in the first and second sets, while in the third and fourth sets, it stimulates and positively promotes the secretion of "adrenaline" as well as the stress hormones "noradrenaline" and "cortisol" as appropriate, thereby enhancing the functions of the brain, such as the "anterior cingulate cortex," "amygdala," "frontal lobe," and "nucleus accumbens," thereby enabling the treatment of patients with "depression."

[0184] In the third embodiment, the above training process will be described taking as an example a case where the disease of the patient identified from the patient information is "anxiety disorder."

[0185] Patients with "anxiety disorders" experience a decline in brain function in the "amygdala," "anterior cingulate cortex," "frontal lobe," and "nucleus accumbens" due to anxiety and fear.

[0186] Patients with anxiety disorders show excessive activation of the amygdala, which acts as a processing center for emotions, particularly responses to fear and threat, leading to inappropriate responses of fear and anxiety.

[0187] Therefore, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment induces a feeling of "joy" in a patient with an "anxiety disorder" and promotes the secretion of "serotonin" and "oxytocin" in the patient, thereby suppressing overactivity of the "amygdala."

[0188] In addition, patients with anxiety disorders show abnormalities in the function and connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex, which is involved in processing and evaluating emotions, causing problems with emotional regulation.Furthermore, patients with anxiety disorders show impaired activity in the frontal lobe, particularly the dorsolateral part of which is involved in emotional self-regulation and cognitive evaluation, causing excessive processing of information related to fear and anxiety and inadequate emotional regulation.

[0189] Therefore, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment induces feelings of "joy" in patients with "anxiety disorders" and promotes the secretion of "serotonin," "endorphin," and "dopamine" in patients with "anxiety disorders," thereby activating the "anterior cingulate cortex" and "frontal lobe" and enhancing their functions.

[0190] In patients with anxiety disorders, excessive secretion of cortisol caused by long-term stress reduces the function of the nucleus accumbens, which is involved in processing reward and motivation. This is associated with some symptoms of anxiety disorders, particularly avoidance behavior and reduced response to rewards.

[0191] Therefore, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment induces emotions of "anger," "disgust," "fear," and / or "surprise" in patients with "anxiety disorders," promoting and stimulating "noradrenaline" and "adrenaline," while inducing emotions of "joy" and promoting the secretion of "endorphin," which has a mood-boosting effect, and "dopamine," which is involved in the reward system and mood regulation, thereby activating the "nucleus accumbens" and enhancing its function.

[0192] In this way, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment promotes the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine" in patients with "anxiety disorders," while also promoting and stimulating the secretion of "noradrenaline" and the stress hormone "adrenaline" as appropriate, thereby enhancing brain functions such as the "amygdala," "anterior cingulate gyrus," "frontal lobe," and "nucleus accumbens," thereby treating patients with "anxiety disorders."

[0193] 5, the control unit 13 of the information processing device 1 selects a training pattern TP3 from the training pattern selection table 3 that corresponds to the patient's illness "anxiety disorder" and dominant arm "right-handed" identified from the patient information (step S52), and sequentially displays emotion-inducing images 21, emotion-presenting images 22, and arrows 23 on the touch panel 11 according to the selected training pattern TP3 (steps S54 to S59). The total number of sets displayed according to the training pattern TP3 is "4."

[0194] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram of the training process according to the third embodiment.

[0195] 8, in the training process for treating a patient with an "anxiety disorder," the first two sets (the first and second sets) display information to improve the function of the "anterior cingulate cortex" by promoting "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine" in the patient with an "anxiety disorder." In this embodiment, the first set displays information to promote the secretion of "serotonin" in particular, and the second set displays information to promote the secretion of "oxytocin" in particular.

[0196] In addition, the training process for treating patients with an "anxiety disorder" also focuses on the emotion of "pleasure," as in the training process for treating patients with "depression," and therefore only emotion-presenting images 22 presenting the emotion of "pleasure" are displayed on the touch panel 11, and emotion-presenting images 22 presenting the emotion of "unpleasant" are not displayed. On the other hand, the training process for treating patients with an "anxiety disorder" aims to relieve anxiety, and therefore, unlike the case of treating patients with "depression," only emotion-inducing images 21 that have a strong relaxing effect or emotion-inducing images 21 that evoke a sense of love are displayed on the touch panel 11, and emotion-inducing images 21 that induce other emotions such as "joy" are not displayed.

[0197] Specifically, when the display count value is "1," first, in step S58, the control unit 13 displays an emotion-eliciting image 21 with a high relaxation effect, such as an image of a beautiful landscape or a relaxing landscape, on the touch panel 11. In this case, the control unit 13 may adjust the emotion-eliciting image 21 to a color with a high relaxation effect by strengthening the hues of calming "blue" or "green" or by weakening the color tone, and then display it on the touch panel 11.

[0198] A predetermined period after displaying the emotion-inducing image 21, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 multiple types of emotion-presenting images 22 presenting emotions of "pleasure" related to the emotion of "joy", such as "happy", "fun", "cute", and "moved".

[0199] In addition, the control unit 13 displays a downward arrow 23 (the first direction that creates an image of taking in oneself) in blue on the touch panel 11, for example, and displays instructions to patients with an "anxiety disorder" such as "Swipe downward on the item that matches your current feelings."

[0200] Then, when the patient with an "anxiety disorder" swipes downward on the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the emotion currently occurring (step S59; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that one set of display has ended and counts up the display count value by "1" to "2" (step S54).

[0201] In this way, a patient with an "anxiety disorder" can swipe downwards along the blue arrow 23, which enhances the relaxing effect, to absorb the emotion-presenting image 22, which presents the emotion of "pleasure" related to the emotion of "joy," thereby strengthening the emotion of "joy" and effectively promoting the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine," especially "serotonin," within the patient with an "anxiety disorder."

[0202] If the display count value is "2," the control unit 13 in step S58 displays an emotion-eliciting image 21 that evokes affection, such as a cute image of a child or a pet, on the touch panel 11. In this case, the control unit 13 may adjust the emotion-eliciting image 21 to have a high relaxing color by strengthening the hues of calming "blue" or "green" or by weakening the color tone, and then display it on the touch panel 11.

[0203] A predetermined period after displaying the emotion-inducing image 21, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 multiple types of emotion-presenting images 22 presenting emotions of "pleasure" related to the emotion of "joy", such as "happy", "fun", "cute", and "moved".

[0204] In addition, the control unit 13 displays an arrow 23 on the touch panel 11, for example in green, in the direction of the patient's dominant arm (to the right) (the first direction that creates an image of taking in oneself), and also displays instructions to the patient with an anxiety disorder, such as "Swipe to the right on the item that matches your current feelings."

[0205] Then, when the patient with an "anxiety disorder" swipes the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the currently occurring emotion in the direction of their dominant arm (to the right) (step S59; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that one set of display has ended and counts up the display count value by "1" to "2" (step S54).

[0206] In this way, a patient with an "anxiety disorder" can enhance the feeling of "joy" by swiping the emotion-presenting image 22, which presents the emotion of "pleasure" related to the emotion of "joy," in the direction of their dominant arm (to the right) in accordance with the green arrow 23, as if to take it in and enhance the relaxation effect, thereby strengthening the emotion of "joy" and effectively promoting the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine," especially "oxytocin," within the patient with an "anxiety disorder."

[0207] As a result, in the first two sets (sets 1 and 2), the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment can activate the anterior cingulate cortex and enhance its function by inducing a feeling of joy in the patient with an anxiety disorder and promoting the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins, etc. in the patient with an anxiety disorder.

[0208] In the third set, patients with anxiety disorders are shown a program to improve the function of their frontal lobes by eliminating anxiety.

[0209] Specifically, when the display count value is "3", first, in step S58, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 emotion-inducing images 21 that induce stress by evoking emotions of "anger," "disgust," "fear," and / or "sadness" in patients with "anxiety disorders," such as images of cluttered landscapes, poverty, or crime.

[0210] After a predetermined period of time has passed since the emotion-inducing image 21 was displayed, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 a plurality of emotion-presenting images 22 that present "unpleasant" emotions such as "anxiety," "anger," "disgust," "fear," and "sadness," which are the opposite of the emotion of "joy."

[0211] In addition, the control unit 13 displays an arrow 23 on the touch panel 11, for example in a bright red color, in the direction opposite to the dominant arm of the patient with an anxiety disorder (to the left) (a second direction that gives the impression of moving something away from the patient), and also displays instructions to the patient with an anxiety disorder, such as "Swipe left on anything that does not match your current feelings."

[0212] Then, when the patient with an "anxiety disorder" swipes the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the currently occurring emotion in the direction opposite to the dominant arm (to the left) (step S59; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that one set of display has ended and counts up the display count value by "1" to "4" (step S54).

[0213] In this way, a patient with an "anxiety disorder" can eliminate anxiety by swiping in the opposite direction (leftward) of their dominant arm so as to move the emotion-presenting image 22, which presents the emotions of "anxiety," "anger," "disgust," "fear," and "sadness," away from them, following the bright red arrow 23 that enhances the stress effect, thereby activating the "frontal lobe" and improving its function.

[0214] In the fourth set, similar to the case of patients with depression, patients with anxiety disorders are shown to stimulate and promote the secretion of noradrenaline and the stress hormone adrenaline, thereby improving the function of the amygdala and nucleus accumbens.

[0215] If the display count value is "4", in step S58, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 an emotion-inducing image 21 that induces a feeling of "surprise" in the patient, such as an image of a major turnaround from a pinch, and induces positive stress.

[0216] After a predetermined period of time has passed since the emotion eliciting image 21 was displayed, the control unit 13 displays on the touch panel 11 a plurality of emotion presenting images 22 presenting the emotion of "stimulation" related to the emotion of "surprise."

[0217] In addition, the control unit 13 displays an arrow 23 on the touch panel 11, for example in a bright red color, pointing downward (to the bottom right) of the patient's dominant arm (the first direction that creates an image of taking in the emotion), and also displays instructions to the patient with an anxiety disorder, such as "Swipe downward to the right on the item that matches your current emotions."

[0218] Thereafter, when the patient with an "anxiety disorder" swipes the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the currently occurring emotion downward (to the lower right) with their dominant arm (step S59; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that one set of display has ended and counts up the display count value by "1" to "5" (step S54).

[0219] Then, since the updated display count value "5" is greater than the total number of sets "4" (step S55; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that the display of all sets performed according to the selected training pattern TP3 has been completed, and terminates the training process.

[0220] In this way, a patient with an "anxiety disorder" can intensify the emotion of "surprise" by swiping downward (to the lower right) with their dominant arm, following the bright red arrow 23 that enhances the stress effect, on emotion-presenting image 22, which presents the emotion of "stimulation" related to the emotion of "surprise," as if to take it in themselves, and in a patient with "depression," by promoting and stimulating the secretion of appropriate "noradrenaline" and the stress hormone "adrenaline" from a positive aspect, the "amygdala" and "nucleus accumbens" can be activated and their functions can be improved.

[0221] As described above, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment promotes the secretion of "serotonin," "oxytocin," "endorphin," and "dopamine" in patients with "anxiety disorders" in the first and second sets, while removing anxiety from patients with "anxiety disorders" in the third set, and in the fourth set, appropriately promotes and stimulates the secretion of "noradrenaline" and the stress hormone "adrenaline" from a positive perspective, thereby enhancing brain functions such as the "anterior cingulate cortex," "amygdala," "frontal lobe," and "nucleus accumbens," thereby enabling the treatment of patients with "anxiety disorders."

[0222] As described above, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment includes the touch panel 11 that displays emotion-presenting images (predetermined images) 22 that present emotions to the user, and the control unit 13 .

[0223] The control unit 13 instructs the patient (user) to swipe the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the emotion being experienced in a first direction (such as downward or toward the patient's dominant arm) that promotes the secretion of hormones and / or neurotransmitters secreted by the emotion. On the other hand, the control unit 13 instructs the patient to swipe the emotion-presenting image 22 that does not correspond to the emotion being experienced in a second direction (such as upward or toward the patient's non-dominant arm, opposite to the first direction) that suppresses the secretion of hormones and / or neurotransmitters.

[0224] In this way, the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment can appropriately control the secretion of neurotransmitters and / or hormones in a patient.

[0225] As an example, the control unit 13 can normalize the secretion of dopamine and endorphins in a patient suffering from abnormalities in the secretion of dopamine and endorphins, such as an "addiction," by displaying an emotion-inducing image 21 that induces the emotion of "joy" on the touch panel 11, and instructing the patient to swipe the emotion-presenting image 22 that corresponds to the emotion of "joy" in a first direction, and instructing the patient to swipe the emotion-presenting image 22 that does not correspond to the emotion of "joy" in a second direction.

[0226] In this way, according to the information processing device 1 of this embodiment, the secretion of dopamine and endorphins can be normalized by the patient's swiping action, making it possible to easily and effectively treat patients with abnormalities in the secretion of dopamine and endorphins, such as those with "addictions."

[0227] As another example, the control unit 13 executes a first process of displaying emotion-inducing images 21 that induce emotions of "anger," "disgust," "fear," and / or "sadness" on the touch panel 11 in a patient with reduced stress tolerance such as "addiction," and instructing the patient to swipe emotion-presenting images 22 corresponding to the emotions of "anger," "disgust," "fear," and / or "sadness" in a second direction. After executing the first process, the control unit 13 executes a second process of displaying emotion-inducing images 21 that induce emotions of joy on the touch panel 11 in a patient with reduced stress tolerance such as "addiction," and instructing the patient to swipe emotion-inducing images 22 corresponding to the emotion of joy in a first direction, thereby normalizing cortisol secretion and improving the patient's stress tolerance.

[0228] In this way, according to the information processing device 1 of this embodiment, the patient's swiping action can normalize cortisol secretion and improve the patient's stress tolerance, making it possible to easily and effectively treat patients with reduced stress tolerance due to "addiction" or the like.

[0229] Furthermore, by executing the second process more times than the first process, the control unit 13 can more effectively improve the patient's stress tolerance and treat patients with reduced stress tolerance due to "addiction" or the like.

[0230] As yet another example, the control unit 13 can improve the function of the anterior cingulate gyrus in a patient with reduced function, such as a patient with "depression" or "anxiety disorder," by displaying an emotion-inducing image 21 that induces the emotion of "joy" on the touch panel 11 and instructing the patient to swipe the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the emotion of "joy" in a first direction, thereby promoting the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine.

[0231] In addition, the control unit 13 displays an emotion-inducing image 21 that induces the emotion of "joy" on the touch panel 11 in a patient with reduced function of the amygdala and nucleus accumbens, such as a patient with "depression" or "anxiety disorder," and instructs the patient to swipe the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the emotion of "joy" in a first direction, thereby promoting the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine, and then displays an emotion-inducing image 21 that induces the emotion of "surprise" on the touch panel 11 and instructs the patient to swipe the emotion-presenting image 22 corresponding to the emotion of "surprise" in a first direction, thereby promoting the secretion of noradrenaline and adrenaline, and stimulating the patient's amygdala and nucleus accumbens, thereby improving the function of the patient's amygdala and nucleus accumbens.

[0232] Furthermore, the control unit 13 can display emotion-inducing images 21 that induce emotions of "anger," "disgust," "fear," and / or "sadness" on the touch panel 11 in patients with reduced frontal lobe function, such as patients with "anxiety disorders," and instruct the patient to swipe emotion-presenting images 22 corresponding to the emotions of "anger," "disgust," "fear," and / or "sadness" in a second direction, thereby eliminating the patient's anxiety and improving the function of the user's frontal lobe.

[0233] In this way, according to the information processing device 1 of this embodiment, the patient's swiping action can improve each function of the patient's brain, making it possible to easily and effectively treat patients with reduced brain functions, such as those with depression or anxiety disorders.

[0234] In addition, the control unit 13 displays an arrow 23 on the touch panel 11 instructing the patient in which direction to swipe the emotion-presenting image 22 in a different color depending on the hormones and / or neurotransmitters secreted within the patient.

[0235] More specifically, the control unit 13 displays the arrow 23 instructing the swipe of the emotion-presenting image 22 related to the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphin, and dopamine in a color different from the arrow 23 instructing the swipe of the emotion-presenting image 22 related to the secretion of noradrenaline, adrenaline, and cortisol.

[0236] Specifically, the control unit 13 displays the arrow 23 instructing the user to swipe the emotion-presenting image 22 related to the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphin, and dopamine in a blue or green color, or a pastel color, while displaying the arrow 23 instructing the user to swipe the emotion-presenting image 22 related to the secretion of noradrenaline, adrenaline, and cortisol in a red color.

[0237] Thus, according to the information processing device 1 of this embodiment, the arrow 23 that instructs the patient in which direction to swipe is displayed in a different color depending on the target hormone and / or neurotransmitter, so that the target hormone and / or neurotransmitter can be secreted more efficiently, further improving the therapeutic effect on the patient.

[0238] Furthermore, the control unit 13 displays an emotion-inducing image 21 that induces an emotion in the patient on the touch panel 11 by adjusting the hue, saturation, and / or brightness according to the hormones and / or neurotransmitters secreted when the emotion is generated.

[0239] In this way, according to the information processing device 1 of this embodiment, the emotion-inducing image 21 is displayed with its hue, saturation, and / or brightness adjusted according to the target hormone and / or neurotransmitter, thereby making it possible to more efficiently secrete the target hormone and / or neurotransmitter, and further improving the therapeutic effect on the patient.

[0240] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible. Modifications of the above-described embodiment that can be applied to the present invention will be described below.

[0241] In the above embodiment, it has been described that the patient information, emotion-eliciting images 21, emotion-presenting images 22, arrows 23, and training pattern selection table 3 are stored in the storage unit 12 included in the information processing device 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the patient information, emotion-eliciting images 21, emotion-presenting images 22, arrows 23, and training pattern selection table 3 may be stored in a storage unit included in a server computer connected to the information processing device 1 via a network such as the Internet.

[0242] In this case, in the information processing device 1, after the patient taps the icon corresponding to the treatment program displayed on the touch panel 11 to launch the treatment program, the control unit 13 responds to the patient's instruction to start training on the touch panel 11 by sending a training start notification that can identify the patient to the server computer via the network.

[0243] In the server computer, the control unit executes the same processes as steps S51 to S57 in response to receiving the training start notification transmitted via the network from the information processing device 1. Then, the control unit of the server computer displays the emotion-inducing image 21 read out in step S56, and after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, transmits display data for displaying the emotion-presenting image 22 and the arrow 23 determined in step S57 to the information processing device 1 via the network.

[0244] In the information processing device 1, in response to receiving display data transmitted from the server computer via the network, the control unit 13 displays the emotion-eliciting image 21 identified from the display data based on the display data, and after a predetermined period of time, displays the emotion-presenting image 22 and the arrow 23 (step S58). The control unit 13 then determines whether the emotion-presenting image 22 displayed in step S58 has been swiped by the patient (step S59). The control unit 13 then loops and waits until the emotion-presenting image 22 is swiped (step S59; No). When the emotion-presenting image 22 is swiped (step S59; Yes), the control unit 13 determines that one set of display has ended and transmits a one-set completion notification to the server computer via the network.

[0245] In the server computer, the control unit may return to the process of step S54 in response to receiving the notification of completion of one set transmitted from the information processing device 1 via the network N.

[0246] In the above embodiment, the control unit 13 executes the second process more times than the first process after executing the first process, thereby determining that the "addicted" patient has developed resistance to stress and anxiety. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the control unit 13 may determine whether the "addicted" patient has developed resistance to stress and anxiety based on micro-expressions appearing on the face of the "addicted" patient, and execute the second process until it is determined whether the "addicted" patient has developed resistance to stress and anxiety.

[0247] In this case, the information processing device 1 further includes an imaging unit (not shown) including a light-receiving element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device). The imaging unit (not shown) captures the patient's face during a training process for treating a patient with "addiction." Next, the control unit 13 detects micro-expressions appearing on the patient's face for each frame image constituting the moving image of the patient's face captured by the imaging unit (not shown), and determines the patient's stress based on the proportion of frame images in which each micro-expression is detected among the multiple frame images in which the micro-expressions are detected (see, for example, International Publication No. 2023 / 002636). The entire specification, claims, and drawings of International Publication No. 2023 / 002636 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0248] If the control unit 13 determines that the patient is still stressed, it further executes the second process, and if it determines that the patient is no longer stressed, it determines that the prolongation of negative facial expressions caused by cortisol has been released and that the ``addicted'' patient has developed resistance to stress and anxiety, and moves on to the next and final set of displays that mainly aim to resolve the lack of ``serotonin'' secretion in the ``addicted'' patient.

[0249] In the above embodiment, it was assumed that the emotion induced by the emotion eliciting image 21 was the same for all patients. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The control unit 13 may identify the emotion induced by the emotion eliciting image 21 each time the training process is executed, and store the displayed emotion eliciting image 21 and the identified emotion in a database in association with each other for each patient. The control unit 13 may then search the database for the emotion eliciting image 21 that elicits the desired emotion for each patient and display it.

[0250] Specifically, the control unit 13 may associate the displayed emotion-inducing image 21 with the swiped emotion for each patient and store them in a database, or may estimate the emotion based on the micro-expressions that appear on the patient's face when the emotion-inducing image 21 is displayed, and associate the displayed emotion-inducing image 21 with the estimated emotion and store them in a database.

[0251] In this case, the control unit 13 detects micro-expressions appearing on the patient's face for each frame image constituting a moving image of the patient's face captured by an imaging unit (not shown), and estimates the patient's emotions based on the ratio of the number of frame images in which each micro-expression is detected among the multiple frame images in which micro-expressions are detected (see, for example, WO 2022 / 259560). The entire specification, claims, and drawings of WO 2023 / 002636 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0252] In the above embodiment, patients with "addiction," "depression," and "anxiety disorder" have been described as examples of treatment targets. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the treatment target may be any user with abnormalities in dopamine and endorphin secretion, users with reduced stress tolerance, users with reduced brain function, etc. For example, the present invention may be applicable to patients with "mild cognitive impairment (MCI)," "dementia," and "developmental disorders." Alternatively, the present invention may be effective for patients with high blood pressure, chronic pain, internal diseases such as cancer, etc.

[0253] In the above embodiment, the user is described as a patient with some kind of disease. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the user may not have any disease, and the device may be used for, for example, stress relief, relaxation, etc.

[0254] In the above embodiment, the emotion-eliciting image 21, which is a still image or a moving image, has been described as an example of content that elicits emotions in the patient (user). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the content may be any content that elicits emotions in the patient (user), such as games, text, movies, television programs, music, audio, plays, photographs, manga, illustrations, computer graphics, and animations.

[0255] In the above embodiment, the emotion display image 22 that displays an emotion has been described as an example of an image. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any image that corresponds to the emotion experienced by the user and is swipeable may be used, such as an illustration, computer graphics, animation, or the like that corresponds to the emotion experienced by the user and is swipeable.

[0256] In the above embodiment, the program executed by the CPU of the control unit 13 is described as being stored in advance in ROM, memory unit 12, etc., but the present invention is not limited to this, and the program for executing the above-mentioned processing may be applied to an existing general-purpose computer to function as the information processing device 1 according to the above embodiment.

[0257] Such a program may be provided in any manner, for example, by storing it on a computer-readable recording medium (such as a flexible disk, a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM) and distributing it, or by storing the program in storage on a network such as the Internet and providing it by downloading it.

[0258] Furthermore, when the above processing is performed by sharing the work between an OS (Operating System) and an application program, or by cooperation between the OS and the application program, only the application program may be stored on a recording medium or storage. It is also possible to superimpose the program on a carrier wave and distribute it over a network. For example, the program may be posted on a bulletin board system (BBS) on a network and distributed over the network. The program may then be started and executed under the control of the OS in the same way as other application programs, thereby enabling the above processing to be performed.

[0259] It should be noted that the present invention is susceptible to various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiment is merely an example of the present invention and does not limit the scope of the present invention.

[0260] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Information processing device 3 Training pattern selection table 11 Touch panel 12 Storage unit 13 Control unit 21 Emotion-inducing image 22 Emotion-presenting image 23 Arrow TPi Training pattern

Claims

1. An information processing device (1) comprising: a touch panel (11) that displays a predetermined image (22); and a control unit (13) that instructs a user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to an emotion that is occurring in a first direction that promotes the secretion of the predetermined hormone and / or neurotransmitter that is secreted by the emotion.

2. The information processing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (23) instructs the user to swipe the image (22) that does not correspond to the emotion being experienced in a second direction that suppresses the secretion of the specified hormone and / or neurotransmitter.

3. The information processing device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit (13) displays content (21) that induces feelings of joy on the touch panel (11) for the user experiencing abnormalities in the secretion of dopamine and endorphins, and instructs the user to swipe in the first direction the image (22) that corresponds to the feeling of joy, and instructs the user to swipe in the second direction the image (22) that does not correspond to the feeling of joy, thereby normalizing the secretion of dopamine and endorphins.

4. The information processing device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit (13) executes a first process of displaying on the touch panel (11) content (21) that induces feelings of anger, disgust, fear, and / or sadness in the user with reduced stress tolerance, and instructing the user to swipe in the second direction on the image (22) corresponding to the feelings of anger, disgust, fear, and / or sadness, and after executing the first process, executes a second process of displaying on the touch panel (11) content that induces feelings of joy in the user with reduced stress tolerance, and instructing the user to swipe in the first direction on the image (22) that corresponds to the feeling of joy, thereby normalizing the secretion of cortisol and improving the stress tolerance of the user.

5. The information processing device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the control unit (13) executes the second process more times than the first process.

6. The information processing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (13) displays content (21) that induces a feeling of joy on the touch panel (11) for the user with reduced function of the anterior cingulate gyrus, and instructs the user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to the feeling of joy in the first direction, thereby promoting the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine, thereby improving the function of the anterior cingulate gyrus of the user.

7. The information processing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (13) displays content (21) that induces a feeling of joy on the touch panel (11) for the user with reduced function of the amygdala and nucleus accumbens, instructs the user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to the feeling of joy in the first direction, thereby promoting the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine, and then displays content (21) that induces a feeling of surprise on the touch panel (11), instructs the user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to the feeling of surprise in the first direction, thereby promoting the secretion of noradrenaline and adrenaline, and improves the function of the user's amygdala and nucleus accumbens by stimulating the user's amygdala and nucleus accumbens.

8. The information processing device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit (13) displays content (21) on the touch panel (11) that induces feelings of anger, disgust, fear, and / or sadness in the user with reduced frontal lobe function, and instructs the user to swipe in the second direction on the image (22) that corresponds to the feelings of anger, disgust, fear, and / or sadness, thereby eliminating the user's anxiety and thereby improving the function of the user's frontal lobe.

9. The information processing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (13) displays an arrow (23) on the touch panel (11) instructing the user in the direction to swipe the image (22) in a different color depending on the specific hormone and / or neurotransmitter secreted within the user.

10. The information processing device (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the control unit (13) displays the arrow (23) instructing the swipe of the image (22) related to the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine in a color different from the arrow (23) instructing the swipe of the image (22) related to the secretion of noradrenaline, adrenaline, and cortisol.

11. The information processing device (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the control unit (13) displays the arrow (23) instructing the swipe of the image (22) related to the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphin, and dopamine in a blue or green color, while displaying the arrow (23) instructing the swipe of the image (22) related to the secretion of noradrenaline, adrenaline, and cortisol in a red color.

12. The information processing device (1) described in claim 10, characterized in that the control unit (23) displays the arrow (23) that instructs the swipe of the image (22) related to the secretion of serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins, and dopamine in pastel colors.

13. The information processing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (13) displays content (21) that induces an emotion in the user on the touch panel (11) by adjusting the hue, saturation, and / or brightness according to the predetermined hormone and / or neurotransmitter secreted when the emotion is generated.

14. The information processing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (13) instructs the user to swipe downward as the first direction.

15. The information processing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (13) instructs the user to swipe in the direction of the user's dominant arm as the first direction.

16. The information processing device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the second direction is opposite to the first direction.

17. An information processing method, characterized in that a touch panel (11) displays a predetermined image (22), and a control unit (13) instructs a user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to an emotion that is occurring in a first direction that promotes the secretion of the predetermined hormone and / or neurotransmitter that is secreted by the emotion.

18. A program for causing a computer to execute the steps of: displaying a predetermined image (22) on a touch panel (11); and instructing a user to swipe the image (22) corresponding to an emotion being experienced in a first direction that promotes the secretion of the predetermined hormone and / or neurotransmitter secreted by the emotion.

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