32 results about "Psychophysiology" patented technology

A method of applying a neural stimulus with an implanted electrode array involves applying a sequence of stimuli configured to yield a therapeutic effect while suppressing psychophysical side effects. The stimuli sequence is configured such that a first stimulus recruits a portion of the fibre population, and a second stimulus is delivered within the refractory period following the first stimulus and the second stimulus being configured to recruit a further portion of the fibre population. Using an electrode array and suitable relative timing of the stimuli, ascending or descending volleys of evoked responses can be selectively synchronised or desynchronised to give directional control over responses evoked.

A method of applying a neural stimulus with an implanted electrode array involves applying a sequence of stimuli configured to yield a therapeutic effect while suppressing psychophysical side effects. The stimuli sequence is configured such that a first stimulus recruits a portion of the fibre population, and a second stimulus is delivered within the refractory period following the first stimulus and the second stimulus being configured to recruit a further portion of the fibre population. Using an electrode array and suitable relative timing of the stimuli, ascending or descending volleys of evoked responses can be selectively synchronised or desynchronised to give directional control over responses evoked.

A process and laser system for in vitro and in vivo pain research, pain clinical testing and pain management. In preferred embodiments of the present invention a diode laser operating at a 980 nm wavelength is used to produce warmth, tickling, itching, touch, burning, hot pain or pin-prick pain. The device and methods can be used for stimulation of a single nerve fiber, groups of nerve fibers, nerve fibers of single type only as well as more the one type of nerve fibers simultaneously. The present invention is especially useful for research of human/animal sensitivity, pain management, drug investigation and testing, and psychophysiology/electrophysiology studies. The device and methods permit non-contact, reproducible and controlled tests that avoid risk of skin damage. Applicant an his fellow workers have shown that tests with human subjects with the process and laser of the present invention correlate perfectly with laboratory tests with nerve fibers of rats. The device and the methods can be applied in a wide variety of situations involving the study and treatment of pain. Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide laser systems and techniques that permit mapping and single mode activation of C fibers and A-delta fibers.

A method, apparatus, and computer program product that provides, among other things, a procedure for the enhanced assessment of attention-related impairments of individuals. Further, the method, apparatus, and computer program product enhances existing assessment instruments by providing a way to reduce diagnostic error through the combining of the results of disparate assessment instruments. Potential users of this product will be any person or organization that diagnoses or treats persons with attentional or cognitive impairments. The method can be used for initial screening and diagnosis of disorders associated with impaired attention, such as ADHD, as well as for treatment and evaluation of the effects of treatments, such as medication or additional therapies.

New types of controllers allow players to make inputs to a video game or simulation by moving the entire controller itself. This capability is typically accomplished using a wireless input device having accelerometers, gyroscopes, and an infrared LED tracking camera. The present invention exploits these wireless motion-sensing technologies to modulate the player's movement inputs to the videogame based upon physiological signals. Such biofeedback-modulated video games train valuable mental skills beyond eye-hand coordination. These psychophysiological training technologies enhance personal improvement, not just the diversion, of the user.

A method of treating and reducing a drug dependency such as a nicotine dependency is provided. The method comprises initially administering to a subject a drug, such as nicotine or another agonist of the drug in an amount which would normally provide the desired pharmacologic effects and at least partially satiate the needs for the drug by a user. The method also comprises administering to the subject an antagonist to the drug or its other agonist in an amount sufficient to at least partially block the pharmacologic defects of the drug or its other agonist while there is a substantial amount of the drug or other agonist present in the system of the user. In one embodiment of the invention, the drug and the antagonist are administered substantially simultaneously so as to occupy a substantial portion of the receptors of the user for that drug thereby blocking or attenuating the effects of any further intake of the drug or other agonist. In another embodiment, the drug or its other agonist is first administered and the antagonist is self-administered by a subject in a manner which mimics the use of the drug thereby counter-conditioning the drug user to the stimuli associated with the normal administration of the drug. The invention further provides a method of therapeutically treating psychophysiologic diseases and disorders involving neuronal dysregulation. The method additionally provides a pharmacologic composition for the treatment and reduction of drug dependence and which relies upon a combination of an agonist and antagonist.

What is disclosed is a system and method for representing a subject's state of mind given a plurality of physiological inputs. In one embodiment, a vector of physiological features is received. The vector of physiological features is provided to a psychophysiological model which comprises a plurality of models which fit the physiological features to psychological quantities, each representing a different state of mind. In a manner more fully disclosed herein, the psychological quantities are then aggregated to obtain an aggregate output that is representative of the subject's overall state of mind. Once the subject's state of mind has been represented, remedial action can then be taken.

New types of controllers allow a player to make inputs to a video game or simulation by moving the entire controller itself or by gesturing or by moving the player's body in whole or in part. This capability is typically accomplished using a wireless input device having accelerometers, gyroscopes, and a camera. The present invention exploits these wireless motion-sensing technologies to modulate the player's movement inputs to the videogame based upon physiological signals. Such biofeedback-modulated video games train valuable mental skills beyond eye-hand coordination. These psychophysiological training technologies enhance personal improvement, not just the diversion, of the user.

A system and method of determining human performance capacity, and of determining the utility of a given biomedical intervention and/or neurotechnology device to characterize, to predict, and to influence human performance capacity, via analysis and interpretation of psychophysiological biomarkers of cognitive workload and functioning, assistive-technology/external support dependence, and compensatory behavior during performance of ecologically-valid standardized work samples.

The ability to detect when a person is hiding important information has high value in many applications. A new class of systems, termed autonomous scientifically controlled screening systems (ASCSS), is designed to detect individuals' purposely hidden information about target topics of interest. ASCSS represents a systematic synthesis of structured interviewing, orienting theory, defensive response theory, non-invasive psychophysiological measurement, and behavioral measurement. To evaluate and enhance the design principles, an automated screening kiosk (ASK) system was constructed. The ASK system has been used in a physical security screening scenario in which participants constructed and attempted to smuggle a fake improvised explosive device (IED). The ASK system results indicate that ASCSS enables more widespread application of credibility assessment screening systems.

A process and laser system for in vitro and in vivo pain research, pain clinical testing and pain management. In preferred embodiments of the present invention a diode laser operating at a 980 nm wavelength is used to produce warmth, tickling, itching, touch, burning, hot pain or pin-prick pain. The device and methods can be used for stimulation of a single nerve fiber, groups of nerve fibers, nerve fibers of single type only as well as more the one type of nerve fibers simultaneously. The present invention is especially useful for research of human/animal sensitivity, pain management, drug investigation and testing, and psychophysiology/electrophysiology studies. The device and methods permit non-contact, reproducible and controlled tests that avoid risk of skin damage. Applicant an his fellow workers have shown that tests with human subjects with the process and laser of the present invention correlate perfectly with laboratory tests with nerve fibers of rats. The device and the methods can be applied in a wide variety of situations involving the study and treatment of pain. Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide laser systems and techniques that permit mapping and single mode activation of C fibers and A-delta fibers.

An objective non-invasive method for quantifying itch comprising the steps of presenting a visual stimulus to a subject, wherein the visual stimulus comprises focusing the subject on itch; collecting psychophysiological data from subject while presenting the visual stimulus; using the psychophysiological data to objectively assess the therapeutic value of a treatment or a product.

The Psychophysiological Touch Screen Stress Analyzer is capable of capturing information on how a person emotionally reacts to a series of verbal, visual, or written stimulus when the person touches the touch screen computer monitor in response to the stimulus.

A system for on-line psycho-physiological profiling and support implementing a personalization engine operating in a plurality of network systems. An implanted medical device (IMD) in data communication with the personalization engine provides physiological, therapy and diagnostic data pertinent to the patient. Based on one or a combination of explicit, implicit and transactional input from the patient and in consideration of the IMD data underlying therewith, the patient is guided to consult with the most pertinent database.

A method for prognosticating behavior and/or activity type of a person and for identifying person, by ascertainment of the psycho-physiological parameters of the phenotype. The invention relates to the field of training and personnel management. It can be applied in medicine and criminology, for example it enables to generate the phenotype parameters (to create a photo-robot, for example, an identikit) proceeding from the known or those being of interest psychological special character traits. The novelty is that the measuring of at least one parameter of a part of the phenotype of a certain person is carried out, then the obtained data are correlated, for example, by simulation (creating a model), with the psychophysiological and/or physical possibilities of fulfilling the functions, which can be realized by this part of the phenotype, and then a conclusion is drawn on the basis of the obtained results about the predisposition of the individual to the corresponding type of behavior, to the corresponding type of activity and to development of corresponding compensating social-and-psychological traits. This makes it possible in each individual case to form a high-quality unique characteristic of an individual, since a great number of individually specified phenotype parameters (in some cases amounting to 140), their physiological functions and their combinations are taken into consideration.

Systems and methods for using particular types of music compositions having certain characteristics to treat depression and related disorders, autism, and other disorders are described. The music for use in music therapy efforts includes characteristics for modification of the psycho-physiological apparatus and response including the use of vocal invented language elements to simulate pre-verbal communication and elements to coincide with and work with natural chrono-biological and circadian rhythms. For example, activating elements are provided in some compositions that are to be played immediately prior to a peak of chrono-biological activity. As another example, other compositions include de-activating elements to improve relaxation immediately prior to a natural low of chrono-biological activity. Such activating and de-activating elements include musical elements such as changes of volume, frequency selection, and tempo. The compositions may be used to treat depression and other disorders based on timing and application of music therapy using the compositions.

A computer-based apparatus system for assessing, predicting, correcting, recovering, and reducing risk arising from an operator's deficient situation awareness (SA). This system identifies operator situation awareness by computer-apparatus and method that utilizes neurogenic-psychophysiological-neurocognitive-artificial intelligence processes. This system is configured to receive psychophysiological data from the operator via the neurogenic sensor(s) and configured to be loaded with data corresponding to the operator's baseline SA capacity and/or possesses AI algorithms to learn and calibrate the operator's baseline SA capacity and sound a warning in response if an SA deficiency threshold has been exceeded. Optionally, an autopilot/auto-driver/auto-operator/auto-worker/student alert/player & coach alert interface is configured to activate an autopilot/auto-driver/auto-operator/auto-worker command in response an SA deficiency threshold has been exceeded.

A learning situation determining method and apparatus is disclosed. The learning situation determining method includes collecting psychophysiological response information of a learner on a first learning image, collecting stimulated recall response information of the learner based on a stimulated recall of the learner in response to a second learning image including a same learning content as the first learning image, determining cognitive load in the leaner that is recalled in each learning interval of the second learning image based on the psychophysiological response information and the stimulated recall response information. Alternatively, the learning situation determining method includes determining cognitive load in a learner learning a learning image for each learning interval of the learning image using psychophysiological response information of the learner based on prior knowledge possessed by the learner and task complexity of the learning image.

The invention can be used to obtain information about a person's psychophysiological state in different fields, including biometrics, psychophysiology, functional diagnostics and psychology. For thispurpose, the following primary psychophysiological characteristics are determined: an energy characteristic, as an indicator of the energy given off by a person, and an information characteristic, asan indicator of the efficiency of information exchange. A person's current psychophysiological state is determined in real time, and additionally the pattern of change in the person's current psychophysiological state over a monitoring period is evaluated. The evaluation of a change in the person's psychophysiological state is carried out in a system of coordinates formed by the primary psychophysiological characteristics, where the pattern of change in the person's psychophysiological state over the entire monitoring period is evaluated according to the change in direction of a vector characteristic in the form of the path of a graph consisting of consecutively interconnected directed segments characterizing the change in direction and magnitude of the primary psychophysiological characteristics for each recorded time interval of the monitoring period. The present method provides an increase in the functional possibilities of a method of evaluating a person's psychophysiological stateas a result of the additional analysis of psychophysiological characteristics based on information about the pattern of change in the direction of a vector of the person's unconscious reaction duringthe monitoring process, and establishment of a correlation between the change in direction of the psychophysiological reaction vector and a set of primary physiological parameters determining the person's psychophysiological state.