Spatial Distractor Assessment System for Neural Disease Diagnosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for assessing neurological and mental disorders, such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, autism, schizophrenia, and Williams Syndrome, lack effective tools for quantifying visual and cognitive impairments, relying on costly and burdensome brain imaging and qualitative behavioral assessments that do not adequately capture early stages or progress of these conditions.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for quantitative assessment of functional impairment using a combination of input, display, and control devices, presenting dynamic scenes to subjects and analyzing their responses to diagnose and recommend interventions, incorporating artificial intelligence for real-time scoring and dynamic testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If brain imaging and qualitative behavioral assessments are used to assess neurological disorders, then diagnosis can be established, but the process becomes costly and burdensome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex brain imaging procedures and manual behavioral assessments with an automated computer-based system that uses standardized visual stimuli and algorithmic analysis. The system presents controlled visual patterns and automatically measures response times and accuracy, eliminating the need for expensive imaging equipment and reducing the burden on patients while maintaining diagnostic reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified digital copies of visual stimuli and assessment protocols that can be repeatedly administered without additional cost. Instead of requiring repeated brain imaging scans, the system uses replicated visual patterns and standardized test protocols that can be administered multiple times through software, reducing overall assessment complexity and cost.
2Loss of information
If qualitative behavioral assessments are used to evaluate cognitive and visual functions, then diagnostic information can be obtained, but early stages of conditions cannot be adequately captured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous feedback mechanisms where the system monitors response times and accuracy in real-time during visual stimulus presentation. This allows for the detection of subtle changes in processing speed and pattern recognition that occur in early stages of neurological disorders, providing quantitative data that captures impairment progression before it becomes manifest in qualitative behavioral assessments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent systematically varies visual stimulus parameters such as contrast, spatial frequency, and temporal patterns to create a sensitive measurement scale. By changing these parameters and measuring how subjects respond at different difficulty levels, the system can quantify even early-stage impairments in visual and cognitive processing that would be invisible to traditional qualitative assessments.
3Measurement precision
If standardized scoring algorithms are implemented for quantitative assessment, then diagnostic precision is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the complex assessment into separate modular components, each evaluating specific visual or cognitive functions independently. The system presents different types of visual stimuli (motion patterns, contrast gradients, spatial arrangements) and separately measures performance on each task type, then integrates the results. This segmentation allows for precise quantification of specific impairments while keeping each individual test component relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is presented to address quantitative assessment of spatial distractor tasks in a subject, where the method comprises the steps of: (1) presenting at least one scene to a subject on a display, said scene comprising a plurality of elements and a background; (2) modulating the saliency of a predetermined section of the scene; (3) receiving feedback from the subject; (4) superimposing an additional cue onto the scene; (5) generating a shift in attention of the subject; (6) receiving refined feedback from the subject; (7) quantitatively refining the refined feedback; (8) adjusting the motion associated with the scene relative to accuracy of the refined feedback; and (9) calculating a critical threshold parameter for the subject; and (10) recording the critical threshold parameter onto a tangible computer readable medium. An apparatus for quantitative assessment of spatial distractor tasks of a subject comprising a display device, an input device, a control device, and a tangible computer readable medium. In its simplest sense, quantitative assessment profile of spatial distractor tasks by psychophysical responses is generated on a tangible computer readable medium.