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US11676506B1 — Cognitive training method

Assignee: Individual (Sylvain Jean-Pierre Daniel Moreno) · Inventor: Sylvain Jean-Pierre Daniel Moreno Priority: 2011-04-20 (US13/090,677) · Filed: 2013-09-04 (US14/017,493, expired-fee); continuation 2018-01-08 (US15/864,294); 2022-06-30 (US17/810,227) · Granted: 2023-06-13 · Status: Active (US17/810,227) · Anticipated expiration: 2031-04-20

Abstract

A cognitive training method with processor-stored exercise categories containing task data with difficulty levels. Visual display + audio transducer + user interface. Task difficulty is adjusted based on user performance. At least one training task includes a cue stimulus, a probe stimulus, and a distractor stimulus. Difficulty adjusted by selectively tuning cue difficulty, probe difficulty, and distractor difficulty.

Key technical features

  • Brain recording: OPTIONAL — portable EEG (1-10 leads) mentioned as optional measurement device; ERP data (P2 component, Go/No-Go task) shown in figures as evaluation outcome; 2 EEG mentions; 9 ERP mentions; brain signal recording before/after training
  • Species: Human — 13 “human” mentions; 795 “user” (children); 142 “animal” mentions (ALL refer to animated animal characters used as visual stimuli in a children’s cognitive training game — NOT animal testing); 3 “monkey” (stimulus characters); zero rodent
  • Classification: G09B19/00 (teaching); G09B7/02 (Q&A teaching apparatus); G16H20/70 (mental therapies); G09B15/00 (teaching music)
  • Stimuli: Cross-modal (visual + auditory); animated animal characters paired with musical sounds
  • Task types: Go/No-Go (claim 20); cue-probe-distractor matching; perceptual + conceptual difficulty
  • Input devices: Touchscreen drawing, motion sensor, accelerometer, microphone, position sensor
  • Feedback: Positive, no feedback, neutral (“try again” with N retries)

ERP evidence in patent

The patent includes ERP data (FIG. 33-34): grand-average ERP at Cz for Go/No-Go attention task, pre vs post training. P2 component showed significant amplitude increase (Pre: 7.3 µV; Post: 11.6 µV; p<0.05), interpreted as training-related improvement in conflict/decision processing.

Significance

A cognitive training method (not just assessment) from Sylvain Moreno (Baycrest/NOSM University, known for auditory cognitive training in children). The primary method is behavioural (cue-probe-distractor tasks with adaptive difficulty), but the patent explicitly includes EEG/ERP as an optional evaluation tool — demonstrating brain-level evidence of training effects (P2 amplitude change). The “animal” mentions are all animated cartoon characters used as stimuli for children, not animal subjects. The Go/No-Go paradigm and adaptive difficulty adjustment are relevant to the CANTAB/touchscreen cognitive testing framework.

Graph View

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