JP7241322B2 - Cognitive function test system and program - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a cognitive function testing system and program . More particularly, the present disclosure relates to cognitive function testing systems and programs for testing cognitive function.

Patent Literature 1 describes a dementia diagnosis system (cognitive function testing system) used for diagnosing dementia of a subject. The dementia diagnosis system described in Patent Literature 1 includes a dementia diagnosis device and a terminal device. The terminal device records the conversation between the subject and the questioner. A dementia diagnostic device calculates a test subject's dementia level from the voice data recorded by the terminal device.

Japanese Patent No. 6263308

In the dementia diagnosis system as described in Patent Literature 1, improvement in the evaluation accuracy of cognitive function is desired.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a cognitive function testing system and program capable of improving the accuracy of evaluating cognitive function.

A cognitive function testing system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a testing section and an evaluation section. The examination unit performs a first examination in which a subject is uttered in relation to the image while displaying an image on the display unit, and after an interval period has elapsed after performing the first examination, displays the A second test is performed in which the subject is allowed to speak in relation to the image without the image being displayed . The evaluation unit evaluates the cognitive function of the subject for each test result of a first test result that is the test result of the first test and a second test result that is the test result of the second test. The first test result includes at least one of the test subject's vocabulary ability in the first test and the time from when the image is displayed on the display unit to when the test subject finishes speaking. The second test result includes at least one of the subject's vocabulary ability, sentence construction ability, sentence length, and voice power of the subject in the second test.

A program according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a program for executing a computer system as the cognitive function testing system described above.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an examination situation by the cognitive function examination system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the cognitive function testing system same as above. FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram showing a display example in the first test of the cognitive function testing system; FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram showing a display example in the first test of the cognitive function testing system; FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram showing a display example in the second test of the cognitive function testing system; FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram showing a display example in the second test of the cognitive function testing system; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a display example of an image displayed on the display unit between the first test and the second test of the cognitive function testing system; FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a series of operations of the cognitive function testing system same as above. 7A is a schematic diagram showing a first display example in the third test of the cognitive function testing system according to Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram showing another first display example in the third test of the cognitive function testing system; FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram showing a second display example in the third test of the cognitive function testing system; FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram showing another second display example in the third test of the cognitive function testing system; FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a display example for practice in the third test of the cognitive function testing system; FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a series of operations of the cognitive function testing system same as above. 11A is a schematic diagram showing an avatar displayed on the display unit of the cognitive function testing system according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 11B is a schematic diagram showing another avatar displayed on the display unit of the cognitive function testing system; FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a display example in the third test of the cognitive function testing system according to Embodiment 3. FIG.

(Embodiment 1)
(1) Overview The cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment is a method for testing cognitive function between an examiner 101 and a subject 102 using a cognitive function testing system 1, as shown in , is implemented in the cognitive function testing system 1 . The cognitive function testing system 1 is, for example, a tablet, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, or a personal computer (PC). As an example in this embodiment, the cognitive function testing system 1 is a tablet, as shown in FIG. The cognitive function testing system 1 includes a display unit 121, a test unit 112, and an evaluation unit 111, as shown in FIG.

The display unit 121 is, for example, a screen of a tablet, and displays at least the first image (image) I1. The inspection unit 112 performs a first inspection, and after an interval period has passed since the first inspection, performs a second inspection. The interval period is, for example, several minutes to several tens of minutes, and is five minutes as an example in this embodiment. The first test is a test in which the subject 102 (see FIG. 1) is made to speak about the first image I1 while displaying the first image I1 on the display unit 121 . That is, in the first examination, the subject 102 speaks about the first image I1 while viewing the first image I1 displayed on the display unit 121 . The second test is a test in which the subject 102 is asked to speak about the first image I1. Subject 102 is, for example, an elderly person. The evaluation unit 111 evaluates the subject 102 based on the first test result, which is the test result of the first test, and the second test result, which is the test result of the second test.

The term “cognitive function” as used in the present disclosure refers to a function for correctly understanding and appropriately executing things, and is classified into, for example, memory function, attention function, information processing function, executive function, and the like. "Memory function" refers to the function of keeping past experiences in one's mind and recalling or using them depending on the time. "Attention functions" refer to the functions of consciousness that induce us to selectively react to or pay attention to particular parts of surrounding objects, events, or particular aspects of complex mental activity. "Information processing function" refers to a function of processing information (for example, visual information, auditory information, etc.) input from the outside world. “Performance function” refers to the function necessary to effectively accomplish a series of activities with a purpose. In addition, “evaluation of the subject 102” as used in the present disclosure refers to determining the state of the cognitive function of the subject 102, that is, whether or not the cognitive function of the subject 102 is declining.

In recent years, with the advent of an aging society, an increase in dementia patients has become a problem. Moreover, since a specific drug for dementia has not yet been discovered, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is a pre-stage of dementia, is attracting attention. Mild cognitive impairment is an intermediate state between normal (healthy) and dementia.

Methods for simply testing cognitive function include, for example, the revised Hasegawa Simple Function Rating Scale (HDS-R), MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination), MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), and the like. These examination methods are interactive examinations, conducted by trained medical personnel and the like. Therefore, it is not possible for people other than medical staff to easily perform the examination, and it has not been possible to expand examination opportunities. In the cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment, the following configuration is adopted so that even a person other than a medical worker can perform a cognitive function test, thereby expanding testing opportunities. are doing.

The cognitive function testing method according to this embodiment has a first test and a second test. The first test is a test in which the subject 102 is made to utter an utterance related to the first image I1 while displaying the first image (image) I1 on the display unit 121 . The second examination is an examination in which the subject 102 is made to utter an utterance related to the first image I1 after an interval period has elapsed since the first examination was performed. In the cognitive function testing method according to this embodiment, the subject 102 is evaluated based on the first test result, which is the test result of the first test, and the second test result, which is the test result of the second test.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment, the second test is performed after the interval period has passed since the first test was performed. In other words, in the cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment, two tests are performed to evaluate the cognitive function, and compared to the case of evaluating the cognitive function with one test, the evaluation accuracy of the cognitive function is improved. be able to. Moreover, in each of the first examination and the second examination, it is only necessary for the subject 102 to utter an utterance related to the first image I1. , it is possible to expand inspection opportunities.

(2) Configuration Hereinafter, the configuration of the cognitive function testing system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

The cognitive function testing system 1 according to this embodiment includes a control unit 11, a presentation unit 12, a storage unit 13, an operation unit 14, and a setting unit 15, as shown in FIG. The cognitive function testing system 1 is, for example, a tablet, as shown in FIG.

The control unit 11 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer having a processor and memory. That is, the control unit 11 is realized by a computer system having a processor and memory. The computer system functions as the control unit 11 (including an evaluation unit 111, an inspection unit 112, and an analysis unit 113, which will be described later) by the processor executing an appropriate program. The program may be prerecorded in a memory, or may be provided by being recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card or through an electric communication line such as the Internet.

The control unit 11 has an evaluation unit 111 , an inspection unit 112 and an analysis unit 113 .

The evaluation unit 111 evaluates the subject 102 based on the first test result, which is the test result of the first test, and the second test result, which is the test result of the second test. In other words, the evaluation unit 111 determines the state of the cognitive function of the subject 102, that is, whether or not the cognitive function of the subject 102 is degraded based on the two test results.

The evaluation unit 111 uses, for example, the subject's 102 vocabulary and task performance time in the first test as feature amounts, and evaluates the cognitive function (attention function and executive function) of the subject 102 based on these feature amounts. . The vocabulary of the subject 102 includes selection of words for the punctured portion of the punctured sentence S1, which will be described later. The task performance time is, for example, the time from when the first image I1 and the punctuated sentence S1 are displayed on the display unit 121 to when the subject 102 finishes speaking. In addition, the evaluation unit 111 uses, for example, the subject's 102 vocabulary ability, sentence construction ability, sentence length, etc. in the second test as feature amounts, and the cognitive function (memory function) of the subject 102 based on these feature amounts. ). Note that the evaluation unit 111 may evaluate the cognitive function of the subject 102 from changes in the voice power (volume) of the subject 102 in the second test. For example, the subject 102 whose cognitive function has deteriorated can speak smoothly at the beginning, so the voice power is high, but as time passes, the voice power decreases as the subject stops speaking. From such a change in voice power, it can be determined that the cognitive function of the subject 102 is deteriorating. It should be noted that the "volume" in this specification may be a level of sound volume (unit: phon) called a so-called loudness level, or a sound pressure level (unit: decibel). may

The inspection unit 112 is configured to perform a first inspection and a second inspection. Specifically, in the first inspection, the inspection unit 112 outputs the first control signal for displaying the first image I1 and the punctured sentence S1 to the display unit 121, so that the first image I1 and the punctured sentence S1 are displayed. The display unit 121 is caused to display the blank sentence S1. Also, in the second examination, the inspection unit 112 causes the display unit 121 to display the guide information G1 by outputting a second control signal for displaying the guide information G1 to the display unit 121 . The guide information G1 is, for example, at least one of the second image I2 and the text S2. The second image I2 is, for example, a partial image of the first image I1 (see FIG. 4A). The sentence S2 is, for example, a sentence that gives the subject 102 a suggestion about an utterance. In the second examination, when the guide information G1 is displayed on the display unit 121, only the second image I2 may be displayed, only the text S2 may be displayed, or the second image I2 and the text S2 may be displayed. and both may be displayed. Alternatively, the second image I2 and the text S2 may be displayed in order. In this case, the text S2 may be displayed after displaying the second image I2, or the second image I2 may be displayed after displaying the text S2.

The analysis unit 113 performs speech recognition on speech input via the speech input/output unit 122 . "Speech recognition" as used in the present disclosure includes not only the process of converting the speech into character strings, but also natural language processing such as semantic analysis and contextual analysis. The analysis unit 113 uses the acoustic model, the recognition dictionary, and the like stored in the storage unit 13 to recognize the speech (speech recognition). That is, the analysis unit 113 extracts acoustic features by analyzing the speech with reference to the acoustic model, and performs speech recognition with reference to the recognition dictionary.

The presentation unit 12 has a display unit 121 and an audio input/output unit 122 . The presentation unit 12 is configured to present information to the subject 102 . The information presented by the presentation unit 12 is, for example, image information (first image I1, second image I2, third image I3), audio information, and the like.

The display unit 121 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The display unit 121 is configured to display the first image I1 and the punctured text S1 in the first examination. Further, the display unit 121 is configured to display at least one of the second image I2 as the guide information G1 and the text S2 in the second examination. Further, the display unit 121 is configured to display the third image I3 during the interval period between the first examination and the second examination. In addition, when the cognitive function testing system 1 includes a touch panel display, the touch panel display may serve as both the display unit 121 and the operation unit 14 .

The voice input/output unit 122 has, for example, a microphone and a speaker. The speech input/output unit 122 receives the uttered voices of the subject 102 during the first examination, the second examination, and the interval period via a microphone. In addition, the voice input/output unit 122 outputs voices from the cognitive function testing system 1 during the first test, the second test, and the interval period (for example, test guidance voice, etc.) through a speaker. The audio input/output unit 122 converts an analog audio signal input via a microphone into a digital audio signal, and outputs converted audio data to the control unit 11 .

The storage unit 13 is composed of a readable/writable memory. The storage unit 13 is, for example, a flash memory. The storage unit 13 stores the first image I1, the second image I2, and the third image I3 to be displayed on the display unit 121 during the first examination, the second examination, and the interval period. Here, a plurality of punctuation sentences S1 related to the first image I1 are set in the first image I1, and the storage unit 13 associates the first image I1 with the plurality of punctuation sentences S1. Remember. In addition, a plurality of second images I2 are set in the first image I1 as guide information G1 in the second examination, and the storage unit 13 associates the first image I1 with the plurality of second images I2. memorize. Also, a plurality of sentences S2 are set in the first image I1 as guide information G1 for the second examination, and the storage unit 13 associates and stores the first image I1 and the plurality of sentences S2. That is, in the cognitive function testing system 1 according to this embodiment, a plurality of punctuated sentences S1, a plurality of second images I2, and a plurality of sentences S2 are associated with one first image I1.

Furthermore, the storage unit 13 stores attribute information of the subject 102 . The subject's 102 attribute information includes, for example, the subject's 102 age, sex, hobby, hometown, and the like. For example, the examiner 101 or the subject 102 may input these attribute information through the operation unit 14, or if the past examination data of the subject 102 is stored in the storage unit 13, the past utterances It may be set automatically based on data or the like. The storage unit 13 also stores speech data of the subject 102, conversation data between the examiner 101 and the subject 102, and the like in the first examination, the second examination, and the interval period. Furthermore, the storage unit 13 stores an acoustic model, a recognition dictionary, and the like that are referred to when the analysis unit 113 performs speech recognition.

The operation unit 14 is configured to receive operations of the examiner 101 and the subject 102 . The operation unit 14 has, for example, a plurality of push buttons including numeric keys. By pressing at least one of the plurality of push buttons, attribute information of the subject 102 is registered, and content (third image I3) to be displayed on the display unit 121 during the interval period is selected. can be done. The plurality of push buttons may be mechanical switches, or if the display unit 121 is a touch panel, a touch pad that constitutes the touch panel. It should be noted that the position of the perforated portion of the perforated sentence S1 may be changed by the operation unit 14. FIG.

The setting unit 15 is configured to set the guide information G1 for each area of the first image I1. For example, the setting unit 15 sets the guide information G1 that prompts the subject 102 to speak about the father for an area that includes the father. Further, the setting unit 15 sets guide information G1 that prompts the subject 102 to speak about the mother, for example, for an area that includes the mother.

(3) Examination Contents Examination contents of the cognitive function testing system 1 will be described below.

(3.1) First Test The first test is a test in which the subject 102 is made to speak about the first image I1 while displaying the first image I1 on the display unit 121 of the cognitive function testing system 1 . The first test is, for example, a perforation test, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3A and 3B. The puncture test is an inspection in which the first image I1 and the puncture sentence S1 related to the first image I1 are displayed on the display unit 121 and the subject 102 utters the puncture sentence S1. The perforated sentence S1 is a sentence with a part of it left blank. In other words, the first inspection includes the puncture inspection by the puncture sentence S1 displayed on the display unit 121 together with the first image I1 and part of the text related to the first image I1 left blank. In the example shown in FIG. 3A, the punctured part in the punctured sentence S1 is at the beginning of the sentence, and the subject of the punctured sentence S1, for example, is "father". In the example shown in FIG. 3B, the punctured part of the punctured sentence S1 is at the end of the sentence, and the punctured part contains the predicate "I am drinking", for example. When the end of the punctured sentence S1 is used as a trigger to move to the next punctured sentence S1, the position of the punctured part in the punctured sentence S1 is preferably at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence. May be at the end of the sentence, as indicated. In the example shown in Fig. 3A, "Father is smoking a cigarette" is the correct answer, and in the example shown in Fig. 3B, "Mother is drinking tea" is the correct answer. tea)” is the correct answer.

In the first test, the subject 102 utters the sentence S1 while filling in the gaps while comparing the first image I1 and the sentence S1 with gaps. The first test can mainly evaluate attention function and executive function among the four functions included in cognitive function. Furthermore, in the first examination, an action of visually comparing the first image I1 displayed on the display unit 121 and the punctured sentence S1 is required, so the selective attention function is especially required among the attention functions. As a result, it is possible to give the subject 102 a greater load than simply speaking about the first image I1 while viewing the first image I1 displayed on the display unit 121, and as a result, the prediction accuracy of predicting the deterioration of cognitive function is improved. lead to improvement.

By the way, in the first examination, a plurality (for example, about 10) of punctuated sentences S1 are prepared for one first image I1, and when the utterance of one punctured sentence S1 is completed, the next An operation to shift to the punctured sentence S1 is required. For example, when the cognitive function testing system 1 includes the operation unit 14 as in the present embodiment, the examiner 101 or the subject 102 can use the operation unit 14 to move to the next punctuation sentence S1. . However, in this case, there is a possibility that one or more punctured sentences S1 are skipped due to an operation error. It is also possible to preset the response time for one punctuated sentence S1, and automatically shift to the next punctured sentence S1 when this response time elapses. However, in this case, even though the subject 102 has not finished uttering the punctuated sentence S1, there is a possibility that the sentence will shift to the next punctured sentence S1. In addition, the speech time of the subject 102 is shorter than the response time, and there is a possibility that unnecessary noise will be recorded in the remaining time after the speech is finished, thus hindering speech analysis.

In the cognitive function testing system 1 according to this embodiment, in order to reduce the operation burden, operation error, and test error of the examiner 101 or the subject 102, speech recognition by the analysis unit 113 is used to configured to automatically transition to A specific description will be given below.

First, as shown in FIG. 3A, it is assumed that the display unit 121 displays a perforated sentence S1 saying "( ) is smoking". In this case, since the part with a hole is at the beginning of the sentence, the end of the sentence is a predetermined sentence (here, "I smoke"). Therefore, when the speech recognition of the analysis unit 113 detects the word "I smoke" at the end of the sentence, it can be determined that the utterance of the subject 102 is completed, and this is used as a trigger to shift to the next punctuated sentence S1. be able to. In other words, in the cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment, the presence or absence of an answer to the punctuated sentence S1 is detected based on the partial voice ("I smoke") included in the utterance of the subject 102. In the example shown in FIG. 3A, the partial speech is the final uttered speech (“I am smoking”) in the punctuated sentence S1. When there is an answer from subject 102, display unit 121 displays first image I1 and next punctuated sentence S1. In other words, when there is an answer from subject 102, display unit 121 displays first image I1 and next punctuated sentence S1. In this way, by using the partial speech included in the utterance of the subject 102, especially the utterance speech at the end of the punctuated sentence S1 as a trigger for moving to the next punctured sentence S1, the next punctured sentence S1 can be reached. Migration can be done reliably. Moreover, since the transition is automatically made based on the voice uttered by the subject 102, it is possible to reduce the operation burden, operation errors, and inspection errors of the examiner 101 or the subject 102. FIG. Moreover, by stopping the recording when the uttered speech at the end of the punctured sentence S1 is detected, there is an advantage that unnecessary noise that may hinder the speech analysis is less likely to be recorded.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, it is assumed that the display unit 121 displays a punctuated sentence S1 reading "Mother's tea ( )". In this case, the end of the punctured sentence S1, that is, the end of the punctured sentence S1 is a punctured portion, and the punctured portion is filled with words such as "drinking" and "sipping". Multiple phrases are allowed. That is, in this case, the partial speech included in the utterance of subject 102 is the speech speech of the punctured portion of sentence S1. For example, when the phrase "I am drinking" is set as the answer to the punctuated part, the trigger for shifting to the next punctuated sentence S1 is the phrase "I am drinking." Therefore, for example, when the subject 102 utters "I'm sipping", it cannot be shifted to the next punctuated sentence S1. However, even in such a case, it is possible to deal with it by setting a threshold for the number of characters of the wording that can be included in the perforated portion. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3B, it is assumed that the number of letters that can be included in the punctured portion of the punctured sentence S1 is six. In this case, the phrases that can be inserted into the perforated portion are the same six characters whether they are "I am drinking" or "I am sipping", and any of the phrases can be used as a trigger. . Also, in this case, it is effective to evaluate cognitive function (especially executive function), which is the original purpose, by selecting words that can be included in the hollow part and the time until the hollow part is uttered. In this way, by setting a threshold for the number of characters that can be included in the part with a hole, even if it takes time to answer the part with a hole, such as "Drink... I..." , can be the trigger to the next punctured sentence S1.

By the way, in the first test, depending on the content of the open sentence S1, the subject 102 may not be able to answer. In this case, the same open sentence S1 is continuously displayed until the subject 102 can answer, which lengthens the examination time. There is Therefore, in such a case, it is preferable to use the specific word (skip word) uttered by the subject 102 to move to the next punctuated sentence S1. In other words, in the cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment, it is preferable to display the first image I1 and the next punctuated sentence S1 on the display unit 121 when the subject 102 utters the specific word. Specific words include, for example, "pass", "next", "unknown", and the like. As a result, regardless of whether or not the subject 102 answers, it is possible to shift to the next punctuated sentence S1, and it is possible to suppress the lengthening of the examination time.

Further, if the subject 102 does not answer even after a specified time has passed since the first image I1 and the punctuated sentence S1 are displayed on the display unit 121, it is preferable to shift to the next punctured sentence S1 ( time out). In other words, in the cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment, it is preferable to display the first image I1 and the next punctuated sentence S1 on the display unit 121 when the preset specified time has elapsed. It is preferable to set the specified time to, for example, about 30 seconds. As a result, regardless of whether or not the subject 102 answers, it is possible to shift to the next punctuated sentence S1, and it is possible to suppress the lengthening of the examination time.

Furthermore, it is preferable to change the next punctuation sentence S1 displayed on the display unit 121 according to the answer to the previous punctuation sentence S1. For example, if the answer to the part with holes in S1 is incorrect, or if the answer to the part with holes takes a long time, the sentence S1 with the difficulty level lower than the previous one is preferably the next punctured sentence S1. On the other hand, if the answer to the punctured part in the punctured sentence S1 is correct and the time required to answer the punctured part is short, the punctured sentence S1 with a difficulty level higher than that of the previous punctured sentence S1 is replaced with the next sentence. It is preferable to use the perforated sentence S1. In this way, by changing the next open-ended sentence S1 displayed on the display unit 121 according to the subject's 102 answer to the previous open-ended sentence S1, the state of the cognitive function of the subject 102 is discriminated in more stages. can do.

(3.2) Second Examination The second examination is an examination in which the subject 102 is made to utter an utterance related to the first image I1 after an interval period has elapsed since the first examination was performed. In the second examination, basically, the first image I1 displayed on the display unit 121 in the first examination is not displayed on the display unit 121 (the subject 102 is not allowed to see the first image I1). It is a test in which the subject 102 is asked to make an utterance related to I1. In other words, the second test is a delayed reproduction test in which the subject 102 is asked to memorize the contents of the first image I1, and after the interval period has passed, the subject 102 is asked to speak about the contents of the first image I1. The interval period is preferably set to, for example, several minutes to several tens of minutes, and is five minutes as an example in this embodiment. In the second examination, the examiner 101 gives the subject 102 a task such as "Tell me about the first image I1." The subject 102 speaks about the first image I1 without looking at the first image I1. Here, the subject 102 whose cognitive function (especially memory function) is not degraded should smoothly utter the contents of the first image I1 (father is smoking, mother is drinking tea, etc.). can be done. On the other hand, the subject 102 whose cognitive function is declining can speak smoothly immediately after starting to speak about the first image I1 (for example, for several tens of seconds), but after a certain period of examination time, the speech stops. It has been known. The second test can mainly evaluate memory function (short-term memory function) among the four functions included in cognitive function.

According to such a delayed reproduction test, it is possible to accurately evaluate deterioration of cognitive functions including MCI, but it is very difficult for the subject 102 whose cognitive function is significantly deteriorated, and a situation occurs in which they cannot answer at all. has also been reported. Therefore, in the current delayed-reproduction test, there is only a choice between whether delayed-reproduction was possible or not, and it is not possible to evaluate the extent to which the memory function has deteriorated. The cognitive function testing method according to this embodiment is configured to present the guide information G1 to the subject 102 in the second examination so that the extent to which the memory function of the subject 102 has deteriorated can be evaluated. A specific description will be given below.

Assume that subject 102 stops speaking during the second examination. For example, if the subject 102 has not uttered "father" or a similar phrase in his/her utterances so far, there is a possibility that he/she cannot remember information about his/her father. In this case, guide information G1 about the father is presented to the subject 102 in order to encourage speech about the father. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, a second image I2 including a part of the father (face in FIG. 4A) may be displayed on the display unit 121, and as shown in FIG. The character information (sentence S2) given to 102 may be displayed on the display unit 121. FIG. The second image I2 is a partial image based on the first image I1. In other words, the second image I2 is an image in which at least part of the first image I1 is hidden. Further, the guide information G1 includes information (second image I2, sentence S2) that gives the subject 102 a suggestion about the utterance. Furthermore, as the guide information G1, both the second image I2 and the text S2 may be displayed on the display section 121, or the second image I2 and the text S2 may be displayed on the display section 121 in order. As for the order of displaying the second image I2 and the text S2, the second image I2 may be displayed first, or the text S2 may be displayed first. In FIG. 4A, the remaining portion of the first image I1 excluding the second image I2 is visible, but it is assumed that only the second image I2 is actually visible and the remaining portion is not visible. do.

Here, regarding the content uttered by the subject 102 during the second examination, the analysis unit 113 performs real-time speech recognition based on the voice input to the voice input/output unit 122, and converts the voice data into character data (character strings). should be converted to In addition, a dictionary or the like may be created in advance and stored in the storage unit 13 with respect to variations in spelling of words (eg, father, father, husband, etc.). As a result, it is possible to store the utterance contents of the subject 102 while supporting various expression formats, and to present the guide information G1 only for events that the subject 102 has not uttered.

By the way, it is preferable that the guide information G1 is determined depending on whether or not the subject 102's utterance includes a keyword. Here, the keywords in the first image I1 are, for example, "father", "mother", "older sister", "younger brother", "cigarette", "tea", "smoking", "drinking". etc. For example, if the utterance of the subject 102 does not include any of the keywords relating to the father, such as "father", "tobacco", and "I smoke", the second image I2 and the sentence S2 are combined to prompt the subject 102 to speak about the father. is displayed on the display unit 121. Accordingly, even if the subject 102 does not remember the father, the subject 102 can be encouraged to speak about the father by presenting the guide information G1.

Also, the guide information G1 is preferably determined for each area of the first image I1. For example, the area of the first image I1 is divided into a first area including the father, a second area including the mother, a third area including the older sister, and a fourth area including the younger brother. Determine (set). In this case, the keywords in the first image I1 are preferably grouped by area. For example, the first area including fathers is associated with the keywords "father", "tobacco", and "I smoke". Also, the second area including mothers is associated with keywords relating to mothers, ie, "mother", "tea", and "drinking". In this case, if even one keyword appears in each area, it may be determined that there is no problem with cognitive function, and if no keywords appear, it may be determined that there is a problem with cognitive function.

Further, the guide information G1 is preferably displayed hierarchically (in stages) so that the cognitive function (especially memory function) of the subject 102 can be evaluated in multiple stages. For example, assume that the subject 102 is prompted to speak about his father. At the first stage, for example, the display unit 121 displays the guide information G1 saying "Who was there at the lower left of the first image I1?" At this time, if the subject 102 answers "my father was there", the guide information G1 of the next step is displayed on the display section 121. FIG. The guide information G1 of the second stage is, for example, "What was your father doing in the lower left corner of the first image I1?" Thus, by presenting the guide information G1 hierarchically (stepwise), the state of the cognitive function of the subject 102, that is, how much the cognitive function of the subject 102 is degraded can be evaluated stepwise. . When the second image I2 is displayed on the display unit 121 as the guide information G1, the size of the second image I2 may be increased stepwise, or the position of the second image I2 in the first image I1 may be changed. , that is, the area displayed by the second image I2 may be changed.

(3.3) Interval Period During the interval period between the first examination and the second examination, it is preferable to display the third image I3 on the display section 121 as shown in FIG. In other words, it is preferable to present content to subject 102 during the interval period. The third image I3 is, for example, an advertisement for cat food. In other words, the content presented by the cognitive function testing system 1 is an advertisement. Contents are not limited to images, and may be moving images. In this case, it is possible to present a commercial movie, and this commercial movie is preferably a movie optimized for the subject 102 by the recommendation function. As a result, income from commercials can be expected, and the cost required for the inspection can be reduced. As a result, it is expected that inspection opportunities will expand. It should be noted that content that the subject 102 is interested in may be heard in advance as the content to be presented during the interval period.

Here, it is preferable that the content to be presented in the interval period is selected according to the subject 102 . For example, a plurality of contents that can be displayed in the interval period are displayed on the display unit 121, and the subject 102 is made to select from among the plurality of contents. In other words, content is manually selected by subject 102 . As a result, it is possible to cause the display unit 121 to display the content that the subject 102 is interested in. Also, the content selected by the subject 102 during the interval period may be used for the next second examination, or for at least one of the first examination and the second examination after the next. This allows subject 102 to focus on the examination that is to follow.

Also, for example, content to be displayed on the display unit 121 may be selected according to attribute information of the subject 102 . For example, if the attribute information of the subject 102 indicates that the subject 102 likes cats, the third image I3 related to cats is displayed on the display unit 121 as shown in FIG.

Additionally, the content may be automatically switched depending on the subject's 102 interest in the content. For example, assume that the subject 102 continues to talk about the third image I3 displayed on the display unit 121 for 40 seconds. If the threshold in this case is set to 30 seconds, the subject 102 continues speaking beyond this threshold, so it can be determined that the subject 102 has a high degree of interest in the third image I3. On the other hand, when the subject 102 talked about the third image I3 for only 20 seconds, it is below the threshold, so it can be determined that the subject 102 has a low degree of interest in the third image I3. Then, when the subject 102 has a high degree of interest in the third image I3, the third image I3 may be displayed continuously, or images of the same type as the third image I3 may be displayed continuously. Moreover, when the degree of interest of the subject 102 with respect to the third image I3 is low, an image of a type different from the third image I3 may be displayed.

Note that the threshold for judging the degree of interest of the subject 102 in the content is not limited to one, and may be plural. That is, the degree of interest of the subject 102 in the content may be divided into multiple stages. In this case as well, by displaying content according to the degree of interest of the subject 102 on the display unit 121, the subject 102 can be made to concentrate on the subsequent examination.

Here, a recommendation system based on machine learning can be constructed using attribute information of the subject 102 as an explanatory variable (independent variable) and interest level of the subject 102 as an objective variable (dependent variable). For example, when a new subject is registered, by predicting the degree of interest in an image (content) from this subject's attribute information, it is possible to display on the display unit 121 an image that seems to be of high interest to the subject. This makes it possible to encourage the subject to speak with respect to the image.

(4) Operation Next, a series of operations of the cognitive function testing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The inspection unit 112 of the control unit 11 outputs a first control signal to the display unit 121 to cause the display unit 121 to display the first image I1 and the punctured sentence S1. The subject 102 utters the punctuated sentence S1 while viewing the first image I1 and the punctured sentence S1 displayed on the display unit 121 (step ST1). After completing the first examination, the control unit 11 starts measuring the interval period (step ST2). Until the interval period elapses (step ST2: No), the control unit 11 causes the display unit 121 to display (present) the third image I3 (content) (step ST3).

If the interval period has passed (step ST2: Yes), the control section 11 causes the inspection section 112 to perform the second inspection (step ST4). At this time, for example, a sentence such as "Please talk about the first image I1" may be displayed on the display unit 121. FIG. Here, when the subject 102 stops speaking in the middle, the testing unit 112 of the control unit 11 outputs the second control signal to the display unit 121 to display the guide information G1 for prompting the user to speak. 121 to display.

When the second test is completed, the evaluation unit 111 of the control unit 11 determines the recognition of the subject 102 based on the first test result, which is the test result of the first test, and the second test result, which is the test result of the second test. A functional state, that is, whether or not the cognitive function of the subject 102 is degraded is evaluated (step ST5). Then, the control unit 11 causes the display unit 121 to display the evaluation result of the evaluation unit 111 (step ST6).

In the cognitive function testing method and cognitive function testing system 1 according to the present embodiment, as described above, the state of cognitive function of the subject 102 is evaluated based on two test results. Therefore, compared with the case of evaluating the state of cognitive function of subject 102 based on one test result, it is possible to improve the evaluation accuracy of cognitive function. Moreover, in each of the first examination and the second examination, it is sufficient to have the subject 102 utter an utterance related to the first image I1, and no specialized training or the like is required. It is possible to carry out inspections and expand inspection opportunities.

In this embodiment, step ST1 is the first inspection step, step ST4 is the second inspection step, and step ST5 is the evaluation step.

(5) Effect In the cognitive function testing method and cognitive function testing system 1 according to the present embodiment, based on the first test result, which is the test result of the first test, and the second test result, which is the test result of the second test The subject 102 is evaluated (cognitive function status determination). That is, in the cognitive function testing method and cognitive function testing system 1, the subject 102 is evaluated based on two test results. Therefore, compared with the case where the test subject is evaluated based on one test result, for example, when only the first test is performed, it is possible to improve the evaluation accuracy of the cognitive function. In addition, in each of the first examination and the second examination, it is sufficient for the subject 102 to utter an utterance related to the first image I1 displayed on the display unit 121, and no specialized training is required. The inspection can be performed by a person other than the person, and the opportunities for inspection can be expanded.

Furthermore, when the cognitive function testing system 1 is a mobile terminal, the place where the test is performed is not limited, so early detection of MCI can lead to improvement. In addition, as in the cognitive function testing method and cognitive function testing system 1 according to the present embodiment, if the test is a conversational test in which the correct answer is not determined, the test can not be performed accurately by the subject 102 memorizing the test content. Defects can be reduced.

Further, in the cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment, the perforation test is performed as the first test. Therefore, among the cognitive functions, mainly the attention function and executive function can be evaluated by the first test.

In addition, in the cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment, content (third image I3) is presented to subject 102 during the interval period between the first test and the second test. Therefore, by presenting the content that the subject 102 is interested in during the interval period, the subject 102 can be made to concentrate on the second examination that will be performed thereafter.

Moreover, the cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment is configured such that content is selected according to the subject 102 . Therefore, the content can be changed according to the subject 102 .

In addition, the cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment is configured such that the content is automatically switched according to the subject's 102 interest in the content. Therefore, by presenting content that is of high interest to the subject 102, it is possible to make the subject 102 concentrate on the second examination that will be performed thereafter.

Moreover, in the cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment, the content is an advertisement. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost required for the examination by income from advertising. As a result, it is expected that inspection opportunities will expand.

(6) Modifications Embodiment 1 is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiment 1 can be modified in various ways according to design and the like, as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Moreover, the cognitive function testing method and the cognitive function testing system 1 according to the first embodiment may be embodied by a computer program, a non-temporary recording medium recording the computer program, or the like. A program according to one aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the cognitive function testing method described above.

Modifications of the first embodiment are listed below. Modifications described below can be applied in combination as appropriate.

In the cognitive function testing system 1 of the present disclosure, the controller 11 includes a computer system. A computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The function of the control unit 11 in the present disclosure is realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in advance in the memory of the computer system, may be provided through an electric communication line, or may be recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a computer system-readable memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive. may be provided. A processor in a computer system consists of one or more electronic circuits, including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or large scale integrated circuits (LSIs). The integrated circuit such as IC or LSI referred to here is called differently depending on the degree of integration, and includes integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). In addition, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), which is programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a logic device capable of reconfiguring the bonding relationship inside the LSI or reconfiguring the circuit partitions inside the LSI, shall also be adopted as the processor. can be done. A plurality of electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip, or may be distributed over a plurality of chips. A plurality of chips may be integrated in one device, or may be distributed in a plurality of devices. A computer system, as used herein, includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Accordingly, the microcontroller also consists of one or more electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits or large scale integrated circuits.

Moreover, it is not an essential configuration of the cognitive function testing system 1 that a plurality of functions in the cognitive function testing system 1 are integrated in one housing. In other words, the components of the cognitive function testing system 1 may be distributed over a plurality of housings. Furthermore, at least some functions of the cognitive function testing system 1, for example, functions of the control unit 11, may be realized by the cloud (cloud computing) or the like.

In Embodiment 1, the test is performed between the examiner 101 and the subject 102 using the cognitive function testing system 1, but the examiner 101 may be omitted. Since the cognitive function testing system 1 has a structure in which the contents of the first test and the second test are displayed on the display unit 121, the subject 102 is sufficient, and the test is performed by the subject 102 alone using the cognitive function testing system 1. may be performed.

In the first embodiment, the third image I3 related to the advertisement is displayed as content to be displayed on the display unit 121 during the interval period. For example, the recommendation information is information based on the purchase history of Internet shops in which the subject 102 has purchased in the past. For example, if the subject 102 has purchased car tires at an Internet shop, the information about the car is displayed on the display unit 121 as recommendation information. This recommendation information may be used for the subsequent second examination, or for at least one of the subsequent first and second examinations. Thereby, the first examination or the second examination specialized for the subject 102 can be performed.

Also, the content displayed on the display unit 121 during the interval period may be an image or moving image displayed on the display unit 121 in the first examination, recent news, events in the past, or the like. Then, with these contents displayed on the display unit 121, the subject should be asked to talk about the contents. In other words, the content to be displayed on the display unit 121 during the interval period is not limited to advertisements, and various variations are conceivable.

In the first embodiment, the punctured part of the punctured sentence S1 is the subject located at the beginning of the sentence or the idiom located at the end of the sentence. However, for example, the punctured part may be the object located in the middle of the sentence. In this case, in the example shown in FIG. 3A, the object "cigarette" becomes the perforated portion.

In the first embodiment, the task performance time is the time from when the first image I1 and the punctuated sentence S1 are displayed on the display unit 121 to when the subject 102 finishes speaking. On the other hand, the task performance time may be, for example, the time from when the first image I1 and the punctuated sentence S1 are displayed on the display unit 121 to when the subject 102 starts speaking. It may be the time from the start of speech to the end of speech.

In the first embodiment, the guide information G1 is determined for each area of the first image I1. may decide. In this case, the keywords in the first image I1 are preferably grouped by subjects. tied to Also, if the subject is a mother, the keywords "mother", "tea", and "drinking" are associated with the mother. According to this configuration, since the guide information G1 is changed for each subject, it is possible to prompt the subject 102 to speak for any subject.

In the first embodiment, the degree of interest of the subject 102 is determined from the utterance time of the subject 102 with respect to the content. In this case, for example, if the feeling of "happy" continues for 30 seconds or more from the result of emotion analysis, it is determined that the subject 102 has a high degree of interest.

In Embodiment 1, the analysis unit 113 of the control unit 11 performs speech recognition. may be performed. In this case, the cognitive function testing system 1 transmits the voice data of the subject 102 input via the voice input/output unit 122 to the server device. The server device performs speech recognition on the speech data from the cognitive function testing system 1 and transmits the result of the speech recognition to the cognitive function testing system 1 . According to this configuration, the processing load on the control unit 11 can be reduced by performing voice recognition in the server device. Moreover, the acoustic model, the recognition dictionary, and the like do not have to be stored in the storage unit 13, and the memory capacity of the storage unit 13 can be reduced.

In the first embodiment, the second image I2 is a partial image of the first image I1, but the second image I2 may be, for example, a mosaic image obtained by applying mosaic to the first image I1. In this case, the entire first image I1 may be mosaicked, or only a portion of the first image I1 desired to be presented as the guide information G1 may be mosaicked.

The words and phrases that are included in the perforated portion described in the first embodiment are examples, and may be, for example, colors, numbers, and the like.

Although the subject included in the first image I1 is a person in the first embodiment, the subject is not limited to a person, and may be, for example, a wall clock and a bay window included in the first image I1.

In Embodiment 1, the test results of the first test and the second test are used for evaluation of cognitive function, but, for example, voice data of the subject in the interval period may be used for evaluation of cognitive function. As a result, there is an advantage that further improvement in the evaluation accuracy of cognitive function is expected.

(Embodiment 2)
A cognitive function testing method and a cognitive function testing system 1 according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 11B. Also, the configuration of the cognitive function testing system 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 will be referred to as necessary. The cognitive function testing method according to the second embodiment differs from the cognitive function testing method according to the first embodiment in that the third test is performed in the interval period between the first test and the second test. Other configurations are the same as those of the cognitive function testing method according to Embodiment 1, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

(1) Configuration A cognitive function testing method according to this embodiment is realized by a cognitive function testing system 1 shown in FIG. The cognitive function testing system 1 includes a control unit 11 , a presentation unit 12 , a storage unit 13 , an operation unit 14 and a setting unit 15 . The cognitive function testing system 1 is, for example, a tablet (see FIG. 1), but may be a smart phone, a personal computer, or the like. Note that the operation unit 14 and the setting unit 15 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof are omitted here.

The control unit 11 has an evaluation unit 111, an inspection unit 112, and an analysis unit 113, as shown in FIG.

The inspection unit 112 is configured to perform a first inspection, a second inspection and a third inspection. The first inspection and the second inspection are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted here. The third test is a test for causing memory interference in the subject 102 (see FIG. 1) after the first test. It is an inspection that allows In the third examination, the examination unit 112 causes the display unit 121 to display a fourth image I41 for causing the subject 102 to perform the third examination, as shown in FIG. 7A, for example.

The fourth image I41 includes an illustration 123, question sentences 124 and 125, and a time bar B1. A time bar B1 displays the inspection time of the third inspection. Also, in this embodiment, the testing unit 112 changes the display color of the time bar B1 according to the amount of speech by the subject 102 . For example, if the amount of speech by the subject 102 does not exceed the predetermined value, the display color of the time bar B1 is red, and if the amount of speech by the subject 102 exceeds the predetermined value for a predetermined period of time or longer, the time bar B1 is displayed. Assume that the display color of the bar B1 is green. That is, in this embodiment, the amount of speech of the subject 102 can be presented by the display color of the time bar B1, and the time bar B1 constitutes a presentation section. The “speech amount” referred to in the present disclosure may be the volume (speech power) of the uttered voice of the subject 102, or may be the data amount of the uttered voice. In this embodiment, the amount of speech is the volume of the subject's 102 speech. The details of the third inspection will be described in detail in "(2) Inspection content".

The analysis unit 113 performs language analysis and acoustic analysis on the voice data of the subject 102 acquired in the third examination. In the language analysis, the analysis unit 113 uses features such as the number of occurrences of parts of speech, the length of a sentence (syntactic complexity), the vocabulary, the number of repetitions of sentences with high similarity, and specific words (keywords) as speech data. Extract from Also, in the acoustic analysis, the analysis unit 113 extracts feature amounts such as speech rate, sound pressure change, and frequency change from the voice data.

The evaluation unit 111 evaluates the subject 102 based on the first test result that is the test result of the first test, the second test result that is the test result of the second test, and the third test result that is the test result of the third test. make an assessment. In other words, the evaluation unit 111 determines the state of the cognitive function of the subject 102, that is, whether the cognitive function of the subject 102 is degraded based on the three test results. In the third test, the evaluation unit 111 evaluates the subject's 102 cognitive function, particularly memory function and executive function, based on the above-described feature amount extracted by the analysis unit 113 .

The test subject 102 whose memory function has deteriorated can only partially recall his or her experience, which will be described later, and the length of sentences uttered tends to be shorter than that of healthy subjects. Therefore, the evaluation unit 111 determines that the memory function is deteriorated, for example, if the average value of the sentence lengths included in the voice data is smaller than the reference value. The reference value may be, for example, the number of characters or time. In addition, the subject 102 whose memory function has deteriorated can only partially recall their own experiences, and tends to utter the same words more times than healthy subjects. Therefore, the evaluation unit 111 determines that the memory function is degraded when the number of occurrences of the same word included in the voice data is equal to or greater than the reference number.

Furthermore, the test subject 102 whose memory function has deteriorated can only partially recall his or her experiences, and tends to speak at a slower speed than healthy subjects. Therefore, the evaluation unit 111 determines that the memory function is degraded if the speech rate is equal to or lower than the reference rate. Further, the test subject 102 whose memory function has deteriorated can only partially recall his/her own experiences, and tends to be in a so-called bar-reading state, with a tendency that sound pressure changes and frequency changes become smaller. Therefore, the evaluation unit 111 determines that the memory function is degraded when at least one of the sound pressure change and the frequency change is equal to or less than the reference value.

The presentation unit 12 has a display unit 121 and a voice input/output unit 122, as shown in FIG. The operations of the display unit 121 and the audio input/output unit 122 in the first and second examinations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof are omitted here.

The display unit 121 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The display unit 121 is configured to display the fourth images I41 and I42, the fifth images I51 and I52, and the sixth image I61 in the third examination. When the cognitive function testing system 1 includes a touch panel display, the touch panel display may serve as both the display unit 121 and the operation unit 14 .

The voice input/output unit 122 has, for example, a microphone and a speaker. The speech input/output unit 122 is inputted with voices spoken by the subject 102 in the first examination, the second examination, and the third examination via a microphone. In addition, the voice input/output unit 122 outputs voices from the cognitive function testing system 1 in the first test, the second test, and the third test (for example, the guidance voice of the test, etc.) through the speaker. The audio input/output unit 122 converts an analog audio signal input via a microphone into a digital audio signal, and outputs converted audio data to the control unit 11 .

The storage unit 13 is composed of a readable/writable memory. The storage unit 13 is, for example, a flash memory. The storage unit 13 stores the fourth images I41 and I42, the fifth images I51 and I52 and the sixth image I61 in addition to the first image I1 and the second image I2. Furthermore, the storage unit 13 stores attribute information of the subject 102 . The subject's 102 attribute information includes, for example, the subject's 102 age, sex, hobby, hometown, and the like. The storage unit 13 also stores utterance data of the subject 102 in the first, second, and third examinations, conversation data between the examiner 101 (see FIG. 1) and the subject 102, and the like.

(2) Examination Contents Examination contents of the cognitive function testing system 1 will be described below. Note that the first and second inspections are the same as in the first embodiment, and only the third inspection will be described here.

The third test is a test for memory interference with subject 102's memory of the first test. In this embodiment, in particular, the third test is a test that acts to hinder (suppress) the memory of the subject 102 regarding the first test, and the subject 102 with reduced memory function is more likely to be affected by the third test. . A third test is performed during the interval between the first and second tests. In the third examination, for example, the subject 102 is made to speak for a certain period of time (for example, 20 seconds). Specifically, in the third examination, the subject 102 is made to utter the story of the subject 102 . In addition, in the third test, the subject 102 is made to utter an event that the subject 102 experienced before taking the cognitive function tests including the first, second, and third tests.

(2.1) First Display Example First, a first display example in the third examination will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B. The fourth images I41 and I42 displayed on the display unit 121 in the third examination are images for causing the subject 102 to utter a story that the subject 102 has experienced so far. Therefore, in this case, among the memory functions of the subject 102, remote memory in particular can be evaluated.

In the third examination, the fourth image I41 is displayed on the display section 121 first. The fourth image I41 includes an illustration 123, question sentences 124 and 125, and a time bar B1. In FIG. 7A, an illustration 123 is a scene image representing a competition held at an athletic meet, for example, a scene image of a foot race and a scene image of group gymnastics. Note that the question sentences 124 and 125 may be output by voice from the speaker of the voice input/output unit 122 instead of being displayed on the display unit 121, or may be displayed on the display unit 121 and output by voice from the speaker. may be used together.

The subject 102 refers to the illustration 123 of the fourth image I41 displayed on the display unit 121, and speaks about memories of the sports day while remembering the sports day of his own elementary school. At this time, the subject 102 speaks during the examination time displayed by the time bar B1 included in the fourth image I41. Further, the subject 102 can know whether or not the speech volume (here, volume) of the subject exceeds a predetermined value by looking at the display color of the time bar B1. For example, if the display color of the time bar B1 is red, the subject 102 speaks louder than now so that the amount of speech by the subject 102 exceeds a predetermined value. Further, when the display color of the time bar B1 is green, the subject 102 speaks with a similar voice so as to maintain the speaking volume. The “predetermined value” referred to in the present disclosure may be any size that allows extraction of the feature amount from the utterance data (audio data) of the subject 102 .

Here, since the test subject 102 whose memory function has deteriorated can only partially remember his or her sports day, for example, the length of a sentence is shortened or the same word is uttered many times. In addition, since the subject 102 whose memory function has deteriorated can only partially remember his or her athletic meet, the subject 102 may start talking about the illustration 123 displayed on the display unit 121 . Therefore, even if the subject 102 speaks without any problem in the third examination, if the content of the subject 102's speech is the same as the illustration 123, it may be determined that the memory function of the subject 102 is degraded.

In addition, in the third examination, for example, if the memory function and executive function of the subject 102 cannot be evaluated with the above-described feature amount extracted from the fourth image I41 displayed on the display unit 121, another fourth image shown in FIG. A follow-up examination is preferably performed at I42. The fourth image I42 includes an illustration 123A and question sentences 124 and 125A. The illustration 123A is, for example, a scene of a ball-throwing event and a scene of a tug-of-war, and is different from the illustration 123 of the fourth image I41. The question sentences 124 and 125A are the same as the question sentences 124 and 125 of the fourth image I41. Although the time bar B1 is not included in the fourth image I42 in FIG. 7B, it may be included. In the follow-up examination, there is a possibility that more utterance data can be acquired than in the first examination, and evaluation accuracy can be improved compared to the case where the subject 102 is evaluated in the first examination.

(2.2) Second Display Example Next, a second display example in the third examination will be described with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B. The fifth images I51 and I52 displayed on the display unit 121 in the third test are images for causing the subject 102 to utter an event experienced by the subject 102 before undergoing the cognitive function test. "Before taking a cognitive function test" as used in the present disclosure refers to several months to several minutes before taking a cognitive function test. Therefore, in this case, among the memory functions of the subject 102, especially recent memory can be evaluated.

In the third examination, the fifth image I51 is displayed on the display section 121 first. The fifth image I51 includes an illustration 123B, question sentences 124 and 125B, and a time bar B1. In FIG. 8A, illustration 123B is a scene representing yesterday's activity, for example, a scene while eating and a scene while shopping. Note that the question sentences 124 and 125B may be output by voice from the speaker of the voice input/output unit 122 instead of being displayed on the display unit 121, or may be displayed on the display unit 121 and output by voice from the speaker. may be used together.

The subject 102 refers to the illustration 123B of the fifth image I51 displayed on the display unit 121, and speaks about yesterday's behavior while remembering his/her own yesterday's behavior. At this time, the subject 102 speaks during the examination time displayed by the time bar B1 included in the fifth image I51. Further, the subject 102 can know whether or not the speech volume (here, volume) of the subject exceeds a predetermined value by looking at the display color of the time bar B1. For example, if the display color of the time bar B1 is red, the subject 102 speaks louder than now so that the amount of speech by the subject 102 exceeds a predetermined value. Further, when the display color of the time bar B1 is green, the subject 102 speaks with a similar voice so as to maintain the speaking volume.

Here, since the test subject 102 whose memory function has deteriorated can only partially recall his/her yesterday's actions, for example, the length of a sentence is shortened or the same word is uttered many times. In addition, since subject 102 whose memory function has deteriorated can only partially recall his or her actions from the previous day, subject 102 may start talking about illustration 123B displayed on display unit 121 . Therefore, even if subject 102 speaks without any problem in the third test, if subject 102's speech content is the same as illustration 123B, it may be determined that subject 102's memory function is degraded.

In addition, in the third examination, for example, if the memory function and executive function of the subject 102 cannot be evaluated with the above-described feature amount extracted from the fifth image I51 displayed on the display unit 121, another fifth image shown in FIG. A follow-up examination is preferably performed at I52. The fifth image I52 includes an illustration 123C and question sentences 124 and 125C. The illustration 123C is, for example, a scenery image during a walk and a scene image during washing, and is an illustration different from the illustration 123B. The question sentences 124 and 125C are the same as the question sentences 124 and 125B in the fifth image I51. Although the time bar B1 is not included in the fifth image I52 in FIG. 8B, it may be included. In the follow-up examination, there is a possibility that more utterance data can be acquired than in the first examination, and evaluation accuracy can be improved compared to the case where the subject 102 is evaluated in the first examination.

Here, as described above, the fourth images I41 and I42 are images for testing the remote memory of the subject 102, and the fifth images I51 and I52 are images for evaluating the recent memory of the subject 102. is an image of Therefore, in the third inspection, both the inspection using the fourth images I41 and I42 and the inspection using the fifth images I51 and I52 are preferably performed, but only the inspection using the fourth images I41 and I42 may be performed. Alternatively, only the inspection using the fifth images I51 and I52 may be performed.

Further, in the third examination, before displaying the fourth image I41 or the fifth image I51 on the display unit 121, a sixth image I61 for practice may be displayed on the display unit 121 as shown in FIG. . The sixth image I61 includes an illustration 123D and question sentences 124 and 125D, as shown in FIG. In FIG. 9, the illustration 123D is a scene representing after-school play in an elementary school, for example, a scene of Chanbara and a scene of playing house. In this way, in the third examination, the sixth image I61 for practice is displayed on the display unit 121 to allow the subject 102 to practice, so that the examination using the fourth image I41 or the fifth image I51 can be performed smoothly. .

(3) Operation Next, a series of operations of the cognitive function testing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, a case where the third inspection is performed using the fourth images I41 and I42 will be described.

The inspection unit 112 of the control unit 11 outputs a first control signal to the display unit 121 to cause the display unit 121 to display the first image I1 and the punctured sentence S1 (see FIG. 3A). The subject 102 utters the punctuated sentence S1 while viewing the first image I1 and the punctured sentence S1 displayed on the display unit 121 (step ST11). After completing the first inspection, the inspection section 112 performs the third inspection in the interval period between the first inspection and the second inspection (step ST12). In the third inspection, the inspection unit 112 causes the display unit 121 to display the fourth image I41. The subject 102 speaks for a certain period of time (for example, 20 seconds) while viewing the fourth image I41 displayed on the display unit 121 .

If the test subject 102 cannot be evaluated with the above-mentioned feature amount extracted by the inspection using the fourth image I41 (step ST13: No), the inspection unit 112 performs a follow-up inspection using another fourth image I42 (step ST12). .

When the test subject 102 can be evaluated by the feature amount extracted by the inspection using the fourth image I41 (step ST13: Yes), the inspection unit 112 ends the third inspection and performs the second inspection (step ST14). . At this time, for example, a sentence such as "Please talk about the first image I1" may be displayed on the display unit 121. FIG. Here, when the subject 102 stops speaking in the middle, the testing unit 112 outputs the second control signal to the display unit 121 to display the guide information G1 for prompting the user to speak on the display unit 121. .

When the second test is completed, the evaluation unit 111 of the control unit 11 determines the cognitive function state of the subject 102 based on the first test result, the second test result, and the third test result, that is, the cognitive function of the subject 102 is reduced. It is evaluated whether or not it is (step ST15). Then, the control unit 11 causes the display unit 121 to display the evaluation result of the evaluation unit 111 (step ST16).

In the cognitive function testing method and cognitive function testing system 1 according to the present embodiment, as described above, the state of cognitive function of the subject 102 is evaluated based on the three test results. Therefore, compared with the case of evaluating the state of cognitive function of subject 102 based on one or two test results, it is possible to improve the evaluation accuracy of cognitive function.

In this embodiment, step ST11 is the first inspection step, step ST14 is the second inspection step, steps ST12 and ST13 are the third inspection steps, and step ST15 is the evaluation step.

(4) Effect In the cognitive function testing method and cognitive function testing system 1 according to the present embodiment, the third test is performed in the interval period to cause memory interference in the subject 102 after the first test. there is Therefore, it is possible to improve the accuracy of evaluation of the cognitive function of the subject 102 whose cognitive function has deteriorated.

Further, in the cognitive function testing method and cognitive function testing system 1 according to the present embodiment, the subject 102 is evaluated (cognitive function state determination) based on the first test result, the second test result, and the third test result. there is That is, in the cognitive function testing method and cognitive function testing system 1, the subject 102 is evaluated based on three test results. Therefore, compared with the case where the subject 102 is evaluated based on one or two test results, it is possible to improve the evaluation accuracy of the cognitive function.

Furthermore, in the cognitive function testing method and cognitive function testing system 1 according to the present embodiment, the subject 102 is made to speak for a certain period of time in the third test. Thereby, memory function and executive function in particular can be evaluated among cognitive functions. In this case, by having the subject 102 utter the story of his/her experience, it is possible to evaluate the remote memory in particular among the memory functions. In addition, by having the subject 102 utter an event before the subject 102 undergoes the cognitive function test, it is possible to evaluate the recent memory in particular among the memory functions.

Moreover, in the cognitive function testing method and the cognitive function testing system 1 according to the present embodiment, the amount of speech of the subject 102 is presented on the presentation unit (time bar B1). Thereby, the amount of speech of the subject 102 can be presented to the subject 102 during the third examination.

(5) Modifications Modifications of the second embodiment are listed below. Modifications described below can be applied in combination as appropriate.

In the second embodiment, the amount of speech (volume) of the subject 102 is presented in the display color of the time bar B1 displayed on the display unit 121. For example, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the first avatar 126A and the second avatar 126B may present the amount of speech of the subject 102 . That is, in this case, the first avatar 126A and the second avatar 126B function as presentation units.

The first avatar 126A is, for example, an avatar when the subject's 102 speech volume does not exceed a predetermined value. As shown in FIG. 11A, the first avatar 126A represents that the amount of speech of the subject 102 does not exceed a predetermined value by the sleeping face displayed on the display screen of the notebook personal computer. The second avatar 126B is, for example, an avatar when the amount of speech of the subject 102 exceeds a predetermined value for a predetermined time or longer. As shown in FIG. 11B, the second avatar 126B represents that the amount of speech of the subject 102 exceeds a predetermined value by a smile displayed on the display screen of the notebook personal computer for a predetermined time or longer. there is By displaying the first avatar 126A or the second avatar 126B on the display unit 121 according to the amount of speech of the subject 102 in this manner, the amount of speech of the subject 102 can be presented to the subject 102 . Displaying the first avatar 126A on the display unit 121 also has the effect of encouraging the subject 102 to speak more.

Also, color bars may be displayed on the display unit 121 instead of the first avatar 126A and the second avatar 126B. The color bar is, for example, divided into two areas (first area and second area). The first area is, for example, an area when the speech volume (volume) of the subject 102 does not exceed a predetermined value, and the display color of the first area is red, for example. The second area is, for example, an area when the amount of speech by the subject 102 exceeds a predetermined value, and the display color of the second area is green, for example. By moving the scale with respect to the color bar according to the speech volume (volume) of the subject 102, the speech volume of the subject 102 can be presented to the subject 102. FIG.

For example, when the scale is within the first region, the speech volume of the subject 102 does not exceed the predetermined value, and the further the scale is away from the boundary between the first region and the second region, the smaller the speech volume. Become. Further, when the scale is within the second region, the speech volume of the subject 102 exceeds the predetermined value, and the speech volume increases as the scale separates from the boundary.

In the second embodiment, the fixed time that is the inspection time of the third test is 20 seconds, but the fixed time is not limited to 20 seconds. The certain period of time may be, for example, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or any other time.

In the second embodiment, each of the fourth images I41, I42, the fifth images I51, I52, and the sixth image I61 includes two illustrations, but the number of illustrations may be, for example, one, It may be three or more.

In the second embodiment, the subject's 102 experiences are memories of an elementary school athletic meet, but the subject's 102 experiences are not limited to memories of an elementary school athletic meet as long as they are experienced by everyone.

In Embodiment 2, the event experienced by the subject 102 before undergoing the cognitive function test is yesterday's behavior, but it may be an event experienced before the subject 102 undergoes the cognitive function test, and is not limited to yesterday's behavior. .

In the second embodiment, the speech amount of the subject 102 is visually presented by changing the display color of the time bar B1.

(Embodiment 3)
A cognitive function testing method and a cognitive function testing system 1 according to Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to FIG. Also, the configuration of the cognitive function testing system 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 will be referred to as necessary. The cognitive function testing method according to the third embodiment differs from the cognitive function testing method according to the second embodiment in that the subject 102 is made to utter a specific utterance using a closing consonant in the third test. Other configurations are the same as those of the cognitive function testing methods according to Embodiments 1 and 2, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

(1) Configuration A cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment is executed by a cognitive function testing system 1 shown in FIG. The cognitive function testing system 1 includes a control unit 11 , a presentation unit 12 , a storage unit 13 , an operation unit 14 and a setting unit 15 . The cognitive function testing system 1 is, for example, a tablet (see FIG. 1), but may be a smart phone, a personal computer, or the like. Note that the operation unit 14 and the setting unit 15 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof are omitted here.

The control unit 11 has an evaluation unit 111, an inspection unit 112, and an analysis unit 113, as shown in FIG.

The inspection unit 112 is configured to perform a first inspection, a second inspection and a third inspection. The first inspection and the second inspection are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted here. The third test is a test for causing memory interference in the subject 102 (see FIG. 1) after performing the first test. be. In the third examination, the examination unit 112 causes the display unit 121 to display a seventh image I71 for causing the subject 102 to perform the third examination, as shown in FIG. 12, for example. The seventh image I71 includes an utterance content 127 of the specific utterance, a question sentence 128, and a time bar B2. A time bar B2 displays the inspection time of the third inspection. Further, similarly to the cognitive function testing method according to the second embodiment, the speech volume (volume or data volume) of the subject 102 may be displayed by changing the display color of the time bar B2.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the subject 102 continues to say the utterance content 127 displayed on the display unit 121 as quickly as possible according to the question sentence 128 displayed on the display unit 121, for example. That is, in the present embodiment, the speaking method (question sentence 128) in the third test is presented during the execution of the third test. Further, in the present embodiment, the utterance content 127 of the specific utterance is, for example, "pataka". That is, the subject 102 repeatedly utters "pataka" in the third test. These ``pa'', ``ta'' and ``ka'' are syllables composed of stop consonants and vowels. That is, in the specific utterance in the third test, syllables composed of at least stop consonants and vowels are continuous. The examination time of the third examination is, for example, 5 seconds, and the subject 102 continues to say "pataka" as quickly as possible during the 5 seconds. The details of the third inspection will be described in detail in "(2) Inspection content".

The analysis unit 113 performs acoustic analysis on the voice data of the subject 102 acquired in the third examination. In the acoustic analysis, the analysis unit 113 extracts feature amounts such as the number of vocalizations and the vocalization time of the subject 102 from the voice data. As for the number of vocalizations, the analysis unit 113 counts, for example, syllables whose sound pressure level is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. Also, the analysis unit 113 may extract feature amounts such as speech speed, sound pressure change, and frequency change from the voice data, as in the second embodiment described above.

The evaluation unit 111 evaluates the subject 102 based on the first test result that is the test result of the first test, the second test result that is the test result of the second test, and the third test result that is the test result of the third test. make an assessment. In other words, the evaluation unit 111 determines the state of the cognitive function of the subject 102, that is, whether the cognitive function of the subject 102 is degraded based on the three test results. In the third test, the evaluation unit 111 evaluates the subject's 102 cognitive function, particularly the executive function and the information processing function, based on the feature amount extracted by the analysis unit 113 .

The test subject 102 whose executive function and information processing function are degraded produces fewer vocalizations than a healthy subject. Therefore, the evaluation unit 111 determines that the execution function and the information processing function are degraded when the number of vocalizations is equal to or less than the reference number of times. In addition, the subject 102 whose executive function and information processing function are degraded has a shorter utterance time than a healthy subject. Therefore, if the vocalization time is equal to or less than the reference time, the evaluation unit 111 determines that the execution function and the information processing function are degraded.

The presentation unit 12 has a display unit 121 and a voice input/output unit 122, as shown in FIG. The operations of the display unit 121 and the audio input/output unit 122 in the first and second examinations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof are omitted here.

The display unit 121 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The display unit 121 is configured to display the seventh image I71 in the third examination. In addition, when the cognitive function testing system 1 includes a touch panel display, the touch panel display may serve as both the display unit 121 and the operation unit 14 .

The voice input/output unit 122 has, for example, a microphone and a speaker. The speech input/output unit 122 is inputted with voices spoken by the subject 102 in the first examination, the second examination, and the third examination via a microphone. In addition, the voice input/output unit 122 outputs voices from the cognitive function testing system 1 in the first test, the second test, and the third test (for example, the guidance voice of the test, etc.) through the speaker. The audio input/output unit 122 converts an analog audio signal input via a microphone into a digital audio signal, and outputs converted audio data to the control unit 11 .

The storage unit 13 is composed of a readable/writable memory. The storage unit 13 is, for example, a flash memory. The storage unit 13 stores the seventh image I71 in the third examination in addition to the first image I1 and the second image I2. Furthermore, the storage unit 13 stores attribute information of the subject 102 . The subject's 102 attribute information includes, for example, the subject's 102 age, sex, hobby, hometown, and the like. The storage unit 13 also stores utterance data of the subject 102 in the first, second, and third examinations, conversation data between the examiner 101 (see FIG. 1) and the subject 102, and the like.

(2) Examination Contents Examination contents of the cognitive function testing system 1 will be described below. Note that the first and second inspections are the same as in the first embodiment, and only the third inspection will be described here.

The third test is a test for memory interference with subject 102's memory of the first test. In this embodiment, in particular, the third test is a test that acts to hinder (suppress) the memory of the subject 102 regarding the first test, and the subject 102 with reduced memory function is more likely to be affected by the third test. . A third test is performed during the interval between the first and second tests. In the third test, for example, the subject 102 is made to utter a specific utterance using a stop consonant. In the specific utterance according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, syllables (“pa”, “ta”, “ka”) composed of at least closing consonants and vowels are continuous.

In the third examination, the subject 102 continues to say the utterance content 127 (here, “pataka”) displayed on the display unit 121 as quickly as possible for five seconds according to the question sentence 128 displayed on the display unit 121 . In the subject 102 whose executive function and information processing function are deteriorated, the number of vocalizations in 5 seconds is less than that of a healthy subject. Therefore, by comparing the number of vocalizations of the subject 102 with the reference number of times, the execution function and the information processing function of the subject 102 can be evaluated. In addition, the test subject 102 whose executive function and information processing function have deteriorated has a shorter utterance time in a specific utterance than a healthy subject. Therefore, by comparing the vocalization time of the subject 102 with the reference time, the execution function and the information processing function of the subject 102 can be evaluated.

Note that the operation of the cognitive function testing system 1 differs from that of the cognitive function testing system 1 according to the second embodiment only in the test content of the third test, and a description thereof is omitted here.

By the way, if the feature amount extracted from the speech data of the specific utterance has reached the amount that can evaluate the executive function and the information processing function of the subject 102, the test unit 112 ends the third test and performs the second test. Preferably, it is configured to perform inspection.

(3) Effect In the cognitive function testing method and cognitive function testing system 1 according to the present embodiment, the third test is performed in the interval period to cause memory interference in the subject 102 after the first test. there is Therefore, it is possible to improve the accuracy of evaluation of the cognitive function of the subject 102 whose cognitive function has deteriorated.

Further, in the cognitive function testing method and cognitive function testing system 1 according to the present embodiment, the subject 102 is evaluated (cognitive function state determination) based on the first test result, the second test result, and the third test result. there is That is, in the cognitive function testing method and cognitive function testing system 1, the subject 102 is evaluated based on three test results. Therefore, compared with the case where the subject 102 is evaluated based on one or two test results, it is possible to improve the evaluation accuracy of the cognitive function.

Furthermore, in the cognitive function testing method and cognitive function testing system 1 according to the present embodiment, the subject 102 is made to utter a specific utterance using a stop consonant in the third test. This makes it possible to evaluate the executive function and the information processing function in particular among the cognitive functions.

Further, in the cognitive function testing method and cognitive function testing system 1 according to the present embodiment, an utterance method in the third test (question text 128 in the present embodiment) is presented during the execution of the third test. Therefore, subject 102 can correctly perform the third examination by following the speaking method displayed (presented) on display unit 121 . As a result, the evaluation accuracy of the cognitive function of the subject 102 can be improved.

(4) Modifications Modifications of the third embodiment are listed below. Modifications described below can be applied in combination as appropriate.

In the third embodiment, the method of speaking in the third test (question sentence 128) is presented during the test of the third test. good too. In this case, the speaking method in the third examination may be displayed on the display unit 121, may be output as voice from the speaker of the voice input/output unit 122, or may be both.

In the third embodiment, the utterance content 127 is "pataka", but the utterance content 127 may use only closing consonants, for example, "pa" only. Furthermore, the syllables included in the specific utterance may consist of at least closing consonants and vowels, and may be syllables other than ``pa'', ``ta'', and ``ka''.

In the third embodiment, the content uttered by the subject 102 in the third examination is displayed in characters on the display unit 121. For example, the content uttered by the subject 102 may be displayed in the form of an illustration or the like on the display unit 121. .

(summary)
As described above, the cognitive function testing method according to the first aspect has the first test and the second test. The first test is a test in which the subject (102) is made to utter an utterance related to the image (I1) while displaying the image (I1) on the display unit (121). The second examination is an examination in which the subject (102) is made to utter an utterance related to the image (I1) after an interval period has passed since the first examination. In the cognitive function testing method, the subject (102) is evaluated based on the first test result, which is the test result of the first test, and the second test result, which is the test result of the second test.

According to this aspect, since the subject (102) is evaluated based on two test results, the evaluation accuracy of the cognitive function is improved compared to the case where the subject (102) is evaluated based on one test result. can be planned.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the first test includes a perforated test using a perforated sentence (S1). The perforated sentence (S1) is displayed on the display unit (121) together with the image (I1), and is a sentence in which part of the sentence related to the image (I1) is left blank.

According to this aspect, attentional function and executive function can be evaluated in particular.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the third aspect, in the first or second aspect, the subject (102) is presented with content (for example, the third image I3) during the interval period.

According to this aspect, presenting content of interest to the subject (102) can focus the subject (102) on subsequent examinations.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the fourth aspect, in the third aspect content is selected according to the subject (102).

According to this aspect, the content can be changed according to the subject (102).

In the cognitive function testing method according to the fifth aspect, content is manually selected by the subject (102) in the fourth aspect.

According to this aspect, the subject (102) can select the content intentionally.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the sixth aspect, in the fourth aspect, the content is automatically switched according to the degree of interest of the subject (102) in the content.

According to this aspect, it is possible to automatically present content of high interest to the subject (102).

In the cognitive function testing method according to the seventh aspect, in any one of the third to sixth aspects, the content is an advertisement.

According to this aspect, it is possible to reduce the cost required for the examination by income from advertising.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the eighth aspect, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, recommendation information is presented to the subject (102) during the interval period. In the cognitive function test method, recommended information is used for at least one of the following first test and second test for the subject (102).

According to this aspect, by using the recommended information for at least one of the first examination and the second examination, the first examination or the second examination specialized for the subject (102) can be performed.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, in the interval period, a third conduct an inspection. In the cognitive function testing method, the subject (102) is evaluated based on the first test result, the second test result, and the third test result, which is the test result of the third test.

According to this aspect, by performing the third test in the interval period, it is possible to cause memory interference with the memory of the subject (102) regarding the first test, and as a result, the cognitive function of the subject (102) Evaluation accuracy can be improved.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the tenth aspect, in the ninth aspect, the third test is a test in which the subject (102) is made to speak for a certain period of time.

According to this aspect, memory function and executive function can be evaluated in particular.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the eleventh aspect, in the tenth aspect, the third test is a test in which the subject (102) is made to utter a story of his/her experience.

According to this aspect, among memory functions, remote memory can be evaluated.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the twelfth aspect, in the tenth aspect, the third test is experienced before the subject (102) undergoes the cognitive function test including the first test, the second test, and the third test. It is a test that has the subject (102) speak the event.

According to this aspect, among memory functions, recent memory can be evaluated.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the thirteenth aspect, in the ninth aspect, the third test is a test in which the subject (102) makes a specific utterance using a stop consonant.

According to this aspect, it is possible to evaluate the execution function and the information processing function in particular.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the fourteenth aspect, in the thirteenth aspect, the specific utterance has continuous syllables composed of at least stop consonants and vowels.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the fifteenth aspect, in the thirteenth or fourteenth aspect, the speaking method in the third test is presented before or during the third test.

According to this aspect, the subject (102) can be caused to correctly perform the third test by following the presented speaking method.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the sixteenth aspect, in any one of the ninth to fifteenth aspects, in the third test, the amount of speech of the subject (102) is presented on a presentation unit (eg, display unit 121).

According to this aspect, the amount of speech of the subject (102) can be presented to the subject (102) during the third examination.

A program according to a seventeenth aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the cognitive function testing method according to any one of the first to sixteenth aspects.

According to this aspect, since the subject (102) is evaluated based on two test results, the evaluation accuracy of the cognitive function is improved compared to the case where the subject (102) is evaluated based on one test result. can be planned.

A cognitive function testing system (1) according to an eighteenth aspect comprises a display section (121), a testing section (112), and an evaluation section (111). An inspection unit (112) performs a first inspection and a second inspection. The first test is a test in which the subject (102) is made to utter an utterance related to the image (I1) while displaying the image (I1) on the display unit (121). The second examination is an examination in which the subject (102) is made to utter an utterance related to the image (I1) after an interval period has passed since the first examination. The evaluation unit (111) evaluates the subject (102) based on the first test result, which is the test result of the first test, and the second test result, which is the test result of the second test.

According to this aspect, since the subject (102) is evaluated based on two test results, the evaluation accuracy of the cognitive function is improved compared to the case where the subject (102) is evaluated based on one test result. can be planned.

The configurations according to the second to sixteenth aspects are not essential configurations for the cognitive function testing method, and can be omitted as appropriate.

1 cognitive function test system 111 evaluation unit 112 test unit 121 display unit 102 subject I1 first image (image)
S1 Perforated pattern

Claims (17)

A first test is performed in which the subject is made to speak about the image while displaying an image on the display unit, and after an interval period has elapsed since the first test is performed, the image is not displayed on the display unit. an inspection unit that performs a second inspection by having the subject utter an utterance related to the image;
An evaluation unit that evaluates the cognitive function of the subject for each test result of a first test result that is the test result of the first test and a second test result that is the test result of the second test . ,
The first test result includes at least one of the subject's vocabulary ability in the first test and the time from displaying the image on the display unit to the end of the subject's utterance,
The second test result includes at least one of the subject's vocabulary ability, sentence construction ability, sentence length, and the subject's voice power in the second test.
Cognitive function test system . The first inspection includes a perforation inspection by a perforated sentence in which a part of the sentence related to the image is displayed on the display unit together with the image, and a part of the text related to the image is blank.
The cognitive function testing system according to claim 1. presenting content to the subject during the interval period;
The cognitive function testing system according to claim 1 or 2. wherein the content is selected according to the subject;
The cognitive function testing system according to claim 3. the content is manually selected by the subject;
The cognitive function testing system according to claim 4. the content is automatically switched according to the subject's degree of interest in the content;
The cognitive function testing system according to claim 4. the content is an advertisement;
A cognitive function testing system according to any one of claims 3 to 6. presenting recommendation information for the subject during the interval period;
Using the recommended information for at least one of the following first test and second test for the subject;
The cognitive function testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The examination unit performs a third examination in the interval period to cause the subject after performing the first examination to interfere with memory related to the first examination ,
The evaluation unit evaluates the cognitive function of the subject for each test result of the first test result, the second test result, and the third test result that is the test result of the third test,
The third test result includes feature amounts extracted from the audio data acquired in the third test,
The cognitive function testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The third test is a test in which the subject speaks for a certain period of time,
The cognitive function testing system according to claim 9. The third test is a test in which the subject speaks about the experience of the subject,
The cognitive function testing system according to claim 10. The third test is a test in which the subject utters an event that the subject experienced before undergoing a cognitive function test including the first test, the second test, and the third test.
The cognitive function testing system according to claim 10. The third test is a test in which the subject makes a specific utterance using a stop consonant,
The cognitive function testing system according to claim 9. In the specific utterance, syllables composed of at least stop consonants and vowels are continuous,
The cognitive function testing system according to claim 13. Before the third test or during the execution of the third test, the speaking method in the third test is presented;
The cognitive function testing system according to claim 13 or 14. In the third test, the presenting unit presents the amount of speech of the subject,
The cognitive function testing system according to any one of claims 9 to 15. A program for executing a computer system as the cognitive function testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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