JP2009082299A - Mental training system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mental training system capable of training so as to control his/her own mental state by himself/herself. <P>SOLUTION: The mental training system includes: a detection means 1 for detecting an electrocardiogram, brain waves or the electrocardiogram and the brain waves; a signal processing means 2 for processing signals from the detection means; an evaluation means 3 for evaluating one or a plurality of mental states in response to a signal processing result; and an evaluated result display means 4 for continuously presenting a result of mental evaluation with time to a person to be measured in real time. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a system for training itself so that it can lead to a desired mental state in various situations, and as a result, can exhibit high performance. The present invention relates to a mental training system that can be used for mental training of athletes, mental training that leads to a stressed society.

  Athletes can relax even in a big tournament, and can make a good record by making full use of their original strength. To that end, it is important to be able to relax even in a tense environment. When you are nervous, your body will become harder and you will not be able to exert its original power. By participating repeatedly in large tournaments, there are cases where it becomes difficult to get nervous and relax as you get used to it. However, if you are trained to control yourself so that you can relax without being nervous in any situation, you will have fewer failures.

  In addition, it is said that today is a stress society, but mental problems are greatly taken up, such as depression, inability to communicate, an increasing number of restless children. The cause is complex, but one of the reasons is that it is not possible to control one's mental state well. Training that allows you to control yourself to the mental state you want will help you adapt to various stresses.

  In general mental training, respiratory control and image training are often performed. For example, you can calm yourself by taking a deep breath. Also, you can have positive thoughts by thinking about past joys and success experiences. Or, you can be confident by imagining yourself making good records in sports. Various attempts have been made for these methods, but it is impossible to grasp one's mental state in real time. Also, as a result of mental training, it is not possible to know whether or not you can control your mental state well. In order to advance mental training effectively, it is necessary to be able to grasp one's mental state in real time and the result of training in real time, but there is no such training system.

  Patent Document 1 describes that a worker's satisfaction during machine work is measured by an electroencephalogram, the satisfaction state is fed back to the worker, and feedback is also given to the machine. This method is a method for evaluating satisfaction from physiological data such as brain waves. However, the sense of satisfaction is a complex sensation, and a specific mental state cannot be evaluated. For example, it is not possible to grasp such a specific mental state whether relaxed and satisfied, whether it is satisfied by generating sleepiness, or satisfied by being awake.

In addition, important physiological information can be obtained from the electroencephalogram, but it is difficult to sufficiently evaluate a specific mental state by itself. In addition, this patent can provide feedback to the worker about the state of satisfaction, but the worker who knows it can change his / her own state by his / her own intention to grasp the effect of his / her mental state. It is not a training system that can control.
JP-A-10-262942

  Patent Document 2 is a system that determines a psychological state by grasping a correspondence relationship between a game operation speed (response speed), a psychological state, and physiological data of ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone). Although it is common to evaluate stress by ACTH, what kind of psychological state the psychological state of this patent grasps is not clarified and is not concrete. Moreover, although it is a system which notifies a user of the determination result of a psychological state, it is not a training system which the user himself can control a mental state and can change the psychological state and can confirm the result based on the result. ACTH is not an index that can produce results in real time, so it seems technically difficult. In ACTH, it is difficult to evaluate specific mental states such as relaxation, awakening, drowsiness, and tension.

JP 2004-267296 A

Patent Document 3 is a system that detects an electroencephalogram, evaluates comfort based on the electroencephalogram information, and controls a device based on a determination result. It is said that relaxation and wakefulness can be evaluated with brain waves only by brain waves, but the accuracy is improved by adding electrocardiographic data. In addition, this patent is a system that controls a device based on the result of evaluating comfort, and is not a training system that changes its own mental state and grasps its effect.
JP-A-8-71050

Patent Document 4 is an apparatus that outputs a warning indicating that the degree of blur is high by judging the degree of blur of an automobile occupant from the result of photographing the movement of the driver's line of sight with a CCD camera and analyzing the image. The mental state has a specific content of “blurring level”, but is a method of evaluating by photographing a facial expression instead of physiological data. The judgment result is feedback to the machine, and it does not attempt to control the mental state of the person based on the result.
JP-A-8-290725

Patent Document 5 is a system that can measure physiological information of an infant, estimate a psychological state, and make a notification by an emergency notification unit when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the infant. The physiological value is based on the measurement of the pulse, and it can be determined whether the patient is sleepy and crying, or is in a dangerous state lying down on the bed. You can tell the results of a decision, but people do not attempt to take control of themselves.
JP 2004-181218 A

  As described in the above-mentioned patent documents, conventionally, a system for measuring physiological information, estimating a psychological state, displaying an evaluation result, or further feeding back to a machine has been constructed. However, it is not a system that continues to present the mental state to the measurement subject in real time over time. Therefore, the person to be measured cannot be trained to control his / her mental state in response to the mental state evaluated and presented from the physiological measurement value.

  In many cases, the physiological measurement value is evaluated by a single measurement value of only an electroencephalogram, only saliva (ACTH), and only a pulse. Of course, a certain psychological state can be estimated even with a single measurement value, but it is desirable to use a plurality of indices in order to accurately estimate a specific mental state. Since the pulse represents autonomic nerve activity and the electroencephalogram represents central nerve activity, a specific mental state can be evaluated, but it is difficult to evaluate a complex and specific mental state. Also, since it is not intended for mental training, it is not a system that terminates the system when the result is displayed, trains based on the result, and knows the effect by itself. Or, there are many documents that give feedback to the machine, and it is not a system that instructs the person to be measured in the next specific direction.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a mental training system capable of training so as to be able to control its own mental state by itself.

  A mental training system according to the present invention includes an electrocardiogram, an electroencephalogram, or an electrocardiogram and an electroencephalogram, a signal processing unit 2 that processes a signal from the detection unit, and a single or plural mental states in response to a signal processing result. The evaluation means 3 for evaluation and the evaluation result display means 4 for continuously presenting the mental evaluation result to the measurement subject over time are provided.

  Further, it is preferable to incorporate a behavior presenting means 5 for selecting a desired mental state based on the mental evaluation result posted on the display means 4 and presenting a specific recommended behavior to the measurement subject.

  For example, as a physiological index for evaluating a mental state from an electrocardiogram, a wave (R wave) having the largest amplitude in the waveform of the electrocardiogram is an interval between the R wave and the R wave immediately before every second (RR interval of the electrocardiogram). Can be used to evaluate the mental state of relaxation or tension.

  Furthermore, the mental state of arousal or drowsiness can be evaluated by using the reciprocal of the α wave power spectrum of the electroencephalogram as a physiological index for evaluating the mental state.

  As another embodiment of the present invention, a pulse wave is detected instead of an electrocardiogram, and the time from the pulse wave to the next pulse wave is used as a physiological index for evaluating the mental state from the pulse wave. The state may be evaluated.

  By measuring the psychological state from physiological characteristic values and receiving presentation of mental evaluation results in real time and over time, the measured person can understand whether mental control is successful or not, and the result of further training Changes are also presented, increasing the effectiveness of mental training.

  Further, more effective mental training can be performed by presenting the recommended action to the person to be measured based on the presentation of the mental evaluation result.

  In addition, by accurately estimating multiple mental states from multiple physiological measurements and training them so that they can be controlled freely, the effect of mental training can be further increased, and more advanced mental control ability can be acquired. Can do.

  In addition, by utilizing the mental training system according to the present invention, athletes can perform self-training on a daily basis, and as a result, by controlling their mental state even in a large tournament, It becomes possible to demonstrate power. In addition, people who cannot communicate with people and who can not interact with people in a relaxed natural environment can relax without contact with people by using the training system of the present invention. You will be able to communicate. Furthermore, when you work for a long time and work while fighting sleepiness, you will be able to control yourself to revive vitality.

  In addition, drowsiness can be temporarily wiped even during driving of the automobile. In this way, by using the mental training system, it becomes possible to grasp its own mental state, and by continuing the training, it becomes possible to lead to a desirable mental state even in the absence of the system of the present invention. Can do.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of mental training according to the present invention.
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

The detection means 1 for detecting an electrocardiogram, an electroencephalogram, or an electrocardiogram and an electroencephalogram according to the present invention will be described.
The electrocardiogram is measured by an amplifier that measures human bioelectricity. The electrocardiogram is measured by a bipolar derivation method that measures a potential difference between two parts. In the bipolar derivation method, there are a method in which electrodes are attached to two positions sandwiching the position of the heart in the front chest region, and a method in which electrodes are attached to the right wrist, left wrist, and left foot and the respective potential differences are measured. . Either method may be used as the method for measuring an electrocardiogram in the present invention, but the method of attaching an electrode to the front chest part is preferable because noise generated by the operation is reduced.

  Further, instead of measuring an electrocardiogram, it is also possible to implement a method of measuring a pulse wave, which is a measurement that captures a change in blood flow, not bioelectricity. The pulse wave can be measured with a wrist or a finger. Similar to the RR interval of the electrocardiogram, it is possible to handle the time interval of the pulse wave.

  The measurement position of the electroencephalogram generally has a place determined by the international method 10-20, but it is not necessary to measure all parts, and one point measurement of the frontal region Fz or the parietal region Cz is sufficient. . Since the electroencephalogram is a weak current, it is measured by a differential amplifier, and the potential difference between the measurement site and the earlobe is detected, or the potential difference between the reference electrode and the measurement site, and between the reference electrode and the earlobe is detected. A method is used in which the difference between two potential differences is obtained. By using a differential amplifier, the common-mode output signal is removed. This is a potential difference measurement method, but there is no problem with either of the two methods.

  An electroencephalogram is a weak potential change with a certain rhythm related to the electrical activity of the brain, and is classified into a δ wave, a θ wave, an α wave, a β wave, and a γ wave according to frequency. Various studies have been conducted, such as sleep brain waves and brain waves indicating comfort.In the present invention, brain waves are detected by the brain waves for the purpose of evaluating arousal and sleepiness, and only α waves are detected. That's fine. The α wave is generally said to be 8 to 13 Hz, but any frequency within the range may be selected. The sampling frequency may be about 250 Hz for the electroencephalogram, but the electrocardiogram preferably has a sampling frequency of about 1000 Hz in order to detect the R wave without fail, so it is appropriate to unify it to 1000 Hz. Of course, the ECG and EEG sampling frequencies may be set individually.

  In the electroencephalogram measurement, although the accuracy is reduced, a method of simply measuring the electroencephalogram by wrapping a band with an electrode attached around the head may be used. Further, in electrocardiogram and electroencephalogram measurement, data measured by a transmitter incorporating an amplifier and an A / D converter may be wirelessly sent to a computer. The method of wirelessly transmitting data to a personal computer has the advantage that noise due to code fluctuations is less likely to occur or that operation is easier.

  Further, since noise cannot be removed unless the electrode resistance of the electroencephalogram is reduced, it is set to 10 kΩ or less, preferably 5 kΩ or less. The electrode is an Ag-AgCl electrode. In addition, since the electroencephalogram is a detection of a weak current, it is easy for noise to enter. Therefore, an abnormal value can be removed by using a ham filter, a low-frequency cut filter, or a high-frequency cut filter. Furthermore, in order to increase accuracy, the CMRR (in-phase discrimination ratio) of the differential amplifier must be high, and 80 dB or more is necessary.

Next, the signal processing means 2 for processing the signal from the detection means will be described.
R waves are detected from the electrocardiogram. The R wave is the wave having the largest amplitude among the waveforms of the electrocardiogram. The time interval (RR interval) between the immediately preceding R wave and R wave is obtained every second. The brain wave is subjected to FFT processing with 512 points of data for 5 seconds, and an α wave power spectrum is calculated every second. Further, the inverse of the result is calculated. The FFT may use either a Hanning window or a Hamming window. In this manner, the result of the reciprocal of the α wave power spectrum is calculated every second as a result of the RR interval. The pulse group may measure the time interval between the pulse wave and the next pulse wave, similarly to the RR interval of the electrocardiogram.

Next, the evaluation means 3 that receives the signal processing result and evaluates the mental state will be described.
A subjective evaluation experiment was conducted on relaxation, tension, arousal (activity), and sleepiness in the mental state, and a factor analysis of the questionnaire survey results revealed that relaxation and tension were coaxial and awakening (activity) and sleepiness were coaxial I figured out that there was. Furthermore, as a result of examining the correspondence between the mental state and the physiological measurement value, the relaxation-tension axis corresponds to the RR interval of the electrocardiogram, and the arousal (activity) -drowsiness axis corresponds to the reciprocal of the alpha wave power spectrum of the electroencephalogram. I figured out.

  From these results, the mental state of “relaxed and awakened” is indicated by a physiological index that the RR interval is large and the reciprocal of the α-wave power spectrum is also large. On the other hand, the mental state of “relaxed and sleepy” is indicated by a physiological index that the RR interval is large but the reciprocal of the α-wave power spectrum is small.

  Although there is a case where the mental state is evaluated only with the α wave and only with the electrocardiogram, the mental state cannot be evaluated with a multifaceted angle. When you are relaxed, there are cases where your head is clean and you are relaxed in an awake state, and in other cases you are sleepy and relaxed. In order to distinguish between them, one physiological index detected from an electroencephalogram or an electrocardiogram is not sufficient. However, in a simple manner, it is possible to evaluate to one physiological index to some extent.

Next, the evaluation result display means 4 that continuously presents the mental evaluation result to the measurement subject over time will be described.
The signal processing result obtained by calculating the RR interval and the inverse of the α wave power spectrum every second is presented on the monitor screen. In order to understand the change with time, the RR interval of the electrocardiogram and the reciprocal number of the α wave power spectrum are taken on the X axis and the Y axis, and values per second are continuously plotted. In order to make the passage of time easy to understand, it is desirable to adopt a method such as changing the color density over time or changing the color every minute. When training for a long time, it is possible to display the result at a longer interval instead of 1 second.

  Begin training and the first plot starts at the center. By doing so, it is possible to display changes easily. The X-axis and Y-axis ranges may be displayed by changing the range as the number of plots increases so that the entire screen can be displayed. An example of the display is shown in FIG. A graph plotting measurement results every minute using the X-axis as the tension-relaxation axis, using the RR interval data of the electrocardiogram, the Y-axis as the drowsiness-wakefulness axis, and using the reciprocal data of the α wave power spectrum. It is. Over time, the RR interval increases and the reciprocal of the α wave power spectrum increases, indicating that the patient is relaxed and awake. This is a case where a gradation is added to the color density over time, and numbers are also displayed so that the minutes can be identified.

The action presentation means 5 for presenting specific recommended actions will be described.
The axis of relaxation-tension can be quantified by the RR interval of the electrocardiogram. However, since the electrocardiogram is governed by the autonomic nervous system, it can be changed by respiratory adjustment. When the person to be measured looks at the mental state evaluation result and wants to relax more, select “Relax” on the desired mental selection screen on the monitor. In response, instructions such as “Make your eyes and take a deep breath” are displayed on the monitor. If the user chooses to be more tense, an instruction such as “Make breathing intentionally faster” is displayed on the monitor.

  The axis of wakefulness-drowsiness can be quantified by the reciprocal of the alpha wave power spectrum of the electroencephalogram, but since the electroencephalogram is controlled by the central nervous system, it should be controlled by thinking of the appropriate scene in mind. Can do. When the person to be measured looks at the mental state evaluation result and wants to be more awake, he selects “Awake” on the desired mental selection screen on the monitor. In response, instructions such as “medicate your eyes and think about a fun plan such as a hobby” are displayed on the monitor. If you have chosen to be more sleepy, you can display instructions on the monitor, such as “Make your eyes closed and do not think about anything”. The content of the specific instruction is not limited to the content described above. It also includes instructions for flexible gymnastics and eating food. If the mental state is to be maintained, the selection “no change” indicating that the mental state is to be maintained is selected. The display method of FIG. 3 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this.

  Mental training is to train yourself to bring yourself in the desired mental state even if there are various environmental changes and environmental stimuli. For example, in order to leave good results at a sporting event, it is necessary to relax and face the competition, but it is difficult to maintain normality and tend to be tense. Mental training is a training that allows you to control your mind on a daily basis. By using the mental training system of the present invention, you can train yourself regularly without using the mental training system. Can be in a relaxed state.

  In order to improve to that level, when you perform mental training, you can double the effect by checking the effect yourself. Therefore, it is very important to display the physiological state in real time over time to notify the measurement subject of the current state and to display the result of whether or not the target control is performed. In order to effectively promote mental training, it is important to know the current situation by yourself and know the training effect.

Outline diagram of mental training system Monitor display example of display means Desired mental selection screen example of action presentation means

Explanation of symbols

0: Person to be measured 1: ECG, electroencephalogram detection means 2: Signal processing means 3: Evaluation means 4: Display means 5: Action presentation means

  By utilizing the mental training system according to the present invention, athletes can perform their own daily training without over-tensioning, and as a result, by controlling their mental state even in large competitions, It becomes possible to demonstrate. In addition, people who cannot communicate with people and who can not interact with people in a relaxed natural environment can relax without contact with people by using the training system of the present invention. You will be able to communicate. Furthermore, when you work for a long time and work while fighting sleepiness, you will be able to control yourself to revive vitality. In addition, drowsiness can be temporarily wiped even during driving of the automobile. In this way, by using the mental training system, it becomes possible to grasp its own mental state, and by continuing the training, it becomes possible to lead to a desirable mental state even in the absence of the system of the present invention. Can do.

Claims (5)

  Electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, or detection means 1 for detecting electrocardiogram and electroencephalogram, signal processing means 2 for processing a signal from the detection means, evaluation means 3 for evaluating one or a plurality of mental states in response to a signal processing result, mental evaluation A mental training system comprising an evaluation result display means 4 that continuously presents a result to a measurement subject in real time over time.   The mental training according to claim 1, further comprising an action presentation means (5) for selecting a desired mental state based on the mental evaluation result posted on the display means (4) and presenting a specific recommended action to the measurement subject. system.   As a physiological index for evaluating the mental state from the electrocardiogram, the interval between the R wave and the R wave immediately before the wave having the largest amplitude (R wave) in the ECG waveform (RR interval of the electrocardiogram) is used every second. The mental training system according to claim 1, wherein a mental state of relaxation or tension is evaluated.   The mental training system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mental state of arousal or drowsiness is evaluated using an inverse of an α wave power spectrum of an electroencephalogram as a physiological index for evaluating the mental state. A pulse wave is detected instead of an electrocardiogram, and the mental state of relaxation or tension is evaluated using the time from the pulse wave to the next pulse wave as a physiological index for evaluating the mental state from the pulse wave. Item 5. The mental training system according to any one of Items 1 to 4.