JP7580038B2 - Method for operating cognitive function testing system, and cognitive function testing system - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates generally to a method for operating a cognitive function testing system and a cognitive function testing system. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method for operating a cognitive function testing system and a cognitive function testing system for testing the cognitive function of a subject.

Patent document 1 describes a dementia testing system that determines whether or not a subject has dementia. In the dementia testing system described in patent document 1, the subject takes the test while looking at an avatar and text displayed on a display device.

JP 2018-15139 A

In the field of dementia testing systems (cognitive function testing systems) such as that described in Patent Document 1, it is desirable to improve the accuracy of evaluating the cognitive function of subjects.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a method for operating a cognitive function testing system and a cognitive function testing system that can improve the accuracy of evaluating a subject's cognitive function.

A cognitive function testing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a method for operating a cognitive function testing system. The method for operating the cognitive function testing system includes a testing step and an evaluation step. The testing step is a step of conducting a first test and a second test in which a plurality of questions including n (n is a natural number equal to or greater than 2) questions are asked, respectively. The evaluation step is a step of evaluating the cognitive function of a subject based on both n first answers to the n questions in the first test and n second answers to the n questions in the second test. The n questions in the first test and the n questions in the second test correspond one-to-one. Each of the n questions in the first test is a question of the same content as a corresponding question among the n questions in the second test. In the testing step, the second test is conducted after the first test. The order of the n questions in the first test is different from the order of the n questions in the second test. The events targeted by each of the n questions are arranged in chronological order.

A cognitive function testing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a testing unit and an evaluation unit. The testing unit performs a first test and a second test , each of which asks a plurality of questions including n (n is a natural number equal to or greater than 2). The evaluation unit evaluates the cognitive function of the subject based on both n first answers to the n questions in the first test and n second answers to the n questions in the second test. The n questions in the first test and the n questions in the second test correspond one-to-one. Each of the n questions in the first test is a question with the same content as a corresponding question among the n questions in the second test. The testing unit performs the second test after performing the first test. The order of the n questions in the first test is different from the order of the n questions in the second test. The events that are the subject of each of the n questions are arranged in chronological order.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a test situation performed by a cognitive function testing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the cognitive function testing system. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cognitive function testing system. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of questions and answers in the first test and the second test by the cognitive function testing system. FIG. 5 is an image diagram of the memory capacity and speech capacity of a subject when the subject is a healthy individual. FIG. 6 is an image diagram showing the memory capacity and speech capacity of a subject when the subject has mild cognitive impairment. FIG. 7 is an image diagram of the memory capacity and speech capacity of a subject when the subject has dementia.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a cognitive function testing system 1 and a cognitive function testing method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

However, the embodiment and modified examples described below are merely examples of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment and modified examples. Various modifications other than the following embodiment and modified examples are possible according to the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present disclosure.

In addition, all figures described in the following embodiments are schematic diagrams, and the ratios of size and thickness of each component in each figure do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios.

(1) Overview First, an overview of a cognitive function testing system 1 and a cognitive function testing method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

The cognitive function testing method according to this embodiment is a method for testing the cognitive function of a subject P1 using a smart speaker 2 as shown in FIG. 1, and is realized by a cognitive function testing system 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the cognitive function testing system 1 includes a testing unit 111 and an evaluation unit 113. The testing unit 111 performs a first test S12 and a second test S14 (see FIG. 3) in which a plurality of questions including n corresponding (first and second) questions Q1 and Q2 (see FIG. 4) are asked, respectively. n is a natural number of 2 or more, and in this embodiment, n is 3 as an example. That is, in this embodiment, a plurality of questions including three questions Q1 and Q2 are asked in each of the first test S12 and the second test S14. The evaluation unit 113 evaluates the cognitive function of the subject P1 based on both the n first answers A1 (see FIG. 4) to the n (first) questions Q1 in the first test S12 and the n second answers A2 (see FIG. 4) to the n (second) questions Q2 in the second test S14. The test unit 111 performs the second test S14 after performing the first test S12. In this cognitive function testing system 1, the order of the n (first) questions Q1 in the first test S12 is different from the order of the n (second) questions Q2 in the second test S14. In the present embodiment, as an example, the subject P1 is an elderly person, but the subject P1 is not limited to being an elderly person.

In this disclosure, "cognitive function" refers to intellectual abilities such as memory, thinking, understanding, calculation, learning, language, and judgment, and is classified into, for example, memory function, attention function, executive function, and information processing. "Memory function" refers to the phenomenon in which one's own experiences are stored and later recalled/reproduced (expressed) in consciousness or actions, or the function that supports it. "Attention function" refers to the conscious function that selectively responds to or focuses on specific parts of surrounding objects or events, or specific aspects of complex mental activity. "Executive function" refers to the function of making plans and doing things in an orderly manner, specifically including elements such as goal setting, planning, execution of plans, and effective execution. "Information processing" refers to the function of processing information input from the outside world (for example, visual information, auditory information, etc.).

In recent years, with the advent of an aging society, the increase in the number of dementia patients has become a problem. In addition, because a specific medicine for dementia has yet to be discovered, attention has been focused on mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is a precursor to dementia. Mild cognitive impairment is an intermediate state between a normal state (healthy) and dementia.

In such mild cognitive impairment and the early stages of dementia, memory function is impaired, particularly episodic memory (memory of events experienced by an individual), so episodic memory tests using free speech are commonly used to test cognitive function. In free speech, the content of conversation can be broadly divided into two types: associative "small talk" and goal-oriented "business talk, meetings, lectures." Goal-oriented "business talk, meetings, lectures" are based on the subject's perspective and way of thinking, and are activities aimed at achieving goals, so the content of the conversation is easy to remember. On the other hand, associative "small talk" is an activity in which the subject talks about random ideas, the content of the conversation is more difficult to remember than goal-oriented "small talk." Therefore, when testing the subject's cognitive function, it is best to ask questions about "small talk" based on the subject's experiences (episodes).

In this kind of "chitchat" based on the subject's experiences, the content of the speech depends on the subject's experiences, so there is no way for anyone other than the subject to confirm whether the content of the speech is based on actual experiences. In addition, since the subject cannot recall his or her own experiences, there is a possibility that the subject may confabulate them as if they had actually experienced them. As a result, there is a possibility that the subject's cognitive function cannot be evaluated correctly.

To solve such problems, the cognitive function assessment method according to this embodiment adopts the following configuration.

That is, the cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment includes a test step S1 and an evaluation step S3, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. The test step S1 is a step of performing a first test S12 and a second test S14, each of which asks a plurality of questions including n (n is a natural number of 2 or more) corresponding (first, second) questions Q1, Q2 (see FIG. 4). The evaluation step S3 is a step of evaluating the cognitive function of the subject P1 based on both the n first answers A1 (see FIG. 4) to the n (first) questions Q1 in the first test S12, and the n second answers A2 (see FIG. 4) to the n (second) questions Q2 in the second test S14. In the test step S1, the second test S14 is performed after the first test S12. In this cognitive function testing method, the order of the n (first) questions Q1 in the first test S12 is different from the order of the n (second) questions Q2 in the second test S14. The cognitive function testing method is executed by one or more processors.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment, the n (first) questions Q1 asked in the first test S12 correspond to the n (second) questions Q2 asked in the second test S14. Therefore, the n first answers A1 to the n (first) questions Q1 and the n second answers A2 to the n (second) questions Q2 also correspond to each other. Therefore, by comparing the n first answers A1 and the n second answers A2, it is possible to determine whether the speech content of the subject P1 is based on the experience of the subject P1, and it is possible to improve the evaluation accuracy of the cognitive function of the subject P1. In addition, in the cognitive function testing method according to the present embodiment, the order of the n (first) questions Q1 in the first test S12 is different from the order of the n (second) questions Q2 in the second test S14. Therefore, compared to a case where the order of the n (first) questions Q1 and the order of the n (second) questions Q2 are the same, it is possible to place a strain on the cognitive function of subject P1, and further improvement in the accuracy of the assessment of subject P1's cognitive function is expected.

(2) Details Next, details of the cognitive function testing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cognitive function testing system 1 according to this embodiment can be connected to a smart speaker 2 via a network 3. That is, the cognitive function testing system 1 is configured to be able to communicate with the smart speaker 2 by being connected to the network 3. As an example, in this embodiment, the network 3 is the Internet, but the network 3 is not limited to the Internet.

(2.1) Cognitive Function Testing System The cognitive function testing system 1 is, for example, a cloud server including one or more computers. As shown in FIG. 2 , the cognitive function testing system 1 includes a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, and a storage unit 13.

(2.1.1) Control Unit The control unit 11 controls each unit of the cognitive function testing system 1. The control unit 11 mainly comprises a computer system having one or more processors and one or more memories. That is, the functions of the control unit 11 (including the testing unit 111, analysis unit 112, and evaluation unit 113 described below) are realized by one or more processors executing a program recorded in one or more memories of the computer system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, may be provided through a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

The control unit 11 is, for example, electrically connected to each of the communication unit 12 and the memory unit 13. The control unit 11 controls the communication unit 12 to cause the communication unit 12 to communicate with the smart speaker 2. The control unit 11 also controls the memory unit 13 to store voice data, etc. of subject P1 in the memory unit 13.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 11 has an inspection unit 111, an analysis unit 112, and an evaluation unit 113.

The inspection unit 111 is configured to execute an inspection step S1 (see FIG. 3). The inspection step S1 is a step for performing a first inspection S12 and a second inspection S14. In the first inspection S12, a plurality of questions including n first questions Q1 (see FIG. 4) are posed. In the second inspection S14, a plurality of questions including n second questions Q2 (see FIG. 4) are posed. The n first questions Q1 and the n second questions Q2 correspond to each other. Here, n is a natural number of 2 or more. As an example in this embodiment, in the first inspection S12, three first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 are posed as a plurality of questions. In addition, in the second inspection S14, three second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23 are posed as a plurality of questions. That is, in this embodiment, the number of the plurality of questions in the first inspection S12 is the same as the number of the plurality of questions in the second inspection S14. In the inspection step S1, the inspection unit 111 performs a first inspection S12 and then a second inspection S14.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first test S12 includes a 1-A test S121, a 1-B test S122, and a 1-C test S123. In the first test S12, tests are performed in the order of the 1-A test S121, the 1-B test S122, and the 1-C test S123. In the 1-A test S121, as shown in Figure 4, the first question Q11 of the three first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 is asked. Therefore, in the 1-A test S121, a first answer A11, which is the answer to the first question Q11, is obtained. In the 1-B test S122, as shown in Figure 4, the second question Q12 of the three first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 is asked. Therefore, in the 1-B test S122, a first answer A12, which is the answer to the first question Q12, is obtained. In the 1-C test S123, the third first question Q13 of the three first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 is asked, as shown in Fig. 4. Therefore, in the 1-C test S123, a first answer A13 that is an answer to the first question Q13 is obtained.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the second test S14 includes a second-A test S141, a second-B test S142, and a second-C test S143. In the second test S14, the tests are performed in the order of the second-C test S143, the second-B test S142, and the second-A test S141. In the second-A test S141, as shown in Figure 4, the first second question Q21 of the three second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23 is asked. Therefore, in the second-A test S141, a second answer A21, which is the answer to the second question Q21, is obtained. In the second-B test S142, as shown in Figure 4, the second second question Q22 of the three second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23 is asked. Therefore, in the second-B test S142, a second answer A22, which is the answer to the second question Q22, is obtained. In the 2-C test S143, the third second question Q23 of the three second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23 is asked as shown in Fig. 4. Therefore, in the 2-C test S143, a second answer A23, which is the answer to the second question Q23, is obtained.

In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the first question Q11 and the second question Q21 are questions with the same content, the first question Q12 and the second question Q22 are questions with the same content, and the first question Q13 and the second question Q23 are questions with the same content. That is, in this embodiment, the multiple questions in the first test S12 (the three first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13) and the multiple questions in the second test S14 (the three second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23) are questions with the same content.

In this embodiment, each of the three first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 and the three second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23 is a question about the most memorable event. That is, in this embodiment, the n questions Q1 in the first test S12 and the n questions Q2 in the second test S14 are questions about the same item.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first question Q11 is a question about the most memorable event from yesterday, the first question Q12 is a question about the most memorable event from one week ago, and the first question Q13 is a question about the most memorable event from one month ago. That is, the events targeted by each of the n questions Q1 in the first test S12 are arranged in chronological order. Also, the second question Q21 is a question about the most memorable event from yesterday, the second question Q22 is a question about the most memorable event from one week ago, and the second question Q23 is a question about the most memorable event from one month ago. That is, the events targeted by each of the n questions Q2 in the second test S14 are arranged in chronological order.

In the first test S12, the first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 are asked in this order, and in the second test S14, the second questions Q23, Q22, and Q21 are asked in this order. That is, the order of the n questions Q1 in the first test S12 is different from the order of the n questions Q2 in the second test S14. More specifically, the order of the n questions Q1 in the first test S12 is reversed from the order of the n questions Q2 in the second test S14. Furthermore, in the first test S12, as shown in FIG. 4, three first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 are asked in order starting from the first question Q11, which is about the newest event in the time series. In addition, in the second test S14, as shown in FIG. 4, three second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23 are asked in order starting from the second question Q23, which is about the oldest event in the time series.

In the cognitive function testing system 1 according to this embodiment, the first question Q1 and the second question Q2 are asked by a speaker provided in the smart speaker 2 described below. That is, in the cognitive function testing method according to this embodiment, a plurality of questions (the first question Q1 and the second question Q2) are asked by voice in each of the first test S12 and the second test S14. This makes it possible to test the cognitive function even if the visual function of the subject P1 is impaired.

In addition, the testing unit 111 performs intermediate guidance S13 (see FIG. 3) in testing step S1. The intermediate guidance S13 is performed between the first test S12 and the second test S14 in testing step S1. In the intermediate guidance S13, a topic G2 that is unrelated to the first test S12 and the second test S14 is provided. In the example of FIG. 4, today's news is provided as topic G2 in the intermediate guidance S13. In this way, by providing topic G2 that is unrelated to the first test S12 and the second test S14 between the first test S12 and the second test S14, it is possible to cause memory interference in the subject P1.

The analysis unit 112 is configured to execute an analysis step S2 (see FIG. 3). The analysis step S2 is a step of performing a first analysis S21 and a second analysis S22. The first analysis S21 corresponds to the first test S12, and performs an acoustic analysis and a linguistic analysis of the three first answers A1 (A11, A12, A13) obtained in the first test S12. The second analysis S22 corresponds to the second test S14, and performs an acoustic analysis and a linguistic analysis of the three second answers A2 (A21, A22, A23) obtained in the second test S14.

The first analysis S21 includes a 1-A analysis S211, a 1-B analysis S212, and a 1-C analysis S213. In the 1-A analysis S211, acoustic analysis and linguistic analysis are performed on the first answer A11 obtained in the 1-A test S121. In the 1-B analysis S212, acoustic analysis and linguistic analysis are performed on the first answer A12 obtained in the 1-B test S122. In the 1-C analysis S213, acoustic analysis and linguistic analysis are performed on the first answer A13 obtained in the 1-C test S123.

The second analysis S22 includes a 2-A analysis S221, a 2-B analysis S222, and a 2-C analysis S223. In the 2-A analysis S221, acoustic analysis and linguistic analysis are performed on the second answer A21 obtained in the 2-A test S141. In the 2-B analysis S222, acoustic analysis and linguistic analysis are performed on the second answer A22 obtained in the 2-B test S142. In the 2-C analysis S223, acoustic analysis and linguistic analysis are performed on the second answer A23 obtained in the 2-C test S143. In this way, in the analysis step S2, the analysis unit 112 performs acoustic analysis and linguistic analysis of the voice of the subject P1 based on the voice data of the subject P1 (the first answer A1 and the second answer A2).

In the acoustic analysis, the analysis unit 112 obtains at least one of the following features of the speech of the subject P1: speech duration, number of syllables, pause duration, pause ratio, number of pauses, speech rate, articulation rate, standard deviation of one speech duration, and average of one speech duration. The speech duration is the duration of the entire speech (including pauses) contained in the speech data. The number of syllables is the number of syllables contained in the speech data. The pause duration is the total duration of one or more pauses contained in the speech data. The pause ratio is the ratio of pauses to the speech data. The number of pauses is the number of pauses contained in the speech data. The speech rate is the number of syllables (number of morae) per unit time based on the speech duration. The articulation rate is the number of syllables (number of morae) per unit time based on the time length obtained by subtracting the pause duration from the speech duration. The standard deviation of one speech duration is the standard deviation based on multiple speech durations contained in the speech data. The average of one utterance duration is an average based on a plurality of utterance durations included in the voice data. In the present embodiment, as an example, in the acoustic analysis, the analysis unit 112 obtains, as features of the voice of the subject P1, an utterance duration corresponding to the amount of utterance and a duration of a pause corresponding to the content of the utterance.

In addition, in the language analysis, the analysis unit 112 obtains, as features of the speech of the subject P1, at least one of the number of parts of speech, the number of demonstrative pronouns, the number of fillers, and the degree of overlap of parts of speech contained in the above-mentioned speech data. Parts of speech are words classified according to grammatical function, form, etc., and include nouns, verbs, and particles. Demonstrative pronouns are used to indicate things, places, directions, etc., and include "that", "that", etc. Fillers are used to fill gaps in conversation, and include "um", "well", "ah", etc. In the present embodiment, as an example, in the language analysis, the analysis unit 112 obtains, as features of the speech of the subject P1, the number of parts of speech corresponding to the amount of speech, and the degree of overlap of parts of speech corresponding to the content of speech.

The analysis unit 112 outputs the results of the acoustic analysis and the results of the linguistic analysis to the evaluation unit 113.

The evaluation unit 113 is configured to execute an evaluation step S3 (see FIG. 3). The evaluation step S3 is a step of evaluating the cognitive function of the subject P1 based on the analysis result of the analysis unit 112. In detail, the evaluation unit 113 evaluates the cognitive function of the subject P1 based on both the three first answers A1 to the three first questions Q1 in the first test S12 and the three second answers A2 to the three second questions Q2 in the second test S14 in the evaluation step S3. More specifically, the evaluation unit 113 evaluates the cognitive function of the subject P1 in the evaluation step S3 by comparing the first evaluation S31 based on the three first answers A1 with the second evaluation S32 based on the three second answers A2. The evaluation step S3 includes a first evaluation S31 and a second evaluation S32, as shown in FIG. 3.

In the first evaluation S31, the evaluation unit 113 judges whether or not the first test S12 needs to be retested based on the analysis result of the first analysis S21. In other words, the evaluation unit 113 judges whether the three first answers A11, A12, and A13 obtained in the first test S12 are comparable to the three second answers A21, A22, and A23 to be obtained in the second test S14. In the linguistic analysis, the evaluation unit 113 judges, for example, the first answers A11, A12, and A13 based on three items: that the answers are given in words (in other words, that multiple parts of speech are not included), that the same answer is repeated, and that text conversion is not possible. In the acoustic analysis, the evaluation unit 113 judges, for example, that two or more of the first answers A11, A12, and A13 are in a silent state (a silent state). If at least one of the above four items is satisfied for the first answers A11, A12, and A13, the evaluation unit 113 determines that the first test S12 needs to be retested. If the evaluation unit 113 determines that the first test S12 needs to be retested, the evaluation unit 113 causes the test unit 111 to retest the first test S12 (S124 in FIG. 3).

On the other hand, when the evaluation unit 113 determines that retesting of the first test S12 is unnecessary, it compares the three first answers A11, A12, and A13 with the reference data B1 (see FIG. 5). The "reference data B1" here is data for comparing the three first answers A11, A12, and A13 with respect to the amount of speech. In the case of asking the three first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 in order starting from the first question Q11 that targets the most recent event in the time series, as in this embodiment, the amount of speech for the first answer A11 is generally the largest, followed by the first answer A12 and the first answer A13 in decreasing order. Therefore, in the reference data B1, the data B11 for the first answer A11 is the largest, followed by the data B12 for the first answer A12, and then the data B13 for the first answer A13 in decreasing order. For example, when the subject P1 is a healthy individual, the ratio of the first answers A11, A12, and A13 to the data B11, B12, and B13 in the reference data B1 is equal to or greater than a certain value with respect to the amount of speech. When the subject P1 has mild cognitive impairment, the ratio of the first answers A11, A12, and A13 to the data B11, B12, and B13 in the reference data B1 is smaller than a certain value with respect to the amount of speech.

Although not shown, the evaluation unit 113 may also determine whether or not retesting of the second test S14 is necessary in the second evaluation S32. Even in this case, the evaluation unit 113 determines that retesting of the second test S14 is necessary if at least one of the above four items is met for the second answers A21, A22, and A23. If the evaluation unit 113 determines that retesting of the second test S14 is necessary, it causes the test unit 111 to retest the second test S14. If the evaluation unit 113 determines that retesting of the second test S14 is unnecessary, it compares the three second answers A21, A22, and A23 with the reference data B1.

In addition, the evaluation unit 113 compares the three first answers A11, A12, and A13 with the three second answers A21, A22, and A23 with respect to the speech content. In detail, in the acoustic analysis, the evaluation unit 113 compares the duration of the pause of the first answer A11 with the duration of the pause of the second answer A21, compares the duration of the pause of the first answer A12 with the duration of the pause of the second answer A22, and compares the duration of the pause of the first answer A13 with the duration of the pause of the second answer A23. If these differences are within a predetermined range, the evaluation unit 113 determines that the first answers A11, A12, and A13 match the second answers A21, A22, and A23. Furthermore, in the linguistic analysis, the evaluation unit 113 compares the degree of overlap of parts of speech of the first answer A11 with the degree of overlap of parts of speech of the second answer A21, compares the degree of overlap of parts of speech of the first answer A12 with the degree of overlap of parts of speech of the second answer A22, and compares the degree of overlap of parts of speech of the first answer A13 with the degree of overlap of parts of speech of the second answer A23. Then, if these differences fall within a predetermined range, the evaluation unit 113 determines that the first answers A11, A12, and A13 match the second answers A21, A22, and A23.

The evaluation unit 113 evaluates (judges) the subject P1 to be a healthy person when the ratio of each of the first answers A11, A12, and A13 to the reference data B1 (see FIG. 5) in terms of the amount of speech is equal to or greater than a certain value, and when the first answers A11, A12, and A13 and the second answers A21, A22, and A23 in terms of the content of speech match, the evaluation unit 113 evaluates (judges) the subject P1 to be a mild cognitive impairment when the ratio of each of the first answers A11, A12, and A13 to the reference data B1 in terms of the amount of speech is smaller than a certain value, and when the first answers A11, A12, and A13 and the second answers A21, A22, and A23 in terms of the content of speech match, the evaluation unit 113 evaluates (judges) the subject P1 to be a mild cognitive impairment. Furthermore, if the first answers A11, A12, and A13 do not match the second answers A21, A22, and A23, the evaluation unit 113 evaluates (judges) that the subject P1 has dementia.

In short, in evaluation step S3, the evaluation unit 113 evaluates the cognitive function of the subject P1 by comparing a first evaluation S31 based on the three first answers A11, A12, and A13 with a second evaluation S32 based on the three second answers A21, A22, and A23. Furthermore, in evaluation step S3, the evaluation unit 113 evaluates the cognitive function of the subject P1 based on the degree of agreement between the first evaluation S31 and the second evaluation S32. Moreover, each of the first evaluation S31 and the second evaluation S32 includes a relative evaluation with respect to a reference value (reference data B1).

Specifically, the evaluation unit 113 evaluates the cognitive function of the subject P1 based on the features of the voice of the subject P1, which is the analysis result of the analysis unit 112. In other words, the evaluation unit 113 evaluates the cognitive function of the subject P1 based on the result of comparing the features of the first answer A1 and the second answer A2, which is the analysis result of the analysis unit 112. At this time, the evaluation unit 113 evaluates the cognitive function of the subject P1 using a trained model. The trained model is, for example, a logistic regression model. The trained model is stored in the memory unit 13 described below. Note that the trained model is not limited to a logistic regression model, and may be, for example, an SVM (Support Vector Machine).

The trained model is designed to output a value indicating the degree of cognitive function of subject P1 for a given input (feature). The evaluation unit 113 provides at least one feature obtained from the voice data to the trained model, and evaluates the cognitive function of subject P1 based on the value obtained from the trained model. Such a trained model can be generated by supervised learning using training data (dataset) that specifies the relationship between the value indicating the degree of cognitive function and the feature.

(2.1.2) Communication unit The communication unit 12 is a communication interface for communicating with the smart speaker 2 (the communication unit 22 thereof). As described above, the communication unit 12 is connectable to the network 3 and communicates with the smart speaker 2 via the network 3. The communication unit 12 receives, for example, voice data of the subject P1 from the smart speaker 2. Furthermore, the communication unit 12 transmits, for example, voice data of at least three first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 and three second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23 to the smart speaker 2. Furthermore, the communication unit 12 transmits result data including the evaluation result of the evaluation unit 113 to the smart speaker 2.

(2.1.3) Storage Unit The storage unit 13 is, for example, a rewritable non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). The storage unit 13 stores the voice data of the subject P1 sent from the smart speaker 2 in association with the identification information of the subject P1. The identification information may be, for example, the name of the subject P1 or an ID (identification) number previously assigned to the subject P1. The storage unit 13 also stores the above-mentioned trained model.

(2.2) Smart Speaker As shown in FIG. 2 , the smart speaker 2 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 22, a voice input/output unit 23, an operation unit 24, and a memory unit 25.

(2.2.1) Control Unit The control unit 21 controls each part of the smart speaker 2. The control unit 21 is mainly configured as a computer system having one or more processors and one or more memories. That is, the functions of the control unit 21 are realized by one or more processors executing a program recorded in one or more memories of the computer system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, may be provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

The control unit 21 is electrically connected to, for example, each of the communication unit 22, the voice input/output unit 23, the operation unit 24 and the memory unit 25. The control unit 21 controls the communication unit 22 to cause the communication unit 22 to communicate with the cognitive function testing system 1. The control unit 21 controls the voice input/output unit 23 to acquire voice data of the subject P1, and further outputs result data to the subject P1. The control unit 21 accepts operation input from the operation unit 24. The control unit 21 controls the memory unit 25 to store result data and the like from the cognitive function testing system 1 in the memory unit 25.

(2.2.2) Communication unit The communication unit 22 is a communication interface for communicating with the cognitive function testing system 1 (the communication unit 12 thereof). As described above, the communication unit 22 is connectable to the network 3 and communicates with the cognitive function testing system 1 via the network 3. The communication unit 22 receives, for example, voice data of at least three first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 and three second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23 from the cognitive function testing system 1. Furthermore, the communication unit 22 receives result data including the evaluation result of the evaluation unit 113 from the cognitive function testing system 1. Also, the communication unit 22 transmits, for example, voice data of the subject P1 to the cognitive function testing system 1.

(2.2.3) Audio Input/Output Unit The audio input/output unit 23 includes, for example, a microphone and a speaker. The microphone converts sounds including the voice uttered by the subject P1 into audio data (audio signals) and outputs the audio data to the control unit 21. The speaker converts, for example, audio data (audio signals) sent from the cognitive function testing system 1 into audio (sound) and outputs it.

(2.2.4) Operation Unit The operation unit 24 has a plurality of push buttons including a start button. The start button is a button for starting a cognitive function test by the cognitive function testing system 1. That is, when the subject P1 presses the start button of the operation unit 24, a cognitive function test of the subject P1 is started.

(2.2.5) Storage The storage 25 is, for example, a rewritable non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM. The storage 25 stores the voice data of the subject P1 input through the microphone of the voice input/output unit 23, by linking it to the above-mentioned identification information of the subject P1. The storage 25 also stores the result data sent from the cognitive function testing system 1 by linking it to the above-mentioned identification information of the subject P1. However, in this embodiment, since the voice data of the subject P1 is stored in the storage 13 of the cognitive function testing system 1, the voice data of the subject P1 does not need to be stored in the storage 25. In this case, the smart speaker 2 may acquire the voice data of the subject P1 from the cognitive function testing system 1 as necessary.

(3) Relationship Between Memory Capacity and Speech Volume Next, the relationship between memory capacity and speech volume of the subject P1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

(3.1) Healthy Subject When the subject P1 is a healthy subject, the image is as shown in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, "M1" indicates the memory capacity of the subject P1, "U11" indicates the speech volume of the subject P1 in the first test S12, and "U12" indicates the speech volume of the subject P1 in the second test S14. Also, in FIG. 5, "M11" indicates the memory capacity of the subject P1 regarding the first question Q11, "M12" indicates the memory capacity of the subject P1 regarding the first question Q12, and "M13" indicates the memory capacity of the subject P1 regarding the first question Q13. Also, in FIG. 5, "I11" indicates the size of the experience information (episode information) regarding the first question Q11, "I12" indicates the size of the experience information regarding the first question Q12, and "I13" indicates the size of the experience information regarding the first question Q13.

In addition, in FIG. 5, "U111" indicates the speech volume of subject P1 in response to the first question Q11, "U112" indicates the speech volume of subject P1 in response to the first question Q12, and "U113" indicates the speech volume of subject P1 in response to the first question Q13. In addition, in FIG. 5, "U121" indicates the speech volume of subject P1 in response to the second question Q21, "U122" indicates the speech volume of subject P1 in response to the second question Q22, and "U123" indicates the speech volume of subject P1 in response to the second question Q23. In addition, in FIG. 5, "B1" indicates reference data for comparison with speech volume U11. In addition, in FIG. 5, "B11" indicates data for comparison with speech volume U111, "B12" indicates data for comparison with speech volume U112, and "B13" indicates data for comparison with speech volume U113.

Here, the first question Q13 and the second question Q23, which are questions about the most recent event, are susceptible to memory interference, so the test time from asking the first question Q13 to asking the second question Q23 in the first test S12 and the second test S14 is made the shortest. On the other hand, the first question Q11 and the second question Q21, which are questions about the most recent event, are less susceptible to memory interference, so the test time from asking the first question Q11 to asking the second question Q21 in the first test S12 and the second test S14 is made the longest.

When the subject P1 is a healthy individual, the memory amount M1 of the subject P1 decreases in the order of memory amount M11 for the first question Q11, memory amount M12 for the first question Q12, and memory amount M13 for the first question Q13, as shown in FIG. 5. Also, the speech amount U11 of the subject P1 in the first test S12 also decreases in the order of speech amount U111 for the first question Q11, speech amount U112 for the first question Q12, and speech amount U113 for the first question Q13. In other words, when the subject P1 is a healthy individual, the memory amount M1 and speech amount U11 show a similar decreasing trend in time series. Also, when the subject P1 is a healthy individual, the memory amount M11 and speech amount U111 are almost the same, the memory amount M12 and speech amount U112 are almost the same, and the memory amount M13 and speech amount U113 are almost the same. Furthermore, when the subject P1 is a healthy individual, the ratio of the amount of speech U111 to the data B11, the ratio of the amount of speech U112 to the data B12, and the ratio of the amount of speech U113 to the data B13 are each equal to or greater than a certain value.

Furthermore, the speech volume U12 of subject P1 in the second test S14 is affected by memory interference due to the intermediate guidance S13 performed between the first test S12 and the second test S14, and is less than the speech volume U11 of subject P1 in the first test S12. However, even in this case, the speech volume U12 of subject P1 decreases in the order of speech volume U121 for second question Q21, speech volume U122 for second question Q22, and speech volume U123 for second question Q23, and the memory volume M1 and speech volume U12 show a similar decreasing trend over time.

Furthermore, when subject P1 is a healthy individual, the speech content of subject P1 in response to the first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 is approximately the same as the speech content of subject P1 in response to the second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23.

(3.2) Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
When the subject P1 has mild cognitive impairment, the image is as shown in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, "M2" indicates the memory amount of the subject P1, "U21" indicates the speech amount of the subject P1 in the first test S12, and "U22" indicates the speech amount of the subject P1 in the second test S14. In addition, in FIG. 6, "M21" indicates the memory amount of the subject P1 regarding the first question Q11, "M22" indicates the memory amount of the subject P1 regarding the first question Q12, and "M23" indicates the memory amount of the subject P1 regarding the first question Q13. Note that "I11", "I12", and "I13" in FIG. 6 are the same as "I11", "I12", and "I13" in FIG. 5, respectively.

In addition, in Figure 6, "U211" indicates the amount of speech by subject P1 in response to the first question Q11, "U212" indicates the amount of speech by subject P1 in response to the first question Q12, and "U213" indicates the amount of speech by subject P1 in response to the first question Q13. In addition, in Figure 6, "U222" indicates the amount of speech by subject P1 in response to the second question Q22, and "U223" indicates the amount of speech by subject P1 in response to the second question Q23. Note that "B1", "B11", "B12", and "B13" in Figure 6 are the same as "B1", "B11", "B12", and "B13" in Figure 5, respectively.

When the subject P1 has mild cognitive impairment, the memory amount M2 of the subject P1 decreases in the order of memory amount M21 for the first question Q11, memory amount M22 for the first question Q12, and memory amount M23 for the first question Q13, as shown in FIG. 6. The speech amount U21 of the subject P1 in the first test S12 also decreases in the order of speech amount U211 for the first question Q11, speech amount U212 for the first question Q12, and speech amount U213 for the first question Q13. In other words, when the subject P1 has mild cognitive impairment, the memory amount M2 and speech amount U21 show a similar tendency to decrease over time. However, when the subject P1 has mild cognitive impairment, the memory amounts M21, M22, and M23 and the speech amounts U211, U212, and U213 decrease compared to when the subject P1 is a healthy individual.

In addition, the speech volume U22 of the subject P1 in the second test S14 is affected by memory interference due to the intermediate guidance S13 between the first test S12 and the second test S14, and is reduced compared to the speech volume U21 of the subject P1 in the first test S12. In particular, in the example of FIG. 6, the second question Q23, which is the oldest in the chronological order, is most affected by memory interference, and the speech volume for the second question Q23 is zero. On the other hand, even in this case, the speech volume U22 of the subject P1 decreases in the order of the speech volume U221 for the second question Q21, the speech volume U222 for the second question Q22, and the speech volume for the second question Q23, so that the memory volume M2 and the speech volume U22 show a similar decreasing trend in the chronological order.

Furthermore, when subject P1 has mild cognitive impairment, the content of subject P1's speech in response to the first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 is approximately the same as the content of subject P1's speech in response to the second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23.

(3.3) Dementia (AD)
When the subject P1 has dementia, the image is as shown in FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, "M3" indicates the memory capacity of the subject P1, "U31" indicates the speech volume of the subject P1 in the first test S12, and "U32" indicates the speech volume of the subject P1 in the second test S14. Also, in FIG. 7, "M31" indicates the memory capacity of the subject P1 regarding the first question Q11, "M32" indicates the memory capacity of the subject P1 regarding the first question Q12, and "M33" indicates the memory capacity of the subject P1 regarding the first question Q13. Note that "I11", "I12", and "I13" in FIG. 7 are the same as "I11", "I12", and "I13" in FIG. 5, respectively.

In addition, in FIG. 7, "U311" indicates the amount of speech by subject P1 in response to the first question Q11, "U312" indicates the amount of speech by subject P1 in response to the first question Q12, and "U313" indicates the amount of speech by subject P1 in response to the first question Q13. In addition, in FIG. 7, "U321" indicates the amount of speech by subject P1 in response to the second question Q21, "U322" indicates the amount of speech by subject P1 in response to the second question Q22, and "U323" indicates the amount of speech by subject P1 in response to the second question Q23. Note that "B1", "B11", "B12", and "B13" in FIG. 7 are the same as "B1", "B11", "B12", and "B13" in FIG. 5, respectively.

When subject P1 has dementia, as shown in FIG. 7, subject P1 has no memory of any of the first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 and cannot recall the episode, but confabulates in response to the first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13. In other words, when subject P1 has dementia, subject P1 will speak a fabricated story rather than his or her own episode (experience). Therefore, subject P1's speech volume U31 does not change in chronological order. In the example of FIG. 7, the speech volume U312 in response to the first question Q12 is the largest, followed by the speech volume U311 in response to the first question Q11 and the speech volume U313 in response to the first question Q13.

Here, subject P1 is affected by memory interference due to the intermediate guidance S13 between the first test S12 and the second test S14, and does not remember the content of what was spoken in the first test S12. Therefore, subject P1 confabulates a different speech in the second test S14 than in the first test S12. In the example of Figure 7, the amount of speech U323 for the second question Q23 is the largest, followed by the amount of speech U321 for the second question Q21 and the amount of speech U322 for the second question Q22.

(4) Cognitive Function Testing Method Next, the cognitive function testing method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG.

The cognitive function testing method according to this embodiment includes a test step S1 and an evaluation step S3. The test step S1 is a step of performing a first test S12 and a second test S14, each of which asks a plurality of questions including n (three in this embodiment) questions Q1 and Q2 corresponding to each other. The evaluation step S3 is a step of evaluating the cognitive function of the subject P1 based on both the n first answers A1 to the n questions Q1 in the first test S12 and the n second answers A2 to the n questions Q2 in the second test S14. In the test step S1, the first test S12 is performed and then the second test S14 is performed. In this cognitive function testing method, the order of the n questions Q1 in the first test S12 is different from the order of the n questions Q2 in the second test S14. The cognitive function testing method is executed by one or more processors.

That is, the cognitive function testing method according to this embodiment is a method for testing the cognitive function of the subject P1 using the cognitive function testing system 1 according to this embodiment. In this cognitive function testing method, as described above, the n questions Q1 asked in the first test S12 correspond to the n questions Q2 asked in the second test S14. Therefore, the n first answers A1 to the n questions Q1 and the n second answers A2 to the n questions Q2 also correspond to each other. Therefore, by comparing the n first answers A1 and the n second answers A2, it is possible to determine whether the speech content of the subject P1 is based on the experience of the subject P1, and it is possible to improve the evaluation accuracy of the cognitive function of the subject P1.

In addition, in the cognitive function testing method according to this embodiment, the order of the n questions Q1 in the first test S12 is different from the order of the n questions Q2 in the second test S14. Therefore, compared to a case in which the order of the n questions Q1 and the order of the n questions Q2 are the same, it is possible to place a load on the cognitive function of the subject P1, and further improvement in the evaluation accuracy of the cognitive function of the subject P1 is expected.

In addition, in the cognitive function testing method according to this embodiment, n questions Q1 and n questions Q2 are presented by voice. Therefore, for example, even if the visual function of subject P1 is impaired, it is possible to correctly test the cognitive function.

Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cognitive function testing system 1, including the cognitive function testing method according to this embodiment. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of questions Q1, Q2 and answers A1, A2 in the first test S12 and the second test S14 performed by the cognitive function testing system 1.

When the subject P1 presses the start button on the operation unit 24 of the smart speaker 2, the cognitive function testing system 1 starts testing the cognitive function of the subject P1 and first executes the first test S12 of the testing step S1. During the first test S12, the smart speaker 2 outputs guidance G1 from the speaker saying, "Please feel free to respond to each of the following questions in clear sentences" (S11).

In the first test S12, the cognitive function testing system 1 first asks a first question Q11, "Please tell me about the most memorable event that happened yesterday" (S121). At this time, the smart speaker 2 outputs the first question Q11 by voice. In response to the first question Q11 from the smart speaker 2, the subject P1 speaks a first answer A11, "Um, I went to a department store yesterday."

Next, in the first test S12, the cognitive function test system 1 asks the first question Q12, "Please tell us about the most memorable event that occurred in the past week" (S122). At this time, the smart speaker 2 outputs the first question Q12 by voice. In response to the first question Q12 from the smart speaker 2, the subject P1 utters the first answer A12, "Well, I was riding a bicycle and got injured."

Furthermore, in the first test S12, the cognitive function testing system 1 asks a first question Q13, "Please tell us about the most memorable event that occurred in the past month" (S123). At this time, the smart speaker 2 outputs the first question Q13 by voice. In response to the first question Q13 from the smart speaker 2, the subject P1 speaks a first answer A13, "Well, my grandchild came to play, and, uh, I cooked." These first answers A11, A12, and A13 are transmitted from the smart speaker 2 to the cognitive function testing system 1 via the network 3.

In the cognitive function testing system 1, the analysis unit 112 performs acoustic analysis and linguistic analysis on the first answers A11, A12, and A13, and outputs the analysis results to the evaluation unit 113. The evaluation unit 113 performs the first evaluation S31 based on the analysis results of the analysis unit 112. If the evaluation unit 113 determines in the first evaluation S31 that the first test S12 needs to be retested, it causes the testing unit 111 to perform the first test S12 retest (S124). If the evaluation unit 113 determines that the first test S12 does not need to be retested, it causes the testing unit 111 to perform intermediate guidance S13. In the intermediate guidance S13, for example, a topic G2 unrelated to the first test S12 and the second test S14, such as today's news, is introduced. This makes it possible to cause memory interference in the subject P1.

After executing intermediate guidance S13 in test step S1, the cognitive function testing system 1 provides guidance, for example, "We will ask you the same question again," and then performs the second test S14.

In the second test S14, the cognitive function testing system 1 first asks a second question Q23, "Please tell us about the most memorable event that occurred in the past month" (S143). At this time, the smart speaker 2 outputs the second question Q23 by voice. In response to the second question Q23 from the smart speaker 2, the subject P1 speaks a second answer A23, "Um, I had dinner with my grandchild."

Next, in the second test S14, the cognitive function testing system 1 asks a second question Q22, "Please tell us about the most memorable event that occurred in the past week" (S142). At this time, the smart speaker 2 outputs the second question Q22 by voice. In response to the second question Q22 from the smart speaker 2, the subject P1 speaks a second answer A22, "I was injured while riding a bicycle."

Furthermore, in the second test S14, the cognitive function testing system 1 asks a second question Q21, "Please tell us about the most memorable event that happened yesterday" (S141). At this time, the smart speaker 2 outputs the second question Q21 by voice. In response to the second question Q21 from the smart speaker 2, the subject P1 speaks a second answer A21, "I bought some clothes at a department store yesterday." These second answers A21, A22, and A23 are transmitted from the smart speaker 2 to the cognitive function testing system 1 via the network 3.

In the cognitive function testing system 1, the analysis unit 112 performs acoustic analysis and linguistic analysis on the second answers A21, A22, and A23, and outputs the analysis results to the evaluation unit 113. The evaluation unit 113 performs a second evaluation S32 based on the analysis results of the analysis unit 112. In the second evaluation S32, the evaluation unit 113 may determine whether or not a retest of the second test S14 is necessary, as described above.

If the ratio of each of the first answers A11, A12, and A13 to the reference data B1 in the first evaluation S31 is equal to or greater than a certain value, and if the first answers A11, A12, and A13 and the second answers A21, A22, and A23 match in the second evaluation S32, the evaluation unit 113 evaluates that the subject P1 is a healthy individual. Also, if the ratio of each of the first answers A11, A12, and A13 to the reference data B1 in the first evaluation S31 is smaller than a certain value, and if the first answers A11, A12, and A13 and the second answers A21, A22, and A23 match in the second evaluation S32, the evaluation unit 113 evaluates that the subject P1 has mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Furthermore, if the first answers A11, A12, A13 and the second answers A21, A22, A23 are different in the second evaluation S32, the evaluation unit 113 evaluates that the subject P1 has dementia.

Then, the evaluation unit 113 outputs the evaluation result G3, which includes the fact that the cognitive function of the subject P1 is normal, for example, as audio from the speaker of the smart speaker 2 (S4).

(5) Modifications The above-described embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. In addition, a function similar to the cognitive function assessment method according to the above-described embodiment may be embodied in a cognitive function testing system 1, a (computer) program, or a non-transitory recording medium on which a program is recorded, etc. A program according to one aspect is a program for executing the above-described cognitive function testing method on one or more processors.

Below, we list some variations of the above-mentioned embodiment. The variations described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

(5.1) Modification 1
In the first evaluation S31, the evaluation unit 113 may use the relative relationship of the fluency of the multiple first answers A1 to the multiple first questions Q1 to evaluate the cognitive function of the subject P1 by comparing it with the relative relationship of the memory amounts M11, M21, and M31 that can be expected for the multiple first questions Q1. That is, in the evaluation step S3, the evaluation unit 113 may use the relative relationship of the multiple first answers A1 to the multiple first questions Q1 to evaluate the cognitive function of the subject P1. Hereinafter, the cognitive function testing system 1 and the cognitive function testing method according to the first modification example will be described.

When the subject P1 is a healthy individual, as shown in FIG. 5, the memory amount M11 of the subject P1 is the largest for the first question Q11, which is the most recent event, and the memory amount M113 for the first question Q13, which is the oldest event, is the smallest. When the subject P1 speaks in response to the first question Q11, the memory amount M111 is large, so the subject P1 can speak fluently. On the other hand, when the subject P1 speaks in response to the first question Q13, the memory amount M113 is small, so the subject P1 has to speak while remembering, and cannot speak as fluently as in the case of the first question Q11. In this way, when the subject P1 is a healthy individual, it can be seen that the more the memory amount M11 is, the better the fluency, and the less the memory amount M11 is, the worse the fluency. The same is true when the subject P1 has mild cognitive impairment.

On the other hand, if subject P1 has dementia, subject P1 does not have memory capacity M31 for multiple first questions Q1, as shown in Figure 7, and will confabulate in response to multiple first questions Q1, as described above. Therefore, if subject P1 has dementia, there is no relationship between memory capacity M31 and fluency as described above.

Therefore, in evaluation step S3, the evaluation unit 113 is able to evaluate (judge) whether or not the subject P1 has dementia based on the relative relationship of the fluency of the multiple first answers A1 to the multiple first questions Q1.

(5.2) Other Modifications The cognitive function testing system 1 in the present disclosure includes a computer system in, for example, the control unit 11. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The processor executes a program recorded in the memory of the computer system to realize the function of the cognitive function testing system 1 in the present disclosure. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, may be provided through an electric communication line, or may be recorded and provided in a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive that can be read by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits such as IC or LSI here are called by different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Furthermore, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the manufacture of an LSI, or a logic device that allows reconfiguration of the connection relationship within the LSI or reconfiguration of the circuit partition within the LSI, can also be adopted as a processor. The electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip, or may be distributed among multiple chips. The chips may be integrated into one device, or may be distributed among multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

In addition, it is not an essential configuration of the cognitive function testing system 1 that multiple functions in the cognitive function testing system 1 are concentrated in one housing. The components of the cognitive function testing system 1 may be distributed across multiple housings. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the cognitive function testing system 1 may be realized by the cloud (cloud computing) or the like.

Conversely, in the above-described embodiment, at least some of the functions of the cognitive function testing system 1 that are distributed across multiple devices may be consolidated within a single housing.

In the above embodiment, the cognitive function testing system 1 is a cloud server, but the cognitive function testing system 1 may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, or a personal computer. Furthermore, the cognitive function testing system 1 may be, for example, a smart speaker.

In the above embodiment, the number of questions posed in the first test S12 is the same as the number of questions posed in the second test S14, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the number of questions posed in the first test S12 may be greater or less than the number of questions posed in the second test S14. Furthermore, the number of questions may include at least n questions, and may include more than n questions.

In the above-described embodiment, the multiple questions in the first test S12 and the multiple questions in the second test S14 are all the same questions, but it is sufficient that at least two questions in the first test S12 and two questions in the second test S14 are the same questions.

In the above embodiment, the three first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 in the first test S12 and the three second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23 in the second test S14 are all questions with the same content, but it is sufficient that at least some of the questions have the same content. For example, only the first question Q11 and the second question Q21 may be questions with the same content.

In the above embodiment, three first questions Q1 are asked as the multiple questions in the first test S12, and three second questions Q2 are asked as the multiple questions in the second test S14, but this is not limited to this. For example, three first questions Q1 may be included in the multiple questions, and in this case, the remaining questions of the multiple questions other than the three first questions Q1 may be, for example, questions for eliciting a first answer A1 to the three first questions Q1. Similarly, three second questions Q2 may be included in the multiple questions, and in this case, the remaining questions of the multiple questions other than the three second questions Q2 may be, for example, questions for eliciting a second answer A2 to the three second questions Q2.

In the above embodiment, the order of the three first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 in the first test S12 is reversed from the order of the three second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23 in the second test S14, but the order of the two may be different. For example, the order of the first question Q11, the first question Q12, and the first question Q13 in the first test S12 may be, and the order of the second question Q21, the second question Q23, and the second question Q22 in the second test S14 may be.

In the above embodiment, in the first test S12, three first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 are asked in order starting from the first question Q11, which is directed to the newest event in chronological order. In contrast, in the first test S12, three first questions Q11, Q12, and Q13 may be asked in order starting from the first question Q13, which is directed to the oldest event in chronological order. Also, in the above embodiment, in the second test S14, three second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23 are asked in order starting from the second question Q23, which is directed to the oldest event in chronological order. In contrast, in the second test S14, three second questions Q21, Q22, and Q23 may be asked in order starting from the second question Q21, which is directed to the newest event in chronological order.

(summary)
As described above, the cognitive function testing method according to the first aspect includes a testing step (S1) and an evaluation step (S3). The testing step (S1) is a step of conducting a first test (S12) and a second test (S14) in which a plurality of questions including n (n is a natural number of 2 or more) questions (Q1, Q2) corresponding to each other are asked. The evaluation step (S3) is a step of evaluating the cognitive function of the subject (P1) based on both n first answers (A1) to the n questions (Q1) in the first test (S12) and n second answers (A2) to the n questions (Q2) in the second test (S14). In the testing step (S1), the second test (S14) is conducted after the first test (S12). In this cognitive function testing method, the order of the n questions (Q1) in the first test (S12) is different from the order of the n questions (Q2) in the second test (S14). The cognitive function testing method is executed by one or more processors.

According to this aspect, the order of the n questions (Q1) in the first test (S12) is different from the order of the n questions (Q2) in the second test (S14), thereby making it possible to improve the accuracy of the assessment of the cognitive function of the subject (P1).

In the cognitive function testing method of the second aspect, in the first aspect, the order of the n questions (Q1) in the first test (S12) and the order of the n questions (Q2) in the second test (S14) are reversed.

According to this aspect, the n questions (Q2) in the second test (S14) are asked in the reverse order of the n questions (Q1) in the first test (S12), thereby making it possible to improve the accuracy of the assessment of the cognitive function of the subject (P1).

In the cognitive function testing method of the third aspect, in the first or second aspect, the number of questions in the first test (S12) is the same as the number of questions in the second test (S14).

This aspect has the advantage that it is easy to compare the test results of the first test (S12) and the second test (S14).

In the cognitive function testing method of the fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, at least a portion of the multiple questions in the first test (S12) and at least a portion of the multiple questions in the second test (S14) have the same content.

This embodiment has the advantage of making it easier to evaluate the cognitive function of the subject (P1).

In the cognitive function testing method of the fifth aspect, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the n questions (Q1) in the first test (S12) and the n questions (Q2) in the second test (S14) are questions about the same item.

This embodiment has the advantage of making it easier to evaluate the cognitive function of the subject (P1).

In the cognitive function testing method of the sixth aspect, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, in the evaluation step (S3), the cognitive function of the subject (P1) is evaluated by comparing a first evaluation (S31) based on n first answers (A1) with a second evaluation (S32) based on n second answers (A2).

According to this aspect, it is possible to evaluate the cognitive function of the subject (P1) simply by comparing the first evaluation (S31) and the second evaluation (S32).

In the cognitive function testing method according to the seventh aspect, in the sixth aspect, in the evaluation step (S3), the cognitive function of the subject (P1) is evaluated based on the degree of agreement between the first evaluation (S31) and the second evaluation (S32).

According to this aspect, it is possible to evaluate the cognitive function of the subject (P1) based on the degree of agreement between the first evaluation (S31) and the second evaluation (S32).

In the cognitive function testing method relating to the eighth aspect, in the sixth or seventh aspect, each of the first evaluation (S31) and the second evaluation (S32) includes a relative evaluation with respect to a reference value.

According to this aspect, it is possible to evaluate the cognitive function of the subject (P1) simply by comparing each of the first evaluation (S31) and the second evaluation (S32) with a reference value.

In the cognitive function testing method of the ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the events that are the subject of each of the n questions (Q1, Q2) are arranged in chronological order.

According to this aspect, when the n questions (Q1) in the first test (S12) and the n questions (Q2) in the second test (S14) are asked in the reverse order, it is possible to appropriately set the time until the n questions (Q2) are asked in the second test (S14).

In the cognitive function testing method according to the tenth aspect, in the ninth aspect, in the first test (S12), n questions (Q1) are asked in sequence starting from a question (Q11) that is about the most recent event in the chronological order. In the second test (S14), n questions (Q2) are asked in sequence starting from a question (Q23) that is about the oldest event in the chronological order.

According to this aspect, the time until n questions (Q2) are asked in the second test (S14) can be appropriately set.

In the cognitive function testing method according to the eleventh aspect, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, in the testing step (S1), intermediate guidance (S13) unrelated to the first test (S12) and the second test (S14) is provided between the first test (S12) and the second test (S14).

According to this aspect, the intermediate guidance (S13) makes it possible to cause memory interference in the subject (P1).

In the cognitive function testing method of the 12th aspect, in any one of the first to 11th aspects, a plurality of questions are asked by voice in each of the first test (S12) and the second test (S14).

According to this embodiment, it is possible to test cognitive function even if the subject (P1) has impaired visual function.

The program relating to the thirteenth aspect is a program for causing one or more processors to execute a cognitive function testing method of any one of the first to twelfth aspects.

According to this aspect, the order of the n questions (Q1) in the first test (S12) is different from the order of the n questions (Q2) in the second test (S14), thereby making it possible to improve the accuracy of the assessment of the cognitive function of the subject (P1).

The cognitive function testing system (1) according to the fourteenth aspect includes a testing unit (111) and an evaluation unit (113). The testing unit (111) performs a first test (S12) and a second test (S14) in which a plurality of questions including n (n is a natural number equal to or greater than 2) questions (Q1, Q2) corresponding to each other are asked. The evaluation unit (113) evaluates the cognitive function of the subject (P1) based on both the n first answers (A1) to the n questions (Q1) in the first test (S12) and the n second answers (A2) to the n questions (Q2) in the second test (S14). The testing unit (111) performs the second test (S14) after performing the first test (S12). In this cognitive function testing system (1), the order of the n questions (Q1) in the first test (S12) is different from the order of the n questions (Q2) in the second test (S14).

According to this aspect, the order of the n questions (Q1) in the first test (S12) is different from the order of the n questions (Q2) in the second test (S14), thereby making it possible to improve the accuracy of the assessment of the cognitive function of the subject (P1).

The configurations relating to the second to twelfth aspects are not essential for the cognitive function testing method and may be omitted as appropriate.

1 Cognitive function testing system 111 Testing unit 113 Evaluation unit A1 First answer A2 Second answer P1 Subject Q1 First question (question)
Q2 Second Question (Question)
S1 Inspection step S3 Evaluation step S12 First inspection S13 Intermediate guidance S14 Second inspection S31 First evaluation S32 Second evaluation

Claims (12)

A method for operating a cognitive function testing system, comprising:
a test step of conducting a first test and a second test, each of which asks a plurality of questions including n questions (n is a natural number equal to or greater than 2);
and an evaluation step of evaluating a cognitive function of the subject based on both the n first answers to the n questions in the first test and the n second answers to the n questions in the second test,
the n questions in the first test and the n questions in the second test are in one-to-one correspondence;
each of the n questions in the first test has the same content as a corresponding question among the n questions in the second test;
In the inspection step, the first inspection is performed and then the second inspection is performed,
the order of the n questions in the first test is different from the order of the n questions in the second test;
The events targeted by each of the n questions are arranged in chronological order.
A method for operating a cognitive function testing system. the order of the n questions in the first test is reversed to the order of the n questions in the second test;
A method for operating the cognitive function testing system according to claim 1. the number of the plurality of questions in the first test is equal to the number of the plurality of questions in the second test;
A method for operating the cognitive function testing system according to claim 1 or 2. At least a portion of the plurality of questions in the first test and at least a portion of the plurality of questions in the second test have the same content.
A method for operating the cognitive function testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the n questions in the first test and the n questions in the second test are questions about the same item;
A method for operating the cognitive function testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. In the evaluation step, a first evaluation based on the n number of first responses and a second evaluation based on the n number of second responses are compared to evaluate the cognitive function of the subject.
A method for operating the cognitive function testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. In the evaluation step, a cognitive function of the subject is evaluated based on a degree of agreement between the first evaluation and the second evaluation.
A method for operating the cognitive function testing system according to claim 6. Each of the first evaluation and the second evaluation includes a relative evaluation with respect to a reference value.
A method for operating the cognitive function testing system according to claim 6 or 7. In the first test, the n questions are asked in order starting from the question targeting the most recent event in time series;
In the second test, the n questions are asked in order starting from the question targeting the oldest event in time series.
A method for operating the cognitive function testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8. In the inspection step, intermediate guidance not related to the first inspection and the second inspection is performed between the first inspection and the second inspection.
A method for operating the cognitive function testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9. Presenting the plurality of questions by voice in each of the first test and the second test;
A method for operating the cognitive function testing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10. an inspection unit that performs a first inspection and a second inspection, each of which asks a plurality of questions including n questions (n is a natural number equal to or greater than 2);
an evaluation unit that evaluates a cognitive function of the subject based on both the n first answers to the n questions in the first test and the n second answers to the n questions in the second test,
the n questions in the first test and the n questions in the second test are in one-to-one correspondence;
each of the n questions in the first test has the same content as a corresponding question among the n questions in the second test;
The inspection unit performs the second inspection after performing the first inspection,
the order of the n questions in the first test is different from the order of the n questions in the second test;
The events targeted by each of the n questions are arranged in chronological order.
Cognitive function testing system.

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