RU2303947C2 - Method for determining psychic condition - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: method involves fixing face image vertically divided into right and left half. Two images containing the right and the left half of the face image are built. The produced images are subjected to anthropological, anthropometrical and psychosomatic analysis. Differences in facial expression and asymmetry degree of two images under comparison are detected. The obtained results are associated to the degree the psychic processes are expressed. The differences are expressed in the fixed parameters used in performing dynamic patient observation. Dynamic changes are fixed in following sequences of the like photos. Positive or negative dynamic change is described in terms of data showing if the differences between the right and the left face halves increase or reduce.

EFFECT: high reliability in determining psychic state of a person.

14 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to human psychophysiology and can be used in psychology, medicine, education, law, forensic medical examination, insurance, sociology, banking.

It is already known that the method of determining the mental state of an individual by the position of facial muscles, taking into account the degree of symmetry of their location in appearance, taking into account the emotional state, in particular, in a state of mental balance. In healthy people, facial expressions of the left side of the face reflect the emotional state to a greater extent than facial expressions of the right half, which also indicates the predominance of the mechanisms of the right hemisphere in the processes of expression of emotions. A more pronounced manifestation of the manifestations of emotions of the left half of the face is confirmed in special model experiments in which it was shown that emotions are recognized better in photographs composed of two left halves of the face (Krol V.M. Human psychophysiology. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2003, p. .296).

In the domestic practice of psychology, psychotherapy, mental states are determined using questionnaires, interviews, tests, and also using a polygraph (Eliseev O.P. Workshop on personality psychology. St. Petersburg: Peter, 2003, pp. 149-489).

The prototype of the present invention is the well-known method of measuring the emotional state of FAST, developed by P. Ekman, 1978, where the subject seeks the similarity of a particular emotion with photo standards of a special atlas of faces. The weak link is that the subject himself evaluates one or another emotion, i.e. makes its own subjective assessment, which is not always objective (Krol V.M. Human psychophysiology. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2003, p. 266).

However, to date, these techniques give mixed results that do not allow for the objectification of the research process and depend on the qualifications of the specialist and the subject. Along with this, it is difficult to take into account other uncontrolled examination factors. The polygraph does not allow assessing the mental state; it registers vegetative reactions to certain stimuli.

The aim of the present invention is to assess the mental state of an individual according to the position of facial muscles, taking into account the degree of symmetry of their location in appearance, taking into account the emotional state, in particular, in a state of mental balance.

This goal is achieved by the fact that assessments of psychosomatic processes and their consequences when comparing the right and left halves of a fixed face image are fixed, differences in the facial expressions and the degree of asymmetry of the compared elements are revealed, and based on an analysis of these differences, they judge the degree of coordination of cognitive, emotional, volitional and other physiological processes, in particular about the degree of balance of the psyche of the individual.

In order to objectify the study, the position of the muscles of the face in the form of a standardized image is fixed using technical means in the form of an image that is subjected to anthropological, anthropometric, psychosomatic and forensic analysis. Linking the results with the severity of mental processes, these changes are expressed in fixed parameters, which are used for dynamic observation of the patient, in subsequent series of similar photographs, the dynamics are recorded, and the data on the increase or decrease in the differences between the parts of the right and left half of the face.

A method for determining the mental state using a device, characterized in that it includes a face image fixing unit, a unit for dividing the resulting image into parts, in particular along the vertical axis, a unit for standardizing the position of the face during subsequent shootings, and a unit for evaluating the matched series of photographs and their elements during established terms of observation.

In Fig.1 shows the face of a healthy patient, in Fig.2 - she, the installation of the image of the face from the two right halves, a genetic portrait; figure 3 is the same, an installation of two left halves, a social portrait of a healthy patient; figure 4 - the initial portrait of the patient J., 48 years old; figure 5 is the same, the installation of the image of the face from the two right halves, a genetic portrait; 6 - she, an installation of two left halves, a social portrait; in Fig.7 - the original portrait of the patient G., 23 years old, in Fig.8 is the same, the installation of the image of the face from the two right halves, a genetic portrait; Fig.9 - it is, an installation of two left halves, a social portrait; figure 10 is the same, the installation of the image of the face from the two right halves, a genetic portrait of the patient before treatment; figure 11 is the same, the installation of the two left halves, a social portrait before treatment; in Fig.12 - the original portrait of the patient J., 48 years old; on Fig - it is the same, the installation of the image of the face from the two right halves, a genetic portrait; Fig - it is the same, the installation of the two left halves, a social portrait after treatment.

Example 1. - Norm

Photographing is done - the original image of figure 1, then the image is divided into left and right halves and the same halves are mirrored to them. Of the two right halves is a genetic portrait of figure 2, of the two left halves is a social portrait of figure 3.

In Fig. 1, we see a strong balanced personality, highly adaptive, realistically evaluating its capabilities and successfully interacting with others, i.e. in a state of mental and physical comfort. The differences between the portraits presented in figure 1 and figure 2 are insignificant, which indicates the stability of the psyche of this person.

Clinical example 2

Patient 48 years old, medical history No. 11755. Diagnosis: Hypertension II Art. Hypertensive crisis of May 22, 2004. Common osteochondrosis of the spine, disc herniation L4-L5, L5-S1. Shoulder-shoulder periorthritis on the right. Dyscirculatory encephalopathy of the 1st century, mainly in the vertebrobasilar system. Chronic calculous cholecystitis outside the acute phase. Psychological condition: Pronounced introversion, significantly expressed anxiety, fear, tightness, struggle of motives, low level of vital activity (asthenia), stubbornness, sadness - in connection with the death of my mother. In these two portraits, those features that are barely visible in the portrait shown in Fig. 4 are sharply enhanced.

Clinical example 3

Patient 23 years old, medical history No. 11741. Diagnosis: Community-acquired right-sided upper-lobe pneumonia of moderate severity. Respiratory failure, Art. Psychological state: Severe introversion, anxiety, a sense of doom (associated with intoxication), a slight tendency to depression. Self-esteem and level of social contacts, emotional difficulties in communication are reduced.

In Figs. 8 and 9, we see the mental state of the patient on the seventh day of treatment, and in Figs. 10 and 11 - before treatment, the first day in the hospital.

The present invention is unknown to specialists working in this field, despite the fact that for a long time there are different ways of researching a personality (personality questionnaires by Eysenck, Kettel, MMPI, etc.). By mimic activity, no one investigated the mental state.

Until now, there was no objective fixation of the mental state, while the dynamics of mental processes were evaluated subjectively.

Objectively, the assessment of the mental state was carried out arbitrarily, based on the experience and experience of a specialist, and was not recorded graphically, only in the form of documentary records.

We first proposed the objectification of the study of the psychological state. Despite the fact that from psychological practice it is known that there is an asymmetry of the brain, which is reflected on the face in the form of certain differences in the facial expression of the muscles, the face was not divided into two halves for the study of the mental state. No assessment of the mental state for diagnostic research and correction with an objective analysis and fixing of these differences in dynamics was performed, it all came down to the subjective assessment of a specialist, without dynamic control of the severity of these changes.

We were the first to propose dynamic fixation of the face image of the subject with a mandatory comparative analysis of the right and left halves of the captured image, with the identification of objective differences in time. It would seem that the well-known position that the left and right halves of the face have some differences. For the first time, to identify the significance of these differences, we have proposed a technique for creating artificial portraits consisting of mirror half faces (two left and two right) of the patient being examined, which ensured that a result unexpected for a specialist to dramatically increase these differences, which would seem to be invisible in the original portrait. An artificial combination of portraits from different halves of the face along the vertical axis allows the specialist to catch in the dynamics such changes that, when evaluating the original portrait, can slip away.

It would seem that the formal, obviously simple reception of a combination of two halves of the face and a comparative analysis of these portraits dramatically increases the possibility of the specialist eye perceiving the smallest changes in the facial muscles of the patient’s general expression and allows us to judge the dynamics of the disease and the effectiveness of the treatment used.

This seems surprising, since dynamic observation of a patient’s usual photograph does not allow experienced specialists to catch significant changes in the patient’s psycho-emotional state.

This creates an effect that is difficult to explain. When comparing two halves, all the signs increase four or more times and it is difficult not to catch them.

In total, quite extensive material has been accumulated at present, which makes it possible to judge the claimed method as a practical tool that provides a correct assessment of the mental state. The assessment is made from the experience of a specialist, but it should be borne in mind that increased visible signs can be caught faster when comparing material with other objective images, where these signs are reduced several times.

The possibility of evaluating the effectiveness with other diagnostic methods is not at all obvious to a specialist, although our practice has shown that our methodology significantly simplifies the monitoring of treatment effectiveness by simply observing facial expressions.

The fact that the demonstration of photographs of patients causes the phenomenon of self-correction in them and the patient becomes an ally was absolutely not obvious to specialists in psychologists and psychotherapists.

Claims (1)

A method for determining an individual’s mental state in dynamics, according to the position of facial muscles, taking into account their symmetry, characterized in that they fix the face image with the division into the right and left halves vertically, form two images consisting of the right and left halves of the captured face image, the resulting image subjected to anthropological, anthropometric, psychosomatic analysis, identify differences in facial expressions and the degree of asymmetry of the compared elements of the two images and link the obtained results with the severity of mental processes express these changes in the fixed parameters that are used for dynamic monitoring of the patient, in subsequent series of similar photographs, the dynamics are recorded, and the data on the increase or decrease in the differences between the parts of the right and left half of the face.

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