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EP-4736750-A2 - TEST METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EVALUATING COGNITIVE FUNCTION DECLINE

EP4736750A2EP 4736750 A2EP4736750 A2EP 4736750A2EP-4736750-A2

Abstract

A test method for evaluating cognitive function decline is provided. The test method being executed by a processor of a test apparatus for evaluating cognitive function decline. The method comprising: performing a testing stage of calculating, for a user, a test score for each of a plurality of test items; and performing an evaluating stage of evaluating whether there is cognitive function decline in one neurocognitive category, based on a test score of the at least one test item, the at least one test item being a test item classified as the one neurocognitive category from among a plurality of neurocognitive categories. The testing stage comprises: performing a (2-1)th testing stage of executing a test corresponding to a (2-1)th test item for evaluating an ability to learn words or pictures while being provided with a pre-set category cue, and calculating a (2-1)th test score, performing a (2-2)th testing stage, after a pre-set time has elapsed from completion of the (2-1)th testing stage, of executing a test corresponding to a (2-2)th test item for evaluating how many of the words or pictures learned in the (2-1)th testing stage are remembered, and calculating a (2-2)th test score, and performing an interference testing stage executed between the (2-1)th testing stage and the (2-2)th testing stage.

Inventors

  • NOH, YOO HUN
  • KIM, HAI RIN
  • KIM, JU HYE

Assignees

  • Emocog Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230502

Claims (12)

  1. A test method for evaluating cognitive function decline, the test method being executed by a processor of a test apparatus for evaluating cognitive function decline, the method comprising: performing a testing stage of calculating, for a user, a test score for each of a plurality of test items; and performing an evaluating stage of evaluating whether there is cognitive function decline in one neurocognitive category, based on a test score of the at least one test item, the at least one test item being a test item classified as the one neurocognitive category from among a plurality of neurocognitive categories, wherein the testing stage comprises: performing a (2-1)th testing stage of executing a test corresponding to a (2-1)th test item for evaluating an ability to learn words or pictures while being provided with a pre-set category cue, and calculating a (2-1)th test score, performing a (2-2)th testing stage, after a pre-set time has elapsed from completion of the (2-1)th testing stage, of executing a test corresponding to a (2-2)th test item for evaluating how many of the words or pictures learned in the (2-1)th testing stage are remembered, and calculating a (2-2)th test score, and performing an interference testing stage executed between the (2-1)th testing stage and the (2-2)th testing stage.
  2. The test method of claim 1, wherein the (2-1)th testing stage comprises: displaying a plurality of presented words and providing a (2-1)th instruction to select, from among the plurality of presented words, a word corresponding to the pre-set category cue; receiving a word selection result indicating which word among the plurality of presented words has been selected in response to the (2-1)th instruction; and calculating the (2-1)th test score by comparing the word selection result with a correct word.
  3. The test method of claim 1, wherein the (2-2)th testing stage comprises: providing, together with a pre-set presented word, a (2-2)th instruction to select whether the pre-set presented word was presented in a previous test; and calculating the (2-2)th test score by comparing a selection result indicating whether the pre-set presented word was previously presented with a correct word.
  4. The test method of claim 1, wherein the interference testing stage comprises at least one testing stage selected from a third testing stage to a tenth testing stage.
  5. The test method of claim 4, wherein the interference testing stage comprises: performing a third testing stage of executing a test on a third test item for evaluating how accurately and quickly an arbitrary number matched with a presented symbol image is selected within a pre-set time limit by looking at the presented symbol image, and calculating a third test score.
  6. The test method of claim 5, wherein the performing of the third testing stage comprises: displaying an arbitrary symbol image at the center of a screen and providing a third instruction to choose, within a third time limit, an arbitrary number matched with an image identical to the arbitrary symbol image; receiving a choice result for the arbitrary number matched with the image identical to the arbitrary symbol image in response to the third instruction; and calculating the third test score by comparing the choice result with a correct answer.
  7. The test method of claim 1, wherein the (2-1)th test item comprises a learning test among a language clue memory test.
  8. The test method of claim 1, wherein the (2-2)th test item comprises a recognition test among a language clue memory test.
  9. The test method of claim 1, wherein the (2-1)th testing stage comprises: displaying a plurality of presented pictures and providing a (2-1)th instruction to select, from among the plurality of presented pictures, a picture corresponding to the pre-set category cue; receiving a picture selection result indicating which picture among the plurality of presented pictures has been selected in response to the (2-1)th instruction; and calculating the (2-1)th test score by comparing the picture selection result with a correct picture.
  10. The test method of claim 1, wherein the (2-2)th testing stage comprises: providing, together with a pre-set presented picture, a (2-2)th instruction to select whether the pre-set presented picture was presented in a previous test; and calculating the (2-2)th test score by comparing a selection result indicating whether the pre-set presented picture was previously presented with a correct picture.
  11. The test method of claim 1, further comprising performing a category classifying stage of classifying at least one test item from among the plurality of test items as the one neurocognitive category from among a plurality of neurocognitive categories.
  12. A test apparatus for evaluating cognitive function decline, the test apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory operatively connected to the processor and storing program code portions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0054152, filed on 05 02, 2022, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. BACKGROUND 1. Field The disclosure relates to a test method and apparatus for evaluating a cognitive function decline. 2. Description of the Related Art As the aging society continues, the number of dementia patients is rapidly increasing. However, there is no cure for dementia. In this regard, the most innovative counterplan for dementia is preventive treatment by detecting, at an early stage, mild cognitive impairment that is highly likely to develop into dementia. The mild cognitive impairment indicates a state of high-risk group in a pre-dementia stage. About 10 to 15 % of mild cognitive impairment patients are reported to have dementia. However, there is no standardized diagnosis method for mild cognitive impairment, and a doctor treats a patient face-to-face and determines the mild cognitive impairment by comprehensively examining a condition of the patient. General tests for evaluating cognitive function decline mainly consist of tests that evaluate memory. Such tests are effective when Alzheimer's disease characterized by memory decline is evaluated, but may have low accuracy when another dementia characterized by cognitive function decline other than memory is evaluated. The aforementioned background technology is technical information possessed by the inventor for derivation of the disclosure or acquired by the inventor during the derivation of the disclosure, and is not necessarily prior art disclosed to the public before the application of the disclosure. SUMMARY One aspect of the disclosure is to provide a user interface that is explicit and easy to understand during a test for evaluating cognitive function decline online. One aspect of the disclosure is to perform a test by directly involving a user and reduce involvement of a tester, during a test for evaluating cognitive function decline online. One aspect of the disclosure is to immediately identify a test result after a test for evaluating cognitive function decline online is completed, and enable tracing by identifying a stored past result. Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments of the disclosure. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a test method for evaluating cognitive function decline is executed by a processor of a test apparatus for evaluating cognitive function decline, and includes performing a testing stage of testing how many missions presented for each of a plurality of test items a user performs, and calculating a test score for each of the plurality of test items, performing a category classifying stage of classifying at least one test item from among the plurality of test items as one neurocognitive category from among a plurality of neurocognitive categories, and performing an evaluating stage of evaluating whether there is cognitive function decline in the one neurocognitive category, based on a test score of the at least one test item classified as the one neurocognitive category. According to another embodiment of the disclosure, a test apparatus for evaluating cognitive function decline includes a processor, and a memory operatively connected to the processor and storing at least one code performed by the processor, wherein the memory stores at least one code which, when executed through the processor, causes the processor to perform test processes of testing how may missions presented for each of a plurality of test items a user performs, and calculating a test score for each of the plurality of test items, perform a category classification process of classifying at least one test item from among the plurality of test items as one neurocognitive category from among a plurality of neurocognitive categories, and perform an evaluation process of evaluating whether there is cognitive function decline in the one neurocognitive category, based on a test score of the at least one test item classified as the one neurocognitive category. In addition, provided are another method for implementing the disclosure, another system for implementing the disclosure, and a computer-readable recording medium having stored therein a computer program for executing the method. Other aspects, features, and advantages may become clear from the following drawings, the claims, and the detailed description of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a diagram of a tes