Brain function decoding process and system

Abstract

A method of interpreting cognitive response to a stimulus is disclosed. The method includes collecting baseline neural activity data from a subject absent a stimulus. Neural activity data is collected while the subject is being stimulated through exposure to a stimulus. A unique three-dimensional cognitive engram is then plotted representative of cerebral regions of stimulated neural activity caused by the stimulus. A novel graphical representation is plotted in three dimensions to indicate the brain region response unique to that stimulus.

1 . A method of interpreting cognitive response comprising:
 collecting baseline neural activity data that maps a neural activation absent a stimulus onto neuronal structure of a subject brain;   exposing said subject to said stimulus;   collecting stimulated neural activity data from said subject while said subject is exposed to said stimulus; and   plotting a unique three-dimensional cognitive engram representative of the stimulated neural activity caused by said stimulus.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: compiling said cognitive engram in a database containing a plurality of engrams. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said plurality of engrams is derived from a plurality of stimuli that is different than said stimulus. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said stimulus is sensory. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said stimulus is viewing an image. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said stimulus is a verbal question of recall. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said stimulus is chemical. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising correlating said cognitive engram with a regimen of administration of said chemical. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said subject is a human. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said baseline data and said stimulated data are collected as a plurality of tomographic scans compiled as two-dimensional slices. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising performing an operation on said stimulated data prior to plotting said cognitive engram, said operation selected from the group consisting of: correcting for subject movement artifact, reprocessing sequential images, blood oxygen level dependency consideration and statistical deformation modeling. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising harvesting subject movement artifact overlap data to increase the quantity of said stimulated data prior to plotting said cognitive engram. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said baseline data and said stimulated data are derived from arterial spin labeling and dynamic susceptibility weighted contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said baseline and said stimulated data are derived from magnetization transfer and diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance imaging with whole brain tissue histogram analysis. 
   
   
       15 . A graphical representation of cognitive activity comprising a three-dimensional plot matching of brain imaging scan data with a stimulus, said plot prepared absent input of stimulus encoding rules within a subject brain. 
   
   
       16 . The graphical representation of  claim 15  wherein said plot is unique to said stimulus and reproducible upon reintroducing said stimulus. 
   
   
       17 . A method of questioning a subject comprising:
 generating a graphical representation according to  claim 15  for a known truth and a second graphical representation according to  claim 15  for a known falsehood; and   generating a graphical representation according to  claim 15  in response to a stimulus intended to elicit a true or false cognitive response in said subject.   
   
   
       18 . A method of objectively measuring subject status comprising:
 generating a graphical representation according to  claim 15  from said subject and   comparing said graphical representation to a control.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein a subject's state is selected from the group consisting of: physiology, psychological disease state, response to a chemical stimulus, and a level of pain. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the subject's state is response to a chemical stimulus, wherein said chemical stimulus is induced by administration of a drug selected from the group consisting of: interferon, quinolones, neuroleptics, serotonin-active drugs, and alcohol.