Analysis of marketing and entertainment effectiveness using magnetoencephalography

Abstract

Example methods, apparatus, systems and machine readable media are disclosed herein for analyzing magnetoencephalographic response data from subjects exposed to media. An example method includes identifying a degree of phase synchrony between a first pattern of oscillation in a first frequency band and a second pattern of oscillation in a second frequency band of magnetoencephalographic response data gathered from a subject exposed to an advertisement or entertainment. In the example method, the magnetoencephalographic response data comprises the first frequency band and the second frequency band. In addition, the example method includes determining an effectiveness of the advertisement or entertainment based on the degree of phase synchrony

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 identifying a degree of phase synchrony between a first pattern of oscillation in a first frequency band and a second pattern of oscillation in a second frequency band of magnetoencephalographic response data gathered from a subject exposed to an advertisement or entertainment, the magnetoencephalographic response data comprising the first frequency band and the second frequency band; and   determining an effectiveness of the advertisement or entertainment based on the degree of phase synchrony.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the degree of phase synchrony comprises detecting a repeating sequence of relative phase angles between the first pattern of oscillation in the first frequency band and the second pattern of oscillation in the second frequency band. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first frequency band is generated in a first region of a brain of the subject and the second frequency band is generated in a second region of the brain. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a first change between a first amplitude in the first frequency band and a second amplitude in the first frequency band;   determining a second change between a third amplitude in the second frequency band and a fourth amplitude in the second frequency band; and   determining the degree of phase synchrony based on the first change and the second change.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein determining the effectiveness of the advertisement or entertainment is based on a coherence between the first change and the second change. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first amplitude and the third amplitude occur at a first time and the second amplitude and the fourth amplitude occur at a second time different than the first time. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first frequency band comprises kappa band waves. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining dipole localization measurements based on the magnetoencephalography data. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first frequency band comprises a first range of frequencies gathered from a first region of the brain and the second frequency band comprises the first range of frequencies gathered from a second region of the brain. 
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 a storage memory comprising machine readable instructions; and   a processor to execute the instructions to:
 identify a degree of phase synchrony between a first pattern of oscillation in the first frequency band and a second pattern of oscillation in the second frequency band of magnetoencephalographic response data gathered from a subject exposed to an advertisement or entertainment, the magnetoencephalographic response data comprising the first frequency band and the second frequency band; and 
 determine an effectiveness of the advertisement or entertainment based on the degree of phase synchrony. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is to identify the degree of phase synchrony by detecting a repeating sequence of relative phase angles between the first pattern of oscillation in the first frequency band and the second pattern of oscillation in the second frequency band. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first frequency band is generated in a first region of a brain of the subject and the second frequency band is generated in a second region of the brain. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein
 the processor is further to:
 determine a first change between a first amplitude in the first frequency band and a second amplitude in the first frequency band; 
 determine a second change between a third amplitude in the second frequency band and a fourth amplitude in the second frequency band; and 
 determine the degree of phase synchrony based on the first change and the second change. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is to determine the effectiveness of the advertisement or entertainment based on a coherence between the first change and the second change. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the first amplitude and the third amplitude occur at a first time and the second amplitude and the fourth amplitude occur at a second time different than the first time. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first frequency band comprises kappa band waves. 
     
     
         17 . A machine readable storage device or storage disk comprising machine readable instructions which, when read, cause a machine to at least:
 identify a degree of phase synchrony between a first pattern of oscillation in the first frequency band and a second pattern of oscillation in the second frequency band of magnetoencephalographic response data gathered from a subject exposed to an advertisement or entertainment, the magnetoencephalographic response data comprising the first frequency band and the second frequency band; and   determine an effectiveness of the advertisement or entertainment based on the degree of phase synchrony.   
     
     
         18 . The storage device or storage disk of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to at least identify a degree of phase synchrony by detecting a repeating sequence of relative phase angles between the first pattern of oscillation in the first frequency band and the second pattern of oscillation in the second frequency band. 
     
     
         19 . The storage device or storage disk of  claim 17 , wherein the first frequency band is generated in a first region of a brain of the subject and the second frequency band is generated in a second region of the brain. 
     
     
         20 . The storage device or storage disk of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to at least:
 determine a first change between a first amplitude in the first frequency band and a second amplitude in the first frequency band;   determine a second change between a third amplitude in the second frequency band and a fourth amplitude in the second frequency band; and   determine the degree of phase synchrony based on the first change and the second change.   
     
     
         21 . The storage device or storage disk of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to at least determine the effectiveness of the advertisement or entertainment based on a coherence between the first change and the second change.