System and method for delivering sensory stimulation to a user to enhance a cognitive domain in the user

A method for delivering sensory stimulation to a user to enhance a target cognitive domain in the user during a sleep session with a sensory stimulation system, the system comprising one or more sensory stimulators, one or more sensors, and one or more hardware processors configured by machine readable instructions, the method comprising:

• providing, with the one or more sensory stimulators, sensory stimulation to the user during the sleep session;
• generating, with the one or more sensors, output signals conveying information related to brain activity of the user during the sleep session;
• obtaining, with the one or more hardware processors, an indication of the target cognitive domain for enhancement in the user, the target cognitive domain associated with a stimulation strategy and a quantification method for quantifying an effect of sensory stimulation delivered according to the stimulation strategy, the stimulation strategy indicating a pattern, a timing, and/or an intensity of the sensory stimulation provided to the user;
• determining, with the one or more hardware processors, one or more brain activity parameters of the user during the sleep session based on the output signals;
• determining, with the one or more hardware processors, whether the one or more brain activity parameters indicate the user is in sufficiently deep sleep;
• and
• responsive to the one or more brain activity parameters indicating the user is in sufficiently deep sleep, causing, with the one or more hardware processors, the one or more sensory stimulators to provide the sensory stimulation to the user according to the stimulation strategy associated with the target cognitive domain, and applying different stimulation strategies depending on which cognitive domain is targeted, and determining, with the one or more hardware processors, the effect of the sensory stimulation provided to the user using the quantification method associated with the stimulation strategy and the target cognitive domain,
• wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to cause the one or more sensory stimulators to provide the sensory stimulation to the user according to the stimulation strategy associated with memory consolidation, vigilance, verbal fluency, and sleepiness target cognitive domains, and wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to determine the effect of the sensory stimulation provided to the user using the quantification method associated with memory consolidation, vigilance, verbal fluency, and sleepiness target cognitive domains,
• wherein the stimulation strategy associated with the memory consolidation target cognitive domain includes a block stimulation strategy and the stimulation strategies associated with the vigilance, verbal fluency, and sleepiness target cognitive domains each include a continuous stimulation strategy,
• wherein the quantification method associated with the memory consolidation target cognitive domain includes determining a slow wave activity change in the user during “on” and “off” blocks of sensory stimulation during the sleep session, the quantification method associated with the vigilance target cognitive domain includes determining average slow wave activity across NREM sleep in the user during the sleep session, the quantification method associated with the verbal fluency target cognitive domain includes determining total slow wave activity in the user during deep sleep in the sleep session, and the quantification method associated with the sleepiness target cognitive domain includes determining the average slow wave activity in the user during the sleep session.

A system for delivering sensory stimulation to a user to enhance a target cognitive domain in the user during a sleep session, the system comprising:

• means for providing sensory stimulation to the user during the sleep session;
• means for generating output signals conveying information related to brain activity of the user during the sleep session;
• means for obtaining an indication of the target cognitive domain for enhancement in the user, the target cognitive domain associated with a stimulation strategy and a quantification method for quantifying an effect of sensory stimulation delivered according to the stimulation strategy, the stimulation strategy indicating a pattern, a timing, and/or an intensity of the sensory stimulation provided to the user;
• means for determining one or more brain activity parameters of the user during the sleep session based on the output signals;
• means for determining whether the one or more brain activity parameters indicate the user is in sufficiently deep sleep;
• and
• means for, responsive to the one or more brain activity parameters indicating the user is in sufficiently deep sleep, causing the one or more sensory stimulators to provide the sensory stimulation to the user according to the stimulation strategy associated with the target cognitive domain, and applying different stimulation strategies depending on which cognitive domain is targeted, and determining the effect of the sensory stimulation provided to the user using the quantification method associated with the stimulation strategy and the target cognitive domain,
• wherein the means for causing the one or more sensory stimulators to provide the sensory stimulation to the user are configured to cause the one or more sensory stimulators to provide the sensory stimulation to the user according to the stimulation strategy associated with memory consolidation, vigilance, verbal fluency, and sleepiness target cognitive domains, and are configured by machine readable instructions to determine the effect of the sensory stimulation provided to the user using the quantification method associated with memory consolidation, vigilance, verbal fluency, and sleepiness target cognitive domains,
• wherein the stimulation strategy associated with the memory consolidation target cognitive domain includes a block stimulation strategy and the stimulation strategies associated with the vigilance, verbal fluency, and sleepiness target cognitive domains each include a continuous stimulation strategy,
• wherein the quantification method associated with the memory consolidation target cognitive domain includes determining a slow wave activity change in the user during “on” and “off” blocks of sensory stimulation during the sleep session, the quantification method associated with the vigilance target cognitive domain includes determining average slow wave activity across NREM sleep in the user during the sleep session, the quantification method associated with the verbal fluency target cognitive domain includes determining total slow wave activity in the user during deep sleep in the sleep session, and the quantification method associated with the sleepiness target cognitive domain includes determining the average slow wave activity in the user during the sleep session.