US 5,511,982 AGranted

Device for testing a person's attention

AssigneeRobert Pigache

InventorsRobert Pigache, Lothar Ludwig

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Abstract

In a device to test a person's attention or concentration ability, a series of digits is read out at a pre-determined, alterable speed by a speech recorder (62) and delivered by a speech generator (66) to headphones (10). The subject must press a button (16) every time a target (e.g. "0") is heard. Also every time a "0" is heard, a control unit (50) produces a window signal which is connected by an error logic circuit (70) to the key-press impulse. If the reaction is correct, the key-press impulse will be within the time window, and a counter (74) will accordingly increase the number of the "score". Any key-press impulse falling outside the time window is an omission error to be counted by another counter (75). The counter status is then analyzed to calculate an error index (I.sup.E).

Claims17

Dependent claims

Device for testing a person's attention, comprising:

speech memory means for generating stimuli, and means for reading said stimuli out at simultaneous time intervals from said speech memory means;
auditory stimulus generator means for rendering said stimuli audible to the person being tested and including loud-speaker or headphone means providing two channels for separate transmissions of sounds to the ears of said person, and a control unit including a switch unit by means of which either the same or different stimuli can be produced in the two channels;
key-press means adapted to be operated by the person being tested upon recognition of a specified target stimulus for delivering a corresponding key-press impulse;
recording means for sensing said key-press impulse and correlating the same with said target stimuli as well as with such stimuli as are different from said target stimuli;
and
time control means for producing time window signals of predetermined time intervals at each delivery of a target stimulus, and gating circuit means for combining said time window signals with said key-press impulses.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.