SYSTEM AND SIGNATURES FOR A MULTI-MODAL PHYSIOLOGICAL PERIODIC BIOMARKER ASSESSMENT
Methods for diagnosing Autism and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) of a subject include establishing baseline brain wave patterns of the subject by having the subject perform a series of task and measuring brain waves during the tasks using an EEG measurement device, applying a light stimulus or images to the subject's eyes and capturing eye movements and/or changes in facial expression in response to the light stimulus or images, and giving a neuropsychological and cognition battery of tasks to the subject to generate a provoked cognitive assessment of the subject. A processing device correlates the baseline brain wave patterns, eye movements and/or facial expressions, and provoked cognitive assessment of the subject to profile data indicative of Autism and/or ASD. The corresponding system may also include an auditory testing device that tests the subject's sensitivity to sound and records the subject's speech in response to verbal tasks. The processing device performs language processing of the recorded speech and correlates the processed language to the profile data indicative of Autism and/or ASD.
1 . A method of diagnosing Autism and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) of a subject, comprising:
a) establishing baseline brain wave patterns of the subject by having the subject perform a series of task and measuring brain waves during said tasks using an EEG measurement device;
b) applying a light stimulus or images to the subject's eyes and capturing eye movements and/or changes in facial expression in response to the light stimulus or images;
c) giving a neuropsychological and cognition battery of tasks to the subject to generate a provoked cognitive assessment of the subject; and
d) correlating the baseline brain wave patterns, eye movements and/or facial expressions, and provoked cognitive assessment of the subject to profile data indicative of Autism and/or ASD.
2 . A method as in claim 1 , further comprising repeating steps a) through d) periodically.
3 . A method as in claim 1 , wherein said step of establishing baseline brain wave patterns includes performing saccade and/or anti-saccade tests on the subject.
4 . A method as in claim 1 , wherein said step of applying light stimulus or images to the subject's eyes include showing the subject static images to evoke emotional responses.
5 . A method as in claim 1 , wherein said step of applying light stimulus or images to the subject's eyes include showing the subject dynamic images to evoke emotional responses.
6 . A method as in claim 1 , wherein said step of giving a neuropsychological and cognition battery of tasks to the subject includes testing of the subject's memory, attention, and/or executive function.
7 . A method as in claim 1 , further comprising recording the subject's speech in response to verbal tasks and performing language processing of the recorded speech.
8 . A method as in claim 1 , further comprising measuring heart rate variability of the subject during said battery of tasks.
9 . A system used to diagnose Autism and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) of a subject, comprising:
an EEG measurement device that measures brain wave patterns of the subject while performing a series of tasks to establish a baseline brain wave pattern;
a device adapted to apply a light stimulus or images to the subject's eyes and to capture eye movements and/or changes in facial expression in response to the light stimulus or images;
an auditory testing device that tests the subject's sensitivity to sound and records the subject's speech in response to verbal tasks; and
a processing device that performs language processing of the recorded speech and correlates the baseline brain wave pattern, eye movements and/or facial expression, and processed language to a profile data indicative of Autism and/or ASD.
10 . A system as in claim 9 , wherein the device adapted to apply a light stimulus or images to the subject's eyes and to capture eye movements and/or changes in facial expression in response to the light stimulus or images comprises an eye tracking camera that tracks the subjects eye movements and/or tracks changes in facial expression of the subject in response to light stimulus or images.
11 . A system as in claim 9 , wherein the device adapted to apply a light stimulus or images to the subject's eyes and to capture eye movements and/or changes in facial expression in response to the light stimulus or images comprises biosensors that track eye gaze position and duration and pupillary response.
12 . A system as in claim 9 , further comprising static probes that measure parts of the subject's face.
13 . A system as in claim 9 , further comprising dynamic probes that apply dynamic stimulus to the subject relating to an emotionally evocative event and measure the subject's response to the dynamic stimulus.
14 . A system as in claim 9 , further comprising a biosensor adapted to measure the subject's heart rate variability during a neuropsychological and cognition battery of tasks given to the subject.