Abstract: A training program is configured to systematically drive neurological changes to treat depression, mood and anxiety disorders. The training program includes an inference renormalization game that presents three subsets of stimuli and prompts a game participant to selectively respond or withhold responding to one or two of the stimulus subsets.

Abstract: A game delivery system delivers a plurality of games in a training program. The training program is configured to systematically drive neurological changes to overcome cognitive deficits associated with a neurological disorder. In one embodiment, the training program includes an initial batch of games that predominantly exercise elemental, lower-level cognitive processes and sensory deficits. After a game participant progresses through the initial batch of games, the training program provides games that impose comparatively greater higher-order cognitive processing requirements on the participant. A clinician portal provides remote access to a clinician to data about the game participant's compliance and performance with the training program. The clinician portal also enables the administrator to configure the training program.

Abstract: A training program is configured to systematically drive neurological changes to overcome social cognitive deficits.

Abstract: A training program is configured to systematically drive neurological changes to treat an addiction, wherein a plurality of addiction-related stimuli stimulate craving for the object of the addiction. The training program comprises at least one computerized reverse conditioning game configured to present a plurality of target and distractor stimuli, wherein the distractor stimuli are addiction-related stimuli, and prompts a game participant to respond to the target stimuli and ignore the distractor stimuli.

Abstract: A new hearing profile assessment plays each of a plurality of frequency tones multiple times at a plurality of loudness levels. For each frequency, the patient indicates which tones that they can hear, establishing minimum-amplitude thresholds for each frequency. The assessment adapts loudness levels until the patient indicates consistent minimum-amplitude thresholds for each frequency. Also, a new system for training the hearing of a subject is disclosed. The system instructs the subject to vocalize various sound items and remember the sounds that they vocalize. The system plays either recorded samples of the subject's own voice, or comparison samples of a synthesized voice or other's vocalizations of the same sound items. The system prompts the subject to compare the played samples with the sounds they remembered vocalizing. The system uses the feedback to adjust sound processing parameters for a hearing aid, cochlear implant, sound output devices, or a training program.

Abstract: A training program is configured to systematically drive neurological changes to treat depression, mood and anxiety disorders. In one embodiment, a reward renormalization game presents a plurality of stimuli, a subset of which are positively affective, and the remainder of which are neutral or negatively affective, and prompts a game participant to respond to the positively affective stimuli and ignore the remainder of the stimuli. In another embodiment, an inference renormalization game presents a plurality of stimuli, a subset of which are positively affective, a second subset of which are negatively affective, and a third subset of which are neutral and prompts a game participant to respond to both the positively affective stimuli and the negatively affective stimuli and ignore the neutral stimuli.

Abstract: A training program is configured to systematically drive neurological changes to overcome social cognitive deficits.

Abstract: A game delivery system delivers a plurality of games in a training program. The training program is configured to systematically drive neurological changes to overcome cognitive deficits associated with a neurological disorder. In one embodiment, the training program includes an initial batch of games that predominantly exercise elemental, lower-level cognitive processes and sensory deficits. After a game participant progresses through the initial batch of games, the training program provides games that impose comparatively greater higher-order cognitive processing requirements on the participant. A clinician portal provides remote access to a clinician to data about the game participant's compliance and performance with the training program. The clinician portal also enables the administrator to configure the training program.

Abstract: A training program is configured to systematically drive neurological changes to treat an addiction, wherein a plurality of addiction-related stimuli stimulate craving for the object of the addiction. The training program comprises at least one computerized reverse conditioning game configured to present a plurality of target and distractor stimuli, wherein a subset of the distractor stimuli are addiction-related stimuli, and prompts a game participant to respond to the target stimuli and ignore the distractor stimuli.

Abstract: Computer-implemented method for improving cognition. Multiple first and second stimulus elements are provided, where some of the second elements correspond to the first elements. A sequence of first stimulus elements is presented, each element presented for a duration separated by an interval. After a specified delay period, equal to the duration plus the interval, times a non-integer factor N, a sequence of groups of second elements is presented concurrently with the sequence of first elements, where each group includes a matching second element that matches a corresponding first element presented earlier by the specified delay period, i.e., presented N first elements back. For each presented group, the participant indicates the matching second element, or a second element in the group that doesn't match. The delay period is modified based on whether the participant responded correctly. The presenting, presenting, requiring, determining, and modifying are repeated in an iterative manner.

Abstract: Computer-implemented method for enhancing cognition of a participant. A first target image of a set of target images is visually presented for a specified presentation time at a first location in a visual field that includes multiple peripheral locations, each at least a specified distance from the first location. Substantially simultaneously, a first peripheral location in the visual field is visually indicated for the presentation time, after which the visually presenting and indicating are ceased. Candidate target images with a specified discriminability are visually presented, including the first target image. The participant is required to select the target image from among the candidates. If the participant correctly selected the first target image, the participant is required to select the first peripheral location from the multiple peripheral locations. The presentation time is adaptively modified based on the correctness/incorrectness of the participant's selections.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for enhancing cognitive ability of an older participant by requiring the participant to differentiate between rapidly presented visual stimuli. First and second visual sweeps are provided for visual presentation to the participant, e.g., spatial frequency or orientation sweeps. At least two visual sweeps are visually presented to the participant utilizing the first visual sweep, the second visual sweep, or a combination. The participant is required to indicate an order in which the at least two visual sweeps were presented. A determination is made regarding whether the participant indicated the order of the visual sweeps correctly. The visually presenting, requiring, and determining are repeated one or more times in an iterative manner to improve the participant's cognition. The duration of the sweeps may be adjusted based on the correctness/incorrectness of the participant's response according to a maximum likelihood procedure. Assessments may be made during the exercise.

Abstract: A method on a computing device for enhancing the memory and cognitive ability of an older adult by requiring the adult to differentiate between rapidly presented stimuli. The method utilizes a sequence of phonemes from a confusable pair which are systematically manipulated to make discrimination between the phonemes less difficult or more difficult based on the success of the adult, such as processing the consonant and vowel portions of the phonemes by emphasizing the portions, stretching the portions, and/or separating the consonant and vowel portions by time intervals. As the adult improves in auditory processing, the discriminations are made progressively more difficult by reducing the amount of processing to that of normal speech.

Abstract: System and method for improving tactile sensitivity and precision/accuracy of motor control of the hand of a subject. A joystick is configured to provide commands to a computing device. The joystick includes a base, shaft, and a textured surface with a specified level of bumpiness. A computer-implemented exercise is executed, including presenting stimuli, including at least one target, to the subject via a computer display. The subject is required to respond to the stimuli via the joystick within a specified duration, including using the joystick to move a cursor to the target, and, upon reaching the target, disengage from the joystick. The subject's response to the stimuli is recorded, and a determination made regarding whether the subject responded correctly. The duration is modified based on whether the subject responded correctly to the stimuli. The presenting, requiring, recording, determining, and modifying are repeated a plurality of times in an iterative manner.

Abstract: Computer-implemented method for enhancing the cognitive ability of a participant using face-name associations. A plurality of facial images of people are provided for visual presentation to the participant, each person having a name. A learning phase is performed, including concurrently presenting a first facial image of a person from the plurality of facial images, and the name of the person. A testing phase is then performed, including: presenting a second facial image of the person from the plurality of facial images, displaying a plurality of names, including the name of the person and one or more distracter names, requiring the participant to select the name of the person from the plurality of names, and determining whether the participant selected the name correctly. The learning phase and the testing phase are repeated one or more times in an iterative manner to improve the participant's cognition, e.g., face-name association skills.

Abstract: Computer-implemented method for enhancing cognition of a participant using visual emphasis. One or more scenes are provided and are available for visual presentation to the participant, each scene having a background and at least one foreground object. A scene is visually presented to the participant with a specified visual emphasis that enhances visual distinction of the at least one foreground object with respect to the background, where the foreground object(s) and/or the background are modified or selected to achieve the specified visual emphasis. The participant is required to respond to the scene, and a determination made as to whether the participant responded correctly. The visual emphasis may be modified based on whether or not the participant responded correctly a specified number of times. The presenting, requiring, and determining (and possibly the modifying) are repeated in an iterative manner to improve the participant's cognition.

Abstract: Computer-implemented method for enhancing cognition of a participant. A first target image of a set of target images is visually presented for a specified presentation time at a first location in a visual field that includes multiple peripheral locations, each at least a specified distance from the first location. Substantially simultaneously, a first peripheral location in the visual field is visually indicated for the presentation time, after which the visually presenting and indicating are ceased. Candidate target images with a specified discriminability are visually presented, including the first target image. The participant is required to select the target image from among the candidates. If the participant correctly selected the first target image, the participant is required to select the first peripheral location from the multiple peripheral locations. The presentation time is adaptively modified based on the correctness/incorrectness of the participant's selections.

Abstract: System and method for improving tactile sensitivity and precision/accuracy of motor control of the hand of a subject. A joystick is configured to provide commands to a computing device. The joystick includes a base, shaft, and a textured surface with a specified level of bumpiness. A computer-implemented exercise is executed, including presenting stimuli, including at least one target, to the subject via a computer display. The subject is required to respond to the stimuli via the joystick within a specified duration, including using the joystick to move a cursor to the target, and, upon reaching the target, disengage from the joystick. The subject's response to the stimuli is recorded, and a determination made regarding whether the subject responded correctly. The duration is modified based on whether the subject responded correctly to the stimuli. The presenting, requiring, recording, determining, and modifying are repeated a plurality of times in an iterative manner.

Abstract: Computer-implemented method for enhancing a participant's cognition, including, e.g., visual memory, utilizing a computing device to present visual stimuli for training, and to record responses from the participant. Multiple graphical elements are provided for visual presentation to the participant. A temporal sequence of a plurality of the graphical elements is visually presented, including displaying each graphical element in the sequence at a respective location in a visual field for a specified duration, then ceasing to display the graphical element. The presented graphical elements include at least two matching graphical elements. The participant is required to respond to the presented sequence, including indicating locations of matching graphical elements. A determination is made as to whether the participant responded correctly, and the duration modified based on the determining.

Abstract: Computer-implemented method for improving cognition. Multiple first and second stimulus elements are provided, where some of the second elements correspond to the first elements. A sequence of first stimulus elements is presented, each element presented for a duration separated by an interval. After a specified delay period, equal to the duration plus the interval, times a non-integer factor N, a sequence of groups of second elements is presented concurrently with the sequence of first elements, where each group includes a matching second element that matches a corresponding first element presented earlier by the specified delay period, i.e., presented N first elements back. For each presented group, the participant indicates the matching second element, or a second element in the group that doesn't match. The delay period is modified based on whether the participant responded correctly. The presenting, presenting, requiring, determining, and modifying are repeated in an iterative manner.