Patent ID: 8348671

Claim:
A method for enhancing cognition in a participant, utilizing a computing device to present visual stimuli for training, and to record responses from the participant, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of: providing a set of target images, wherein the target images are available for visual presentation to the participant; visually presenting a first target image of the set of target images at a first location in a visual field to the participant, wherein the visual field comprises a plurality of peripheral locations, each located at least a specified distance from the first location; visually indicating a first peripheral location of the plurality of peripheral locations in the visual field to the participant, wherein said visually presenting the first target image and said visually indicating the first peripheral location are performed substantially simultaneously and for a specified presentation time, wherein at the end of the specified presentation time said visually presenting the first target image and said visually indicating the first peripheral location are ceased; visually presenting two or more candidate target images to the participant, including the first target image and at least one other target image of the set of target images, wherein the two or more candidate target images have a specified discriminability comprising a degree to which the candidate target images visually differ; requiring the participant to select the target image from among the candidate target images; determining whether the participant correctly selected the first target image; if the participant correctly selected the first target image, requiring the participant to select the first peripheral location from among the plurality of peripheral locations in the visual field; and determining whether the participant correctly selected the first peripheral location; adaptively modifying the presentation time based on the participant's selections; repeating said visually presenting a first target image, said visually indicating, said visually presenting two or more candidate target images, said requiring the participant to select the target image, and said determining whether the participant correctly selected the first target image, said requiring the participant to select the first peripheral location, said determining whether the participant correctly selected the first peripheral location, and said adaptively modifying the presentation time, one or more times in an iterative manner to improve the participant's cognition.