Sensory stimuli to increase accuracy of sleep staging

Abstract

Systems and methods to detect sleep stages of a subject analyze physiological parameters of the subject in combination with a subject's reactions to stimuli of increasing intensity and/or stimuli having different modalities. Stimuli are provided until a predetermined level of probability is reached for the accuracy of an estimation of the sleep stage of the subject.

1 . A system to detect sleep stages of a subject, the system comprising:
 a stimulus source configured to provide stimuli to the subject;   one or more sensors that generate output signals conveying information related to one or more physiological parameters of the subject; and   one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising:
 a reaction module configured to analyze, based on the one or more physiological parameters, reactions to the stimuli provided by the stimulus source; 
   a sleep stage module configured to:   i) generate a sleep stage estimation of the subject based on one or both of the analyzed reactions and/or the one or more physiological parameters, and   ii) determine a probability of accuracy of the sleep stage estimation;   a comparison module configured to determine whether the probability of accuracy breaches a predetermined threshold; and   a stimulus control module configured to, responsive to the probability of accuracy failing to breach the predetermined threshold, control the stimulus source to provide a reassessment stimulus to the subject,   wherein the reaction module is further configured to analyze a reaction to the reassessment stimulus, wherein the sleep stage module is further configured to reassess one or both of the sleep stage estimation of the subject and/or the probability of accuracy based on the analyzed reaction to the reassessment stimulus.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a parameter determination module configured to determine one or more physiological parameters based on the generated output signals.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more physiological parameters pertain to brain function of the subject. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more physiological parameters pertain to movement of the subject. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the stimulus control module controls the stimulus source repeatedly to provide reassessment stimuli of increasing intensity until the probability of accuracy breaches the predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a learning module configured to determine effectiveness of different stimuli to evoke reactions corresponding to higher probabilities of accuracy. 
     
     
         7 . A method to detect sleep stages of a subject, the method comprising:
 providing stimuli to the subject;   generating output signals conveying information related to one or more physiological parameters of the subject;   analyzing, based on the one or more physiological parameters, reactions to the stimuli;   generating a sleep stage estimation of the subject based on the one or more physiological parameters;   determining a probability of accuracy of the sleep stage estimation;   determining whether the probability of accuracy breaches a predetermined threshold;   providing, responsive to the probability of accuracy failing to breach the predetermined threshold, a reassessment stimulus to the subject;   analyzing a reaction to the reassessment stimulus based on one or more physiological parameters; and   reassessing one or both of the sleep stage estimation and/or the probability of accuracy based on the analyzed reaction to the reassessment stimulus.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 determining one or more physiological parameters based on the generated output signals.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more physiological parameters pertain to brain function of the subject. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more physiological parameters pertain to movement of the subject. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein providing a reassessment stimulus to the subject is performed repeatedly with increasing intensity until the probability of accuracy breaches the predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 determining effectiveness of different stimuli to evoke reactions corresponding to higher probabilities of accuracy.   
     
     
         13 . A system configured to detect sleep stages of a subject, the system comprising:
 means for providing stimuli to the subject;   means for generating output signals conveying information related to one or more physiological parameters of the subject;   means for analyzing reactions to the stimuli, wherein operations of the means for analyzing is based on the one or more physiological parameters;   first means for generating a sleep stage estimation of the subject based on the one or more physiological parameters, wherein the first means is further configured for determining a probability of accuracy of the sleep stage estimation;   means for determining whether the probability of accuracy breaches a predetermined threshold;   means for providing, responsive to the probability of accuracy failing to breach the predetermined threshold, a reassessment stimulus to the subject; and   means for analyzing a reaction to the reassessment stimulus based on one or more physiological parameters,   wherein the first means is further configured for reassessing one or both of the sleep stage estimation and/or the probability of accuracy based on the analyzed reaction to the reassessment stimulus.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 means for determining one or more physiological parameters based on the generated output signals.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more physiological parameters pertain to brain function of the subject. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more physiological parameters pertain to movement of the subject. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the means for providing stimulus operates repeatedly with increasing intensity until the first means determines that the probability of accuracy breaches the predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 means for determining effectiveness of different stimuli to evoke reactions corresponding to higher probabilities of accuracy.