Cognitive Engineering, LLC Announces Issuance of Neuroimaging Patent To Unlock Human Thought

PRLog (Press Release) - Feb. 6, 2010 - Although much information has been gathered concerning the storage and processing of information in the human brain, much remains unknown. Recent advances in neuroimaging have increased our understanding of human neuroanatomy and cognition. Functional neuroimaging, particularly using Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) response of fMRI, PET scans and other techniques have advanced our understanding of the brain's cognitive processing of information and memory. The study of cognition - the nature of various mental tasks and the processes that enable them to be performed – has been significantly advanced by the pioneering work of CogEng, which is covered in this patent.

Activation of specific brain areas has been correlated with processing and storage of information. Several theories compete on how and where visual recognition of faces and objects takes place in the human brain. Studies prior to 2006 have shown a general pattern of activation for faces and various objects. Based upon work begun prior to 2004, CogEng explored whether specific three-dimensional patterns of brain activation during fMRI can be correlated with the functional storage and conceptual representation of specific visual stimuli.

Enabling work by CogEng in thought identification led to a patent filing in 2004, which was allowed in September 2009.  This intellectual property describes a conceptual basis for cognitive processing, and a methodological framework to understand how and where concepts (persons, places, objects, agendas, intents) are stored. Cognitive Engrams are a key concept of CogEng, and refer to a representation of the three-dimensional region of the brain wherein neurophysiologic changes occur that reflect the function for storage and processing of specific memory elements / thoughts. The research underlying the patent has resulted in a six peer-reviewed publications, including Multidimensional Representation of Concepts as Cognitive Engrams in the Human Brain. Internet Journal of Neurology, 2007: 6(1). In this paper, Dr. Marks and colleagues describe Cognitive Engrams, methods to monitor them, and explore their significance in unlocking the mysteries of human thought.

Several research groups have since independently validated the concept of unique brain activation patterns for specific stimuli, including University of California at Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University, and the NIH.

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About Cognitive Engineering, LLC: We are an innovative neuroscience company located in a HUB zone in Birmingham, Alabama. We commercialize highly promising non-invasive interrogation and neuroimaging process for the following applications:

• Forensic interrogation,
• Correlation of face recognition technologies,
• Rosetta Database- the Human Genome Project of the Mind. Library of brain activation patterns for faces, objects, concepts and emotions.
• For individuals who experience pain, cognitive impairment, or depression, we offer unique neuroimaging which demonstrates / illustrates recognized neuromarkers on brain MRI which correlate with and document the presence of these feelings.

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