This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project supports the work of Sheepdog Sciences to develop novel methods to enhance learning for people diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This project is focused on developing low-cost devices that safely enhance cognitive function in K-12 students. The innovative tools being developed are based on a foundation of high-profile, peer-reviewed academic research in humans and animal models. The Sheepdog Sciences neuroenhancement technology uses multiple sensors to classify cognitive state and provides direct biofeedback to improve memory function. The device and related software under development will be used to assess the method?s efficacy in an education setting for students with ADHD. The engineering and early development tasks described here will overcome key technology and commercialization hurdles, including market-specific challenges to make the system amenable for use in K-12 settings and determine whether the method is sufficiently robust to be applicable for children.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to develop safe and inexpensive tools that permit children with learning disabilities to achieve their full potential. The effect of learning disabilities that limit cognitive performance can be particularly devastating to students in early formative years when educational environments and scholastic opportunities are most rich. The estimated prevalence of ADHD is 3-5% and rising. In the year 2000, the total cost related to caring for and treating persons with ADHD exceeded $27 billion, and the societal cost of ADHD (including healthcare costs and lost economic productivity) was between $36-52 billion. By improving learning and memory, the neuroenhancement device under development by Sheepdog Sciences has the opportunity to revolutionize how students with ADHD manage their symptoms and achieve in the classroom. Moreover, this technology has similar potential in other markets characterized by reduced memory function?including reduced memory function due to normal aging, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer?s disease, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorders, each affecting millions of Americans. The long-term development path for this technology recognizes numerous additional potential markets for memory enhancement for students of all ages and abilities.
Sheepdog Sciences developed novel sensors aimed at identifying periods of sleep associated with learning and memory formation during the course of the Phase I SBIR grant awarded by the National Science Foundation. The resulting work applies proprietary statistical algorithms to reduce the complexity and cost of similar systems found in sleep clinics, while achieving a new level of accuracy over comparable commercial devices. These sensor systems were designed to improve learning for K-12 students and provide a new treatment approach for students diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The reduction in complexity for sleep detection facilitates broad K-12 adoption by reducing price while improving durability and comfort of the device. Custom hardware and software (integrated with common smartphones) systems were evaluated over 50+ nights of sleep in 10+ subjects. The devices were tested by comparing sleep classification to an EEG system concurrently recording brain waves during sleep. By utilizing computer learning algorithms and models of the biological process underlying sleep we developed a simple, inexpensive, and durable hardware system to accurately classify sleep stages. During the course of the work, other systems were tested for sleep classification, including commercial sleep detectors, smartphone applications, and actigraphy sensors (accelerometers worn during sleep), but none proved feasible for regular use or provided sufficient accuracy to resolve phases of sleep important to memory formation. The work and findings during the SBIR resulted in the submission of a patent that covers our novel method for sleep classification. The SBIR award enabled a rapid progression through designing, testing, and evaluating these systems. Continuation of this work will focus on the development of this system as a commercial product while also demonstrating the efficacy of our learning enhancement approach with the new hardware. The successful completion of the Phase I and Phase II program will offer parents of students with ADHD a safe and affordable alternative to stimulant medications and new opportunities for scholastic performance. About the Company: Sheepdog Sciences was founded to develop products that improve learning and memory by applying cutting-edge neuroscience research and discoveries. The company is based in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco, CA.
