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MindLAB Set

              
MindLAB Set constitutes an integrated system for  Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, developed by Tullio Scrimali at the research laboratories of the Institute of Cognitive Science (Istituto Superiore per le Scienze Cognitive), in Enna. The MindLAB Set makes possible, in a clinical setting, to monitor exosomatic electrodermal activity in order to perform some instrumental Pyschodiagnostics procedures and also some emotional self-regulation techniques such as Biofeedback,  Mindfulness and Mindfitness.
 
The set is composed of a hardware data acquisition unit (Psychodata Acquisition Unit), a pair of dry, stainless steel bipolar electrodes, an interface device for connection to a computer, two integrated programmes: MindSCAN & Psychofeedback and a booklet with any information necessary to set up and using the MindLAB Set.
 
In addition, the package includes a richly illustrated exhaustive monograph containing all the necessary information about the techniques, methods, areas of use, and operative modes of the set, as well as the original Katane database necessary for comparing patient data against a recognised benchmark, and an ample and up-to-date bibliography.
 
The MindLAB Set works when connected to a computer where the software included in the set must be installed. These programmes have been developed to run on Windows 98 and all successive versions up to and including Windows XP and Windows Vista, Seven and Eight.
 
The MindLAB Set is the culmination of an effort of development, engineering, and experimentation undertaken to build an integrated system of hardware, software, database, and know-how, capable of merging high level innovative scientific and technological content at a relatively modest price, in order to make it affordable for individual professionals, as well as public and private institutions entrusted with the treatment of psychological problems. Until now one of the main obstacles to the dissemination of some Clinical Psychophysiology methods was not having access to hardware that was both scientifically valid and available at an affordable price, and that also provided the possibility of a short period of training for learning how to use it.
 
The MindLAB Set constitutes a professional system that is perfectly suited for integration into clinical settings in Psychology, Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Rehabilitation, Psychosomatic Medicine, Psychopedagogy and Pedagogy in the schoolroom. A very promising field of possible application can be also coaching strategies for staffs and teams.
 
Its compactness and portability make it ideal for performing psychotherapeutic, psychoeducational and rehabilitative tasks in the most disparate operative contexts. The system's characteristics have also been studied to perform an educative function. Through the use of a video projector and audio amplification, connected to the computer, the MindLAB Set displays great versatility for educational purposes and the in-class training of even large groups of pupils. The MindLAB Set has also been thoroughly tested in this area in various institutions: the University of Catania's Medical School course; the Departmente of Psychology at the Kore University in Enna; the Psychiatric and Psychosocial Rehabilitation Degree course at the University of Catania; the ALETEIA school, and a large number of other Institutions, both private and public.
 
MindLAB Set has been also used abroad, during many international workshops, and has faced long intercontinental journeys easily travelling as hand luggage (for example: USA, Columbia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, many European Countries; in Asia: Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea; in Africa: Morocco).
 
The MindLAB Set has also been widely tested in the scholastic setting, during educational programmes concerning health and the prevention of psychological problems, with particular emphasis on addictions and eating disorders. The MindLAB Set makes the following procedures possible:
 
The monitoring of exosomatic electrodermal activity, tonic and phasic. By doing this the equipment makes possible to gather accurate and objective information about the emotional activation (arousal) of the subject of the test, and the means to process this information (spontaneous and induced phasic responses).
 
Continous biofeedback to the patient of electrodermal activity. The types of feedback provided are: acoustic (three different types of sounds) and visual. The visual feedback is also composed of three types: two analogue (vertical coloured bars, and graphs drawn on a system of Cartesian axis) and one digital, capable of showing at any given moment the relative cutaneous conductance values expressed in microsiemens. The visual information provided by the patient's test, is synchronic, that is, relative to what is happening in a single instant, and diachronic, that is capable of registering what happened in the phases preceding the precise moment of the recording or of the biofeedback training.
 
Printout of the electrodermal activity monitoring data, for the compilation of detailed records of each sitting. The printout can be customised with the name of the Office or the Clinic, or the Institute where the test takes place. This gives the patient a professional document that also constitutes an impeccable letter of introduction if they ever need to collaborate with other health or psychoeducational professionals!
 
The memorisation of the recorded psychophysiologic data in order that the information can be accessed on future occasions to build a narrative record of the evolution of the therapeutic process. It is important for the patient to be able to see the changes that occur over the course of their treatment.

 The package of the MindLAB Set contains:

    
hardware:

  • the Psychodata Acquisition Unit

  • a pair of dry, stainless steel palmar surfaces of the last phalanges of the index and middle finghers of the right hand.

  • a USB lead for computer connection

software:

  • A USB-pendriver) containing the programmes MindSCAN and Psychofeedback

a booklet (contained in a PDF file) registered on the USB flash memory)

  • concerning the characteristics and the instructions for using MindLAB Set

know-how (included in a PDF file registered on the USB flash memory):

  • a monograph containing all the scientific information relative to monitoring electrodermal activity, instrumental pyschodiagnostics, and emotional self-regulation:

Tullio Scrimali

MindLAB Set

Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback 

in Psychiatry and Psichotherapy

ALETEIA Publisher (www.aleteiapublisher.eu), Acicastello, 2013.

 documents (also in a PDF file on the USB flash memory):

  • a guarantee for two years