Making sense of touch

In our ever increasingly busy lives, it’s easy to forget the fact that although our country is hardly visible on the map, there are still remarkable people in our midst whose work has a global impact. Adrian Attard Trevisan is one of them.

There is a strong link between how we feel and the fabrics that come in contact with our skin

Dr Attard Trevisan is a Maltese neuroscientist who holds a Masters degree in Engineering and Audiological Sciences and a PhD in Neurosciences. He is also currently reading for a second doctorate in human physiology at the University of Milan.

In 2012, he founded AAT Research Ltd, a local research and development company specialising in the development of cutting-edge medical technologies.

Among the success stories of this one-year-old company is its development of a medical aid, the MENTe headband. Operating with a modified Loreta algorithm developed by the company, this headband improves autistic children’s ability to be more in touch with their environment by 500 per cent.

In recognition of the major importance of this technology, Dr Attard Trevisan and his team were awarded first prize for technological innovation at the Malta Innovation Awards 2012 by the Maltese Government and the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

Dr Attard Trevisan tells me that AAT Research also works on projects outside the realm of medicine. In fact, it also assists established marketing organisations worldwide through pioneering neuromarketing tools.

Neuromarketing is a relatively new field of marketing research that studies how consumers respond to marketing stimuli, primarily by measuring changes in activity in parts of the brain. This research provides insight as to why consumers make the decisions they do, and what part of the brain is telling them to do so.

The focus of our conversation turns to AAT Research’s study commissioned by Cotton USA, an internationally recognised quality brand for US produced cotton-rich products. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a link between the fabrics that touch our skin and how we feel.

AAT Research collaborated with Mindlab International, another independent scientific research organisation based in the UK. Together, they conducted a study last January – 16 individuals participated in the study, during which a 21-channel EEG (electroencephalography, measuring electrical activity along the scalp) was used to monitor and record their brain activity in a controlled environment.

The study’s remarkable conclusion is that, in fact, there is a strong link between how we feel and the fabrics that come in contact with our skin.

The study covered a range of everyday materials, including wool, silk, acetate, polyester, viscose and various cotton blends. Cotton and other natural materials provided the highest level of relaxation and attention.

The research was received so well that Dr Attard Trevisan’s team is growing rapidly – so much so that he tells me his team is now moving to larger premises which house new laboratories. AAT Research is also working on moving the production of the company’s medical devices to Malta.

“Our aim is to grow further, and we are always on the lookout for new partners and research projects,” he tells me when I ask him if he has any new projects in the pipeline. In fact, AAT Research is currently also collaborating with the Università degli Studi di Milano on another innovative project called Sorriso.

Dr Attard Trevisan tells me he wants to encourage his team and to see them flourish in their studies. For the Sorriso project, one of AAT’s biomedical engineers, Rosanne Zerafa, is working on the data analysis of the system that will eventually be deployed in operating theatres to help maxillofacial surgeons.

Dr Attard Trevisan is also giving the opportunity to students at the University of Malta to work with his team on research projects related to recording and analysing emotions.

Dr Attard Trevisan’s contribution to science and technology has had a major impact on medicine and is proving to be truly valuable to various industries – he hopes that this will encourage aspiring students to share their own research.

Christina Goggi is a web marketing content specialist and a regular blogger on various tech websites.