Neuro rehabilitation, analysing micro facial expressions and predicting an epileptic attack may sound like science fiction. But it’s not, Angelica Micallef Trigona, Chief Marketing and Operations Officer, AAT Research Limited, tells Andrea Faye Christians.
The company may only have been formed just three years ago as a brainchild of Dr Adrian Attard Trevisan, a clinical neuroscientist. However, AAT Research Limited has already made huge strides thanks to its unique approach to research and development, marketing and quality assurance.
Dr Attard Trevisan, a neuroscientist with a background in audiology and engineering, has combined his capabilities to conduct groundbreaking research that has fuelled the development of unique products. These products include Mente, the world’s first neurofeedback device for home use by children with ASD, and the forthcoming MEPS, a mobile epileptic prediction system.
AAT Research Limited also applies neuroscience knowledge and methodologies to marketing, thus offering a unique insight into what customers really want.
Dr Attard Trevisan has used his expertise to design a product, Mente, to improve the condition of autism sufferers. Mente has been conclusively proven through clinical tests and endorsed by professional bodies.
Dr Attard Trevisan, who lectures at the University of Malta and the University of Milan, Italy, is passionate about his work. Asked how the development of Mente came about, he describes a defining moment during his stint working on a project at the European Space Agency.
Here, he met a six-year-old child with severe autism and became intrigued with the idea of creating a product that could help him.
Chief Marketing and Operations Officer Angelica Micallef Trigona explains more about this method of neuro rehabilitation.
“As a clinical neuroscientist, Dr Attard Trevisan already had a deep insight into the complexities of the condition. Regardless of where a patient stands in the autism spectrum, there is one common factor among others: the activity of the delta brainwave. Put simply, our delta brainwaves are normally at their highest during sleep but in the case of a person with autism, it remains active during their waking hours.”
Dr Attard Trevisan’s idea was to create a device that could somehow impact on this characteristic. Several years of hard work and dedication have resulted into the development of the Mente headband. Worn for 40 minutes a day first thing in the morning, the Mente headband takes a reading of the child’s brainwaves, sonifies them, and then plays them back while transforming the delta wave into a lower frequency which has been shown to have a calming influence on the user’s brain. The effect is normally noticed after two to four weeks after initiating its use.
Results prove conclusively that Mente leads to a definite improvement in orientation, concentration and interaction of children with autism. The testimonies of parents of children who have used it speak for themselves. Ms Micallef Trigona mentions the case of a hyperactive child who managed to pay far more attention and start sleeping normally, while a boy who was hitherto non communicative could not only express himself but also ask for things.
He met a six-year-old child with severe autism and became intrigued with the idea of creating a product that could help him
Furthermore, Mente can be accessed by medical professionals. To date, Mente stands as a unique product in this field. Patented and produced by AAT Medical in Malta, it is already set for distribution in 13 countries and is an exciting development in treating a condition that seems to be becoming increasingly prevalent in modern society.
“As a company, we are very scientific and research based while also being rooted in academia,” says Ms Micallef Trigona.
“Mente represents technology that is backed up with clinical trials and holds official registration with the American FDA and is in the process of attaining CE Medical and ISO quality certifications. As to the future it’s a case of finding more overseas distributors and partnerships to assist us as this is a product with so much potential.”
Locally, AAT Research Limited is collaborating with Inspire and conducting a double-blindstudy.
“To date, there has been a very positive response but there are also other exciting developments. Earlier this year, we were awarded the WIPO patent award for the predictive epilepsy technology that we are developing.
“This will enable epilepsy sufferers and carers to be aware of an attack 40 minutes before.
“This is still very much a work in progress but our future plans are to carry out further trials and research and hopefully form partnerships with other medical professionals and institutions in other parts of the world,” says Ms Micallef Trigona.
“We have also been chosen to work with the Epilfree project in conjunction with the University of Malta and the University of Cardiff.
“We will also soon move into our new research centre in the Life Sciences Park adjacent to Mater Dei Hospital. These are exciting times for the company.”
Neuromarketing is another aspect of AAT Research Limited. This methodology gives a true reading of how people react to marketing campaigns and materials, or other stimuli.
“A client would give us their proposed trial and we would then conduct and analyse research and give them data to fine-tune their campaign to maximum effect,” Ms Micallef Trigona says.
Research is conducted through a demographic group. The technology used includes brain imaging and scanning along with other systems to measure subconscious responses to specific stimuli.
The results show it to be objective and bias-free while providing the client with a definite marketing advantage.
Apart from brain scanning, other methods include voice analysis and galvanic skin response or skin conductance: this method is traditionally associated with lie detectors that measure the response a person has to particular stimuli.
Eye tracking is also another method used: this shows where a person looks first and for how long, which is an important consideration within a marketing context.
Other technologies in use include the analysis of gait and of micro facial expressions.
“This is particularly interesting as humans tend to lack control over micro expressions made with facial muscles.
“As these provide clear indications of our natural responses we analyse micro expressions to scientifically determine whether any visual or audio material is deemed pleasing or unappealing.
“This may all sound like science fiction,” Ms Micallef Trigona tells me. “But there’s no fiction here: it’s pure science.”