MindLAB Set

An Integrated System for Clinical Psychophysiology

Photo of the MindLAB Set kit with data acquisition unit, electrodes, USB cable, and user manual on a white background

Structure and Components

The MindLAB Set is a professional system for Clinical Psychophysiology, designed to monitor exosomatic electrodermal activity. It includes:

A data acquisition unit (Psychodata Acquisition Unit)
A pair of electrodes
A USB cable for computer connection
Two integrated software programs:
- MindSCAN, for the assessment of mental processes
- Psychofeedback, for implementing self-regulation procedures based on Biofeedback dynamics

The system connects to a computer (Windows-based, preferably a notebook) where the software is installed. It is also compatible with older or decommissioned computers, allowing for sustainable reuse in dedicated psychophysiological workstations. Its portability makes it fully operational in any setting.

Thermometer-style chart representing mental arousal levels: anxiety and mania at the top (high arousal), calmness and depression at the bottom (low arousal).

Research and Development

The MindLAB Set is the result of extensive clinical and experimental research conducted by Prof. Tullio Scrimali at the Institute for Cognitive Science and through didactic experimentation at the ALETEIA School of Psychotherapy.

It represents the culmination of a design and engineering effort aimed at creating an integrated hardware-software system that combines high scientific value with affordability, making it accessible to all health professionals. One of the main barriers to the dissemination of Clinical Psychophysiology has been the lack of valid, affordable, and easy-to-learn instrumentation. MindLAB Set overcomes this challenge.

Clinical and Educational Applications

MindLAB Set is fully integrable into clinical contexts such as:

Psychology
Psychiatry
Psychotherapy
Psychiatric rehabilitation
Psychosomatic medicine

Its compactness and portability make it ideal for therapeutic and rehabilitative activities in diverse operational environments.

It is also designed for educational use: when connected to a projector and audio system, it becomes a powerful tool for classroom teaching and training, even with large groups.

Clinical Psychophysiology Session with MindLAB Set

Therapist and patient during a clinical session using the MindLAB Set, with connected sensors and analysis monitor on the desk.

Group Psychophysiological Training Session

Biofeedback session using the MindLAB Set in a university classroom, with participants and instructor using the system

The system has been widely tested in:

The Medical School of the University of Catania
The Psychological Sciences and Techniques program of the Enna University Consortium
The Psychological Sciences and Techniques program of the Enna University Consortium
The Kore University of Enna
The Psychiatric and Psychosocial Rehabilitation program of the University of Catania
The ALETEIA School of Psychotherapy
Numerous university-level courses across four continents

It has also been used in international workshops and psychotherapy congresses.

Core Functions

The MindLAB Set enables the following core processes of a Clinical Psychophysiology lab:
- Monitoring of tonic and phasic exosomatic electrodermal activity
- Continuous biological feedback (Biofeedback) to the patient
  - Auditory feedback: three types of modulated sounds
  - Visual feedback:
    - Analog: vertical color bar and Cartesian graph
    - Digital: real-time display of skin conductance in microsiemens
  - Feedback is both synchronic (real-time) and diachronic (historical trend)
- Data printing for session protocol documentation
- Data storage for future comparison
- Post-processing of recorded traces

MindLAB Set – Clinical Application with Biofeedback

Therapist using the MindLAB Set with a patient wearing headphones and sensors, while psychophysiological data appear in real time on the monitor.

Safety and Certification

The MindLAB Set is a CE-certified medical device, registered with the Italian Ministry of Health, and validated for use across Europe. The Psychodata Acquisition Unit is opto-electrically isolated from the computer, ensuring complete patient safety, even when the computer is plugged into the mains.

It is electrically shielded, emits no interference, and is unaffected by magnetic fields. It is safe for all users, including those with implanted electronic devices such as pacemakers.

Fields of Application

Validated in numerous studies (Scrimali, 2006, 2007; Scrimali & Grimaldi, 1982, 1991; Scrimali, Alaimo & Grasso, 2007; Turpin, 1989; Bucsein, 1992), the MindLAB Set is used in:

Emotional Regulation and Biofeedback
- Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology, Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Psychosomatic Medicine
- Mindfulness and self-regulation training
- Software: Psychofeedback
Instrumental Assessment and Psychodiagnostics
- Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology, Psychosomatic Medicine
- Monitoring of:
  - Human information processing
  - Arousal
  - Worry and rumination
  - Relapse warning signs
  - Family relational processes (Family Strange Situation)
Clinical Conditions Treated
- Anxiety, panic, phobias: enhancing coping and self-efficacy
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder: reducing worry and ritual behaviors
- Eating disorders: emotional self-regulation and binge control
- Addictions: craving management
- Chronic pain: arousal reduction
- Schizophrenia: hallucination coping and stress-diathesis management
- Bipolar disorder: arousal monitoring to detect early shifts
- Child neuropsychiatry: ADHD, autism spectrum, emotional disorders
- Hypertension: blood pressure reduction
- Gastroenterology: irritable bowel syndrome
Neurotherapeutic Evaluation
- Pharmacological and phytopharmacological treatments (e.g., NegEnt Drops, NegEnt Panic Stopper)
- Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
- Transdermal vagal stimulation