Welcome to the EPL Facility!

(Experimental Psychology Labs)

The EPL Facility was established in 2006 with the aim of pursuing research activities in the field of Cognitive Neuroscience, with a particular focus on electroencephalographic (EEG) and behavioural studies. The Facility is equipped with cutting-edge technologies and tools that permit researchers to conduct studies involving sensory stimulation, eye movement monitoring and measurement of electrophysiological indices. Experienced personnel support the activities during all the phases of the research, from the design of the study with configuration of the appropriate equipment to the collection and analysis of experimental data.

• General information
• People
• Rules

General information

The EPL Facility includes:

• Five laboratories for conducting behavioural experiments. The laboratories are all equipped with desktop computers and high-performance monitors (https://vpixx.com/). Several laptops are also available. If necessary, the laboratories can be equipped with specific devices for visual stimulation (stereoscope) and eye movement control (three EyeLink 1000 systems with Desktop/Remote mounting and one EyeLink 1000 Plus system easily transportable outside the laboratories, https://www.sr-research.com/). In addition, a Tobii T120 (http://www.tobii.com), a device with a Tobii AB integrated monitor , is available for use;

• One laboratory, equipped with an Eyelink 1000 Tower system (https://www.sr-research.com/), for investigating eye movements;

• One multisensory laboratory, equipped with an anechoic and acoustically isolated cabin, for conducting studies involving different types of sensory stimulation; a BIOPAC system (https://www.biopac.com/) for taking electrophysiological measurements and several devices for the delivery of visual, auditory, olfactory and tactile stimuli (electro-tactile and vibro-tactile stimulation) are available too.                  In addition there is a olfactometer Sniff-0 (Cynexo; https://www.cynexo.com/portfolio/sniff-0-olfactometer/), that is a computer-controlled instrument useful to deliver odor stimuli via cannulas birhinally placed in the participants’ nostrils. The olfactometer is currently equipped with four channels (the maximum number of channels is 13 + 1). It is easily transportable in the form of a normal suitcase and it is fMRI compatible. Moreover, Sniff-0 can be used in combination with another instrument, Spir-0 (Cynexo; https://www.cynexo.com/portfolio/spir-0-breathing-cycle-monitor/), to synchronize the activation of the odor channels with the breathing activity of each participant. In general, Spir-0 is able to monitor and record the respiratory activity of the participants.

• One laboratory for conducting EEG studies. The laboratory includes a room for the set-up and preparation of the EEG cap, an anechoic and electrically shielded cabin for the recording of the EEG signals, and a room for the analysis of the EEG data, with three workstations. For the EEG recordings, a total of 4 BrainAmp DC amplifiers (https://www.brainproducts.com/) are available. The amplifiers can be combined together to create a system with up to 128 channels. Caps of different sizes, with passive (EASYCAP, https://www.easycap.de/) or active electrode sets (actiCAP, https://www.brainproducts.com/productdetails.php?id=68) are also available. If necessary, EEG signals can be recorded while monitoring eye movements with one of the EyeLink 1000 systems mentioned above;

• One kinematic laboratory, equipped with the Qualisys motion-capture system, for conducting research related to quantitative measurements of limb movements.

All the laboratories are located in Palazzo Fedrigotti (Corso Bettini 31, Rovereto); most of them are located on the third floor of the dependance (also known as "palazzina").

The laboratories opening hours are

          8am – 7pm Monday to Friday

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People

The research activities at the EPL Facility are supported by qualified personnel who endeavour to:

• Ensure the proper functioning of all equipment in the several laboratories;
• Provide assistance and training on the use of the equipment;
• Provide assistance on administrative aspects and experimental/methodological procedures relating to the implementation of research projects;
• Provide assistance and training on data acquisition and analysis.

As for all the other CIMeC Facilities, the staff of the EPL Facility includes three different figures:

• Scientific Advisor:
  principal investigator, appointed by the CIMeC Director after consultation with the Board, who offers scientific advice to the Facility users and suggestions on the management of the Facility;
• Facility Manager:
  technical staff managing and coordinating the CIMeC Facility;

• Facility Technician:
  technical staff supporting research and teaching activities in the Facility.

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Rules

The general rules, common to all CIMeC Facilities, can be referred to at the following link (add link).

In brief, according to the general rules, any Facility user has to:

• Consult the Facility personnel for a preliminary feasibility assessment of the research project, in terms of safety and use of both instrumental and human resources; this must be done during the project definition phase, before starting the accreditation procedure;

• Complete the accreditation procedure, using the online application called "Project System";

• Complete the "Health and Safety in the Workplace" training courses organised by the University of Trento; the level of training required depends on the type of activity to be carried out in the laboratory.

In addition to the general rules, each Facility has specific terms and conditions that regulate the access to the laboratories, the use of the equipment and the processing of data collected for research purposes.

For the EPL rules, please refer to the document "Specific rules for access", which can be found at the following link. (add link)

In brief,

• The use of the Facility resources (laboratories and/or equipment) is allowed only after completion of the accreditation procedure;

• Access to laboratories and relative equipment is subject to possession of the necessary skills, depending on the methodology used in the research;

• Users are only allowed to access the Facility resources that are strictly necessary for carrying out the experimental activities;

• It is necessary to book the Facility resources in advance. For bookings, the CIMeC Online Booking System is active at the following link
  (https://apps.cimec.unitn.it/cis/calendar.php).
  The booking system also permits to quantify the resources utilization and to charge the related costs;

• Access to the EPL Facility is managed and controlled by a digital locking system (keys and electronic locking cylinders). The staff of the Facility provide the authorized users with a key.​

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Warning: 

The access to the EPL Facility, the usage of its equipment and/or the request for technical assistance imply the automatic acceptance of both CIMeC general rules and EPL specific rules.  Access to the EPL Facility is denied, in case the rules are breached.

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In the annexes below, specific indications are given for some of the Facility resources:

• General Regulations of the laboratories
• Additional rules for the use of the Eye Movement Lab
• Additional rules for the use of the Kinematics Lab
• Additional rules for the use of the EEG Lab
• Authorization form for the access to labs
• Reimbursement form for experiment participation
• Experiment participation form (CIMeC-DiPSCo)