Bothersome thoughts on nti, page-61

I have previously talked about neurofeedback in general - and how it does not only helps children with Autism - but - there are also many other leading studies which are looking into wider Neurofeedback applications. Unfortunately though, I think a lot of people enter stocks merely focused on 'price movement' and the mentality of: "up = good" and "down = bad" which is problematic because the reasoning as to what actually causes price movements are very complex. Accordingly, NTI's stock going down does not automatically mean their study is a failure - this is a common logical fallacy many investors fall for and the subsequent larger down sell is a 'follow the leader' neurological shortcut heuristic that our brain employs as apart of a fight or flight response.

Accordingly, when looking at med / biotech stocks we need to focus on 'what' the product is trying to achieve and 'how' it is that they are going to do it.

Although Neurofeedback is still a relatively 'new' field - don't for one second believe it is without merit or is a complete sham. If it was the globes leading universities would not be conducting major research studies into Neurofeedback. For example;

1) Yale University (School of Medicine) is currently starting a study into Neurofeeback for the treatment of OCD - with the primary hypothesis that: " The neurofeedback training will reduce OCD symptoms more than the control feedback."
Link: https://medicine.yale.edu/psychiatry/research/trials/456.trial

2) Stanford University announced that Neurofeedback training is a "promising next generation research and treatment tool" for Major Depressive Disorder especially when coupled with machine learning
https://web.stanford.edu/~msacchet/pdfs/16_Sacchet_ERN.pdf

3) Cambridge University has focused quite a few studies on Neurofeedback - including this one by Cambridge University Neuroscience Researcher Dr Annette Bruhl.
Brühl AB, Scherpiet S, Sulzer J, Stämpfli P, Seifritz E, Herwig U (2014), “Real-time neurofeedback could improve down-regulation of amygdala activity during emotional stimulation: a proof-of-concept study.” Brain Topogr 27(1):138-48


As we also know - Neurotech International has links into Cambridge University through Dr Ahmed Hankir, a Senior Research Fellow with the Bedfordshire Centre.

Now lets have a look NTI's primary and secondary outcome areas for those children with autism who are involved in the Mente Autism as they are quite exhaustive. The study administrator will test that the children have improvements in the areas of:

1) Changes in Stability Score test
2) Changes in Co-ordination of Coupled Hand and Foot Movements Test
3) Changes in Galvanic Skin Response test
4) Changes in Visual Evoked Response test
5) Changes in Questions about Behavioural Function (QABF) test
6) Changes in New Reynell Developmental Language Scales
7) Changes in Social Responsiveness Scale (Second Edition) SRS-2
8) Changes in the Autism Behavioural Checklist

Please also remember:
The Carrick Institutes role in this study is only one of an administrator. Specifically, the administrator of the tests, gatherer and compiler of data and analyser and writer of results. The Carrick Institute did not design or create the tests - each test is utilised due to its respected reliability over time in the field of behavioural medicine.

Finally, remember Neurotech International conducted an initial paper into the use of Neurofeedback for children with autism when it was called AAT Research. They found that Neurofeedback gave positive and coherent results.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/56d1/50caab084362ea102c17668572f7c54360b8.pdf

If you got down to the bottom of my ranting - do not believe for one second that Neurofeedback is snake oil - every major university is exploring its wider use.

As Stanford University noted Neurofeedback is a: "promising next generation research and treatment tool"


REFERENCES:

Volkmar, F.R., Ciccheti, D.V., Dykens, E., Sparrow, S.S., Leckman, J.K., & Cohen, D.J., (1988). An evaluation of the Autism Behavior Checklist. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 18 (1), 81-97

Reynell, J (1969) Reynell Developmental Language Scales. Experimental edition. Windsor: NFER.

Constantino J. N. & Gruber C. P. (2012). Social Responsiveness Scale–Second Edition (SRS-2). Torrance, CA: Western Psychological Services.