CASADIO M.

Several studies highlighted differences in behavioral performance between the two hands, either due to hand dominance or to specialization of the brain hemisphere. In a previous study, right-handed individuals performed a bimanual isometric force-matching task with the arms in different configurations. There we found that the accuracy of the...

Motor memories undergo a period of consolidation before they become resistant to the practice of another task. Although movement variability is important in motor memory consolidation, its role is not fully understood in redundant tasks where variability can exist along two orthogonal subspaces (the 'task space' and the 'null space') that have...

Recent advances on markerless pose estimation based on computer vision and deep neural networks are opening the possibility of adopting efficient methods for extracting precise human pose and movement information from video data. In this paper we report the results of a pilot study carried out on a clinical gait analysis study-case, where we...

: Medical palpation is a key skill for clinicians. It is typically trained using animal and synthetic models, which however raise ethical concerns and produce high volumes of consumables. An alternative could be visuo-haptic simulations, despite their training efficacy has not been proved yet. The assessment of palpatory skills requires...

Regaining functional independence plays a crucial role to improve the qualify of life of individuals with motor disabilities. Here, we address this problem within the framework of Body-Machine Interfaces (BoMIs). BoMIs enable individuals with restricted mobility to extend their capabilities by mapping their residual body movements into commands...

The analysis of human gait is an important tool in medicine and rehabilitation to evaluate the effects and the progression of neurological diseases resulting in neuromotor disorders. In these fields, the gold standard techniques adopted to perform gait analysis rely on motion capture systems and markers. However, these systems present...

Stroke often impairs the control of the contralesional arm, thus most survivors rely on the ipsilesional arm to perform daily living activities that require an efficient control of movements and forces. Whereas the ipsilesional arm is often called 'unaffected' or 'unimpaired', several studies suggested that during dynamic tasks its kinematics...

Multiple sclerosis is a complex neurological disease that results in motor impairment associated with muscle weakness and lack of motor coordination. Indeed, previous studies showed that, while activities in isolated arm muscles appeared generally similar to those of unimpaired subjects, shoulder muscle coordination with arm motions was...

Simulation is a powerful learning tool, as it allows gaining direct experience in a controlled and repeatable way. However, the simulation is effective when it is able to reproduce the real conditions and when the user feels him/herself immersed and present in the situation. With the aim of improving these critical points, we propose an...

Motor deficits in the lower limbs are common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), impacting mobility and quality of life. Objective and quantitative metrics are crucial for effective identification and monitoring of motor deficits. Recent advancements in computer vision and human pose estimators allow for automatic extraction of movement...

This study investigated how stroke's hemispheric localization affects motor performance, spinal maps and muscle synergies while performing planar reaching with and without assistive or resistive forces. A lesion of the right hemisphere affected performance, reducing average speed and smoothness and augmenting lateral deviation in both arms....

Proprioceptive deficits are frequent and disabling symptoms of neurological diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS). These deficits are poorly understood partly because of the limited sensitivity and reproducibility of clinical measures. However, their assessment is crucial in planning and evaluating rehabilitative treatments. Therefore, we...

The use of robotic systems for doctor-patient interaction during Covid-19 and in post-pandemic phases has been proven useful. On the other hand, in current implementations, teleoperating a robot in critical contexts such as the medical scenario may induce a high mental workload on the operator, mainly due to the need to adapt to the remote...

During spontaneous and operative deliveries it is important to correctly estimate the position and orientation of the fetus in the birth canal. In fact, incorrect evaluations can lead to errors in ventouse extraction, forceps application, and increased use of cesarean section. In this scenario, simulation is an appropriate tool for training and...

Proprioception—the sense of body segment's position and movement—plays a crucial role in human motor control, integrating the sensory information necessary for the correct execution of daily life activities. Despite scientific evidence recognizes that several neurological diseases hamper proprioceptive encoding with consequent inability to...

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