SUMMA , Susanna

The speed of voluntary movements is determined by the conflicting needs of maximizing accuracy and minimizing mechanical effort. Dynamic perturbations, e.g., force fields, may be used to manipulate movements in order to investigate these mechanisms. Here, we focus on how the presence of position- and velocity-dependent force fields affects the...

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BACKGROUND: Bradykinesia (slow movements) is a common symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD) and results in reduced mobility and postural instability. The objective of this study is to develop and demonstrate a technology-assisted exercise protocol that is specifically aimed at reducing bradykinesia. METHODS: Seven persons with PD participated in...

An important issue in sensorimotor adaptation is what drives adaptation, and whether different types of perturbations are mediated by different adaptation mechanisms. Here we assess whether any interference is observed among the joint adaptation to visual (i.e. kinematic) and force (i.e. dynamic) perturbations. Subjects adapted their reaching...

Computational models of neuromotor recovery after a stroke might help to unveil the underlying physiological mechanisms and might suggest how to make recovery faster and more effective. At least in principle, these models could serve: (i) To provide testable hypotheses on the nature of recovery; (ii) To predict the recovery of individual...

Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) exhibit an impairment in social interaction capabilities. The main objective of the study is to explore the interaction with virtual environments (VE) by natural interfaces (NI) as a way to facilitate the acquisition of social skills. The study involved a total of four subjects with ASD. After an...

BACKGROUND: Lack of social skills and/or a reduced ability to determine when to use them are common symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Here we examine whether an integrated approach based on virtual environments and natural interfaces is effective in teaching safety skills in adults with ASD. We specifically focus on pedestrian skills,...

The body-machine interfaces (BMIs) map the subjects' movements into the low dimensional control space of external devices to reach assistive and/or rehabilitative goals. This work is a first proof of concept of this kind of BMI as tool for rehabilitation after stroke. We designed an exercise to improve the control of selective movements of the...