Publications by authors named "Stampacchia G"

Background: Many robots are available for gait rehabilitation (BWSTRT and ORET) and their application in persons with SCI allowed an improvement of walking function.

Objective: The aim of the study is to compare the effects of different robotic exoskeletons gait training in persons with different SCI level and severity.

Methods: Sixty-two studies were included in this systematic review; the study quality was assessed according to GRADE and PEDro's scale.

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Background: The recovery of walking after stroke is a priority goal for recovering autonomy. In the last years robotic systems employed for Robotic Assisted Gait Training (RAGT) were developed. However, literature and clinical practice did not offer standardized RAGT protocol or pattern of evaluation scales.

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Background: Gait impairments are common disabling symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). Among the approaches for gait rehabilitation, interest in robotic devices has grown in recent years. However, the effectiveness compared to other interventions, the optimum amount of training, the type of device, and which patients might benefit most remains unclear.

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Introduction: There is growing evidence on the efficacy of gait robotic rehabilitation in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), but most of the studies have focused on gait parameters. Moreover, clear indications on the clinical use of robotics still lack. As part of the CICERONE Italian Consensus on Robotic Rehabilitation, the aim of this systematic review was to investigate the existing evidence concerning the role of lower limb robotic rehabilitation in improving functional recovery in patients with MS.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study is a multicenter cross-sectional analysis conducted in ten Italian rehabilitation centers to assess pain prevalence, location, and characteristics among hospital inpatients with spinal cord injury (SCI).
  • - Out of 385 participants, 72% reported experiencing pain, with nociceptive pain primarily located in the neck-shoulder region (52%) and neuropathic pain in the sublesional area (67%); spasticity was present in 48% of the participants.
  • - The findings indicate a significant prevalence of pain in SCI patients, with older age and being female correlating strongly with higher pain levels.
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Introduction: Stroke is the third leading cause of adult disability worldwide, and lower extremity motor impairment is one of the major determinants of long-term disability. Although robotic therapy is becoming more and more utilized in research protocols for lower limb stroke rehabilitation, the gap between research evidence and its use in clinical practice is still significant. The aim of this study was to determine the scope, quality, and consistency of guidelines for robotic lower limb rehabilitation after stroke, in order to provide clinical recommendations.

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Background: In the last years, there has been an intense technological development of robotic devices for gait rehabilitation in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate energy cost and psychological impact during a rehabilitation program with two different types of robotic rehabilitation systems (stationary system on a treadmill, Lokomat, and overground walking system, Ekso GT).

Methods: Fifteen SCI patients with different injury levels underwent robot-assisted gait training sessions, divided into 2 phases: in the first phase, all subjects completed 3 sessions both Lokomat and Ekso GT.

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Study Design: Prospective, quasi-experimental study, pre- and post-design, single arm study.

Objectives: Investigate whether persons affected by SCI can safely experience walking function using Robotic Exoskeletons and Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES).

Setting: Inpatient METHODS: 52 persons with SCI were recruited (36 completed the protocol) and assigned to one of two groups based on their Lower Limb Motor Scores (LEMS): Group A: LEMS ≥ 10 and Group B: LEMS < 10.

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Study Design: Multicentric prospective psychometric study.

Objective: To provide a translation of the International Spinal Cord Injury Pain Basic Data Set (ISCIPBDS) for Italian persons and to evaluate the interrater reliability of the translated version.

Setting: Ten Italian rehabilitation centres specialized in spinal injury care.

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The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of an integrated gait rehabilitation training based on Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)-cycling and overground robotic exoskeleton in a group of seven complete spinal cord injury patients on spasticity and patient-robot interaction. They underwent a robot-assisted rehabilitation training based on two phases: n=20 sessions of FES-cycling followed by n= 20 sessions of robot-assisted gait training based on an overground robotic exoskeleton. The following clinical outcome measures were used: Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) on spasticity, Penn Spasm Frequency Scale (PSFS), Spinal Cord Independence Measure Scale (SCIM), NRS on pain and International Spinal Cord Injury Pain Data Set (ISCI).

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Background: Powered robotic exoskeletons represent an emerging technology for the gait training of Spinal Cord Injured (SCI) persons. The analysis of the psychological and physical impact of such technology on the patient is crucial in terms of clinical appropriateness of such rehabilitation intervention for SCI persons.

Objective: To investigate the acceptability of overground robot-assisted walking and its effect on pain and spasticity.

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Background: Intrathecal Baclofen is available to treat severe generalized spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) unresponsive to oral drug delivery.

Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate the effects and the drug dosage of intrathecal Baclofen in a selected population of MS patients, affected by severe spasticity at long term follow-up.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 14 MS patients is presented.

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Background Aims: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) modulate the immune response and represent a potential treatment for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. We hypothesized that this feature could be potentiated by co-administering anti-inflammatory cytokines. In this article, we asked whether engineering of Wharton Jelly-derived human MSCs (WJ-hMSCs) to express an anti-inflammatory cytokine increases cell immunomodulatory properties without altering their native features.

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Study Design: This is a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the associations among the quality of couple relationship, perceived social support and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Setting: The study was conducted in Italy.

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Study Design: Cross sectional.

Objectives: To examine associations among functional status, health-related and individualised quality of life (QoL) and coping style in subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Setting: Italy.

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Among the objectives of spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation, (i) prevention of bony, muscular and joint trophism and (ii) limitation of spastic hypertone represent important goals to be achieved. The aim of this study is to use functional electrical stimulation (FES) to activate pedaling on cycle-ergometer and analyse effects of this technique for a rehabilitation training in SCI persons. Five spinal cord injured subjects were recruited and underwent a two months FES-cycling training.

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The aim of this study was to understand and measure the lower limbs muscular activation patterns both in healthy and spinal cord injured (SCI) subjects during robot-assisted locomotor exercise. Electromyographic (EMG) activity of four leg's muscles (rectus and biceps femoris, tibialis anterioris and gastrocnemius) was recorded and analyzed at two different percentages of body weight support, three stepping velocities and three different modalities. SCI subjects were recorded also after four weeks training to evaluate the effectiveness of lower limb robot-assisted rehabilitative treatment.

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Article Synopsis
  • Rabbits are useful in studying diseases and developing treatments, particularly for cardiovascular issues and tissue engineering, which is the focus of this study on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).
  • The research involved isolating MSCs from New Zealand rabbits and analyzing their growth characteristics under various culture conditions, revealing that different media and growth factors significantly influenced cell growth and clonogenic potential.
  • The findings highlight the importance of selecting appropriate culture conditions for MSCs, as cells show varying responses to different media, sera, and growth factors, which is critical for their practical use in veterinary medicine.
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Objective: To assess muscle strength in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) using neuromuscular scales and isokinetic testing.

Methods: Muscle function was evaluated in 27 IIM patients being followed at the Rheumatology Unit of the University of Pisa using: (i) a modified version of the grading system used to assess Duchenne dystrophy, (ii) the four-stage grading system of Henriksson and Sandstedt, (iii) an isokinetic muscle strength test (Kin Com, Chatanooga) and (iv) the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ).

Results: The neuromuscular scales showed normal or only mildly impaired muscle strength in 60% (Duchenne scale) and 80% (Henriksson and Sandstedt scale) of the patients, respectively, whereas isokinetic testing detected moderate to severe reductions in muscle strength in almost 70% of the patients.

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Objective: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics and the clinical course of patients with nontraumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: A multicenter prospective study.

Setting: Thirty-two rehabilitation centers in several Italian regions.

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Spasticity is a disorder of hypertonus associated with neurological diseases, characterized by a decrease in stretch reflex threshold. Stretch reflex threshold of wrist flexors has been recorded in subjects affected by forearm spasticity due to acute neurological lesions, occurred from one to sixty-one months before. In all the subjects a decreased stretch reflex threshold was recorded and a negative correlation between stretch reflex threshold and time of the disease resulted.

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We describe a case of polyradiculoneuropathy (PRN) following living donor kidney transplantation, without clinical evidence of preexisting infection. In this study plasma exchange treatment resulted 6 days later in improvement in extremity weakness and paresthesias in the upper and lower extremities. Total neurological recovery was obtained 3 months after the onset of symptoms.

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Background: The close relationship between protein-energy malnutrition and quality of life, morbidity and mortality, makes mandatory a careful evaluation of the nutritional status and muscle mass in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients.

Methods: Nutritional and skeletal muscle data were obtained from 28 nondiabetic patients with severe CRF (glomerular filtration rate, GFR < 15 mL min-1) on conservative treatment. Of them, 14 (8 males, 4 females) were on a conventional low-protein (0.

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