Integrating Machine Learning with Robotic Rehabilitation May Support Prediction of Recovery of the Upper Limb Motor Function in Stroke Survivors.

Motor impairment is a common issue in stroke patients, often affecting the upper limbs. To this standpoint, robotic neurorehabilitation has shown to be highly effective for motor function recovery. Notably, Machine learning (ML) may be a powerful technique able to identify the optimal kind and intensity of rehabilitation treatments to maximize the outcomes.

Data-Driven Identification of Stroke through Machine Learning Applied to Complexity Metrics in Multimodal Electromyography and Kinematics.

A stroke represents a significant medical condition characterized by the sudden interruption of blood flow to the brain, leading to cellular damage or death. The impact of stroke on individuals can vary from mild impairments to severe disability. Treatment for stroke often focuses on gait rehabilitation.

Spinal Orthosis in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: An Overview of the Braces Provided by the National Health Service in Italy.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a lateral, rotated curvature of the spine. It is a 3-dimensional deformity that arises in otherwise healthy children at or around puberty. AIS is the most common form of scoliosis in the pediatric population.

Assessing the Impact of Electrosuit Therapy on Cerebral Palsy: A Study on the Users' Satisfaction and Potential Efficacy.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of electrosuit therapy in the clinical treatment of children with Cerebral Palsy, focusing on the effect of the therapy on spasticity and trunk control. Moreover, the compliance of caregivers with respect to the use of the tool was investigated. During the period ranging from 2019 to 2022, a total of 26 children (18 M and 8 F), clinically stable and affected by CP and attending the Neurorehabilitation Unit of the "Padre Pio Foundation and Rehabilitation Centers", were enrolled in this study.

Use and Effectiveness of Electrosuit in Neurological Disorders: A Systematic Review with Clinical Implications.

Electrical stimulation through surface electrodes is a non-invasive therapeutic technique used to improve voluntary motor control and reduce pain and spasticity in patients with central nervous system injuries. The Exopulse Mollii Suit (EMS) is a non-invasive full-body suit with integrated electrodes designed for self-administered electrical stimulation to reduce spasticity and promote flexibility. The EMS has been evaluated in several clinical trials with positive findings, indicating its potential in rehabilitation.

Radial or Focal Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy: A Real-Life Retrospective Study.

Lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET) is characterized by pain, poor muscle strength of the wrist ex-tensors, and disability. Among the conservative rehabilitative approaches, focal as well as radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), are considered effective in LET management. The objective of this study was to compare the safety and effectiveness of focal (fESWT) and radial (rESWT) in terms of LET symptoms and the strength of wrist extensors, taking into account potential gender differences.

Identification of Functional Cortical Plasticity in Children with Cerebral Palsy Associated to Robotic-Assisted Gait Training: An fNIRS Study.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive neurologic condition that causes gait limitations, spasticity, and impaired balance and coordination. Robotic-assisted gait training (RAGT) has become a common rehabilitation tool employed to improve the gait pattern of people with neurological impairments. However, few studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of RAGT in children with CP and its neurological effects through portable neuroimaging techniques, such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).

Psychophysiological Assessment of Children with Cerebral Palsy during Robotic-Assisted Gait Training through Infrared Imaging.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive neurologic pathology representing a leading cause of spasticity and concerning gait impairments in children. Robotic-assisted gait training (RAGT) is widely employed to treat this pathology to improve children's gait pattern. Importantly, the effectiveness of the therapy is strictly related to the engagement of the patient in the rehabilitation process, which depends on his/her psychophysiological state.

Robot-assisted arm therapy in neurological health conditions: rationale and methodology for the evidence synthesis in the CICERONE Italian Consensus Conference.

Background: Robot-assisted Arm Therapy (RAT) has been increasingly applied in the last years for promoting functional recovery in patients with disabilities related to neurological health conditions. Evidence of a knowledge-to-action gap for applying robot-assisted technologies in the rehabilitation of patients with neurological health conditions and the difficulty to apply and tailor the knowledge to the local contexts solicited the need for a national consensus conference on these interventions.

Aim: The aim of this paper was to explain the methodology used by the working group dedicated to synthesizing evidence on the effectiveness of RAT in neurological health conditions in the context of the CICERONE Italian Consensus Conference.

Systematic review of guidelines to identify recommendations for upper limb robotic rehabilitation after stroke.

Introduction: Upper limb motor impairment is one of the most frequent stroke consequences. Robot therapy may represent a valid option for upper limb stroke rehabilitation, but there are still gaps between research evidence and their use in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to determine the quality, scope, and consistency of guidelines clinical practice recommendations for upper limb robotic rehabilitation in stroke populations.

How may patients with MS benefit from using music assisted therapy? A case-control feasability study investigating motor outcomes and beyond.

Motor impairment is the most common symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS), as gait and balance dysfunction are reported in more than 85% of the patients, with considerable consequences on the patient's activities of daily living and psychological status. This study aimed at evaluating the feasibility and potential efficacy of a novel treatment involving music plus treadmill in patients with MS. Ten patients affected by secondary progressive MS were submitted to a specific training using the Gait Trainer (GT) 3, a platform that integrates gait training via a treadmill and rhythmic auditory stimulation.

Robotic Rehabilitation in Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study on End-Effectors and Neurophysiological Outcomes.

Robot-aided gait training (RAGT) has been implemented to provide patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) with a physiological limb activation during gait, cognitive engagement, and an appropriate stimulation of peripheral receptors, which are essential to entrain neuroplasticity mechanisms supporting functional recovery. We aimed at assessing whether RAGT by means of an end-effector device equipped with body weight support could improve functional ambulation in patients with subacute, motor incomplete SCI. In this pilot study, 15 patients were provided with six RAGT sessions per week for eight consecutive weeks.

Sexual Dysfunction in Parkinson Disease: A Multicenter Italian Cross-sectional Study on a Still Overlooked Problem.

Background: Prevalence rates of sexual dysfunction (SD) in Parkinson's disease (PD) are likely to be underestimated and their etiology is still unknown. More understanding of this issue is needed.

Aim: To investigate prevalence of SD and its variables, including gender differences, in a sample of PD patients.

Toward Improving Diagnostic Strategies in Chronic Disorders of Consciousness: An Overview on the (Re-)Emergent Role of Neurophysiology.

The differential diagnosis of patients with Disorder of Consciousness (DoC), in particular in the chronic phase, is significantly difficult. Actually, about 40% of patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and the minimally conscious state (MCS) are misdiagnosed. Indeed, only advanced paraclinical approaches, including advanced EEG analyses, can allow achieving a more reliable diagnosis, that is, discovering residual traces of awareness in patients with UWS (namely, functional Locked-In Syndrome (fLIS)).

Can muscle vibration be the future in the treatment of cerebral palsy-related drooling? A feasibility study.

Drooling is an involuntary loss of saliva from the mouth, and it is a common problem for children with cerebral palsy (CP). The treatment may be pharmacological, surgical, or speech-related. Repeated Muscle Vibration (rMV) is a proprioceptive impulse that activates fibers Ia reaching the somatosensory and motor cortex.

Training for mobility with exoskeleton robot in spinal cord injury patients: a pilot study.

Background: Wearable robots are people-oriented robots designed to be worn all day, thus helping in the daily activities. They can assist in walking, running, jumping higher or even lifting objects too heavy in normal conditions.

Aim: The aim of this report was to investigate the changes in gait pattern through 3D gait analysis of subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) undergoing an adaptive training with a wearable exoskeletal device (ESD).