Lung and chest wall volume during vital capacity manoeuvre in Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

Background: Although Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) affects the connective tissue, pulmonary function might be compromised because of thoracic deformities. OI is known to be a restrictive lung disease, but spirometry provides global measurement without localizing the site of the restriction. Opto-electronic plethysmography (OEP), is a non-invasive method able to underline altered respiratory function as well as ventilatory thoraco-abdominal paradoxes during spontaneous breathing.

Robot Fully Assisted Upper-Limb Functional Movements Against Gravity to Drive Recovery in Chronic Stroke: A Pilot Study.

Background: Stroke is becoming more and more a disease of chronically disabled patients, and new approaches are needed for better outcomes. An intervention based on robot fully assisted upper-limb functional movements is presented.

Objectives: To test the immediate and sustained effects of the intervention in reducing impairment in chronic stroke and to preliminarily verify the effects on activity.

Eat, breathe, sleep with Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

Background: Although Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) affects the connective tissue causing extremely brittle bones with consequent skeletal deformities, it is important to go beyond bones. Indeed, the quality of life in OI does not only depend on bones status, as OI might affect also other important functions. We have therefore implemented a multidisciplinary study to assess lung function, breathing pattern, sleep quality and nutritional status in 27 adult OI type III and IV patients (median age: 34.

Providing high-quality care remotely to patients with rare bone diseases during COVID-19 pandemic.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, the European Reference Network on Rare Bone Diseases (ERN BOND) coordination team and Italian rare bone diseases healthcare professionals created the "COVID-19 Helpline for Rare Bone Diseases" in an attempt to provide high-quality information and expertise on rare bone diseases remotely to patients and healthcare professionals. The present position statement describes the key characteristics of the Helpline initiative, along with the main aspects and topics that recurrently emerged as central for rare bone diseases patients and professionals. The main topics highlighted are general recommendations, pulmonary complications, drug treatment, trauma, pregnancy, children and elderly people, and patient associations role.

Using robot fully assisted functional movements in upper-limb rehabilitation of chronic stroke patients: preliminary results.

Background: Robotic rehabilitation is promising to promote function in stroke patients. The assist as needed training paradigm has shown to stimulate neuroplasticity but often cannot be used because stroke patients are too impaired to actively control the robot against gravity.

Aim: To verify whether a rehabilitation intervention based on robot fully assisted reaching against gravity (RCH) and hand-to-mouth (HTM) can promote upper-limb function in chronic stroke.

Artificial neural network EMG classifier for functional hand grasp movements prediction.

Objective To design and implement an electromyography (EMG)-based controller for a hand robotic assistive device, which is able to classify the user's motion intention before the effective kinematic movement execution. Methods Multiple degrees-of-freedom hand grasp movements (i.e.

Gait changes after tendon functional surgery for equinovarus foot in patients with stroke: assessment of temporo-spatial, kinetic, and kinematic parameters in 177 patients.

Objective: In patients with hemiplegic stroke, equinovarus foot is one of the most frequent deformities. Outcome evidence for surgical correction of equinovarus foot is scarce, and results are usually assessed only clinically. Moreover, concerns about possible loss of function after elongation of the plantar flexor muscles are still at issue.