Villa Beretta Rehabilitation Research Innovation Institute

In recent days, a new research project titled EspertaMente has begun preliminary biological tests with its first patients. EspertaMente aims to investigate the effects of both internal and external exposomes on stroke survivors of various ages, as well as on their caregivers. The project will also explore the beneficial impacts of exposure to biodiversity on their neurobiological responses. The 15-month study has two key elements that make this research particularly innovative. ✔️ EspertaMente will facilitate the cross-referencing of patients’ socioeconomic exposome data with their biological and functional exposome data. The goal is to understand how social and environmental conditions impact recovery at one, five-, and ten-years post-stroke. In the meantime, the experiences of caregivers will be analyzed using targeted questionnaires. ✔️ Great importance will be placed on the brightness of rehabilitation and daily life contexts. Utilizing a panel that can reproduce natural light, patients will be exposed to light stimuli, and their biological responses will be analyzed through the examination of specific biomarkers. This data analysis will facilitate the formulation of new hypotheses regarding the re-modulation of the Central Nervous System, considering the effects that environmental conditions have on motor and rehabilitative outcomes. ⬇️ In the photo below, Dr. Franco Molteni is depicted beneath the light panel utilized for EspertaMente. #RehabilitationMedicine #Exposome #NewResearch

The collaborative project between our research institute and Oversonic Robotics was presented yesterday. The centerpiece of this new partnership is RoBee, a cognitive humanoid robot that will be tested for integration into Rehabilitation Medicine pathways. The theme of the conference, attended by Dr. Franco Molteni, is highly relevant: we are indeed entering a new era that necessitates a social reconfiguration in our relationship with technology. ✔️ In this context, Rehabilitation Medicine can offer a clear direction for the development of technologies that we must learn to engage with. We introduced robotics into our rehabilitation center 20 years ago, and we have consistently prioritized the humanization of technology, ensuring that it does not diminish human interactions. ✔️ In our clinical experience, we have observed that individuals do not perceive technology as oppressive; instead, they engage with it through a process of embodiment. However, for this engagement to occur, the context is crucial, as is the role of the individual's intention: intention should guide the robot's actions. ✔️ The robot can thus serve as a tool in reconstructing the patient's intentional mechanisms, enabling them to relearn how to decide to perform a movement even before actually executing it. #RehabilitationMedicine #HumanRobotInteraction #HumanoidRobotics

We would like to gently remind you about the upcoming episode of the Abductive Reasoning Lectures webinar, hosted by VBRRII. On Wednesday, March 26, at 1 PM (CET), we are thrilled to welcome Professor Andrea Serino from the University Hospital of Lausanne and Dr. Franco Molteni, our institute’s Scientific Director. ✔️ They will be discussing the intriguing topic of peripersonal space and its significance for neurorehabilitation. To participate, please register for the Digital Community on our website by clicking the link below: https://lnkd.in/diKnb5zc #AbductiveReasoningLectures #PeripersonalSpace #Neurorehabilitation

Franco Molteni, our Scientific Director, is featured in Oteos (On The Evolution of Sport), a program airing on Sky Sport Arena (channel 204) that explores recent advancements in sports. He is joined by Ambra Sabatini, the Paralympic champion in the 100 meters from the Tokyo 2020 Games. Currently, she is being monitored for key biological parameters to gain insights into her recovery, training responses, and optimal performance times throughout the day. As Dr. Molteni emphasizes, the fields of sports and rehabilitation medicine are closely interconnected. ✔️ Sports represent the pinnacle of daily life, showcasing an athlete's exceptional ability to translate motor control into outstanding performance. Similarly, rehabilitation aims to effectively harness an individual's capabilities to reintegrate them into an active lifestyle. Therefore, insights from rehabilitation medicine can significantly enhance sports practices. ✔️ Sports can also play a vital role in rehabilitation medicine, serving as a form of therapy that must be carefully administered and utilized. When approached positively, sports can energize daily life, becoming a valuable asset in the rehabilitation journey. ✔️ If you would like to watch the show, please click here: https://lnkd.in/dPQSzuzj #RehabilitationMedicine #VBRRII #Paralympics

We are excited to announce that the Digital Community on our website is now live! This platform will be continuously enhanced over the coming weeks with valuable resources, scientific materials, and opportunities for training and discussions on key topics in Rehabilitation Medicine. To join, please register by completing the form available at this link: https://lnkd.in/dbCsdzf4 ✔️ Our first event within the Digital Community will be a webinar scheduled for Wednesday, March 26, at 1 PM (CET). We are pleased to welcome Professor Andrea Serino from the University Hospital of Lausanne as our guest speaker. The session, moderated by our Scientific Director, Dr. Franco Molteni, will focus on the topic of Peripersonal Space in Neurorehabilitation. We look forward to your participation! #DigitalCommunity #RehabilitationMedicine #VBRRII

Please, save the date for an upcoming episode of the Abductive Reasoning Lectures webinar series presented by VBRRII. Join us on Wednesday, March 26, at 1 PM for an insightful session featuring Professor Andrea Serino, a renowned Professor at the University Hospital of Lausanne, where he heads the Neurorehab Research Center and MySpace Lab. More information on registration will be shared soon. In the meantime, please find an abstract of the event below. ✔️ This webinar centers on the concept of peripersonal space (PPS), which refers to the multisensory representation of the space surrounding the human body. Neurophysiological studies conducted on primates have identified specialized neurons that integrate tactile stimuli with visual and auditory cues that approach the body, thereby establishing an extended sensory boundary that surpasses physical limitations. ✔️ The characteristics of PPS exhibit notable plasticity, social sensitivity, and a connection to self-awareness, as demonstrated by phenomena related to body ownership. Recent research has also established a link between PPS and immune activation in response to perceived pathogens, as well as correlations between PPS markers and levels of consciousness in both clinical and sleep scenarios. ✔️ In this discussion, facilitated by our Scientific Director, Dr. Franco Molteni, we will explore the significant implications that these findings have for the field of neurorehabilitation. #NeuroRehabilitation #RehabilitationMedicine #AbductiveReasoningLectures

HRV, or Heart Rate Variability, is an important metric in the rehabilitation sector, as it provides an indirect assessment of cognitive flexibility. In this video, Eleonora Guanziroli, the head of our Bioengineering Department, shares some insights on this topic. https://lnkd.in/dY2jHBx3 #VBRRII #HeartRateVariability #Neuromodulation #RehabilitationMedicine

During a recent seminar, an interdisciplinary panel of physicians, physiotherapists, neuropsychologists, bioengineers and product specialists explored the multifaceted nature of Intensive Visual Stimulation (IVS) in clinical practice. The discussion revealed how IVS represents a sophisticated synthesis of mirror therapy, action observation, and motor imagery, creating a powerful therapeutic approach that transforms movement intention into actual movement experience. ✔️ Dr. Franco Molteni, Scientific Director, and Engineer Eleonora Guanziroli, head of the Bioengineering Department, managed the brainstorming discussion and highlighted how Dessintey technology facilitates this unique integration. The system creates an environment where patients can simultaneously engage with mirrored movements, observe therapeutic actions, and activate motor imagery circuits, providing a comprehensive approach to movement rehabilitation. ✔️ Neuropsychologist Dr. Michela Bassolino offered crucial insights into the complex relationship between body awareness and IVS. She explained how this combined approach creates a unique neural environment where the brain processes multiple layers of movement-related information. To continue reading, please click here: https://lnkd.in/dADJ3dMc #IntensiveVisualStimulation #MirrorTherapy #ActionObservation #MotorImagery #RehabilitationMedicine

Please save the date for Wednesday, January 29 (at 1:30 PM CEST) as we will be launching our inaugural episode of the Abductive Reasoning webinar series presented by VBRRII. Our Scientific Director, Dr. Franco Molteni, will lead a conversation on human intention and movement with the renowned neuroscientist, Professor Cristina Becchio. Here is the link for you to participate: https://lnkd.in/dqzKvdCk ✔️ Professor Becchio’s research at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf challenges the traditional separation between thought and movement, demonstrating that cognitive processes are encoded in movement patterns. Using motion capture technology, her laboratory analyzes movement variations to decode mental states and decision-making processes. ✔️ The research shows healthy individuals can plan movements up to four orders ahead and reveals how movement analysis can assess rehabilitation progress through individual “kinematic fingerprints”. ✔️ On January 29, we will explore the important implications of these findings for Rehabilitation Medicine, particularly in relation to patients with neurological impairments. We look forward to your participation! #VBRRII #AbductiveReasoning #AbductiveReasoningbyVBRRII #humanintention #RehabilitationMedicine

The first post of this year is dedicated to an original scientific study conducted by Italian researchers and titled "Neuroethology of natural actions in freely moving monkeys". This research, which lasted eight years, aimed to compare the neuronal activity of premotor neurons in macaques across two different contexts: a Restrained Context (RC), in which the animals performed repetitive actions while seated with their heads fixed, and a Freely Moving Context (FMC), where the animals were free to explore their environment and interact with objects. ✔️ The study demonstrated that in a Freely Moving Context, there is improved cortical modulation of muscle synergies. While the same synergies can be observed in a restrained context, the reverse is not true. This indicates that cortical activation varies depending on the context in which the activities are performed, prompting us to consider significant implications for rehabilitation. ✔️ In a Freely Moving Context, neurons modulate a much wider range of actions, demonstrating greater flexibility compared to what is achieved in a Restrained Context. Therefore, to optimize neurorehabilitation training, it is important to perform exercises in the most flexible contexts possible, allowing the intention of movement to manifest based on the patient’s overall functional condition. ✔️ If we consider a post-stroke patient with significant walking impairments, rehabilitation using a wearable exoskeleton that facilitates overground training in a large, open, space will have a different impact on cortical reorganization compared to training conducted with a robot that allows walking on a treadmill. This is also true when compared to training in a restricted space, which is supported directly by a physiotherapist using a walker, quadripod, or cane. ✔️ Regarding the rehabilitation of the upper limbs, exercises that utilize movement-supporting robotics that are not confined to a fixed or seated posture are preferable for regaining the motor control necessary to perform complex natural upper limb tasks. ✔️ This means that when conducting clinical trials, we must consider not only the duration of the treatment and/or the number of movements during the training session, but also the context in which the training is performed. ✔️ Finally, here’s a question for you to answer in the comments: Can a patient’s home be considered a more flexible environment compared to a traditional rehabilitation gym? #NeuroRehabilitation #RehabilitationMedicine #CorticalReorganization