A5006185953- Vestibular and auditory disorders
- Neural dynamics and brain function
- Motor Control and Adaptation
- Muscle activation and electromyography studies
- EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Neurological disorders and treatments
- Neuroscience and Neural Engineering
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Botulinum Toxin and Related Neurological Disorders
- Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics
- Non-Invasive Vital Sign Monitoring
- Advanced Memory and Neural Computing
- Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Spaceflight effects on biology
- Cerebral Palsy and Movement Disorders
- Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery
- Visual perception and processing mechanisms
- Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Ophthalmology and Eye Disorders
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
- Genetic Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Neural Networks and Applications
- Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications
University of Pavia
2017-2025
Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Nazionale Casimiro Mondino
2017-2024
Politecnico di Milano
2007-2019
Bioengineering Technology and Systems (Italy)
2015
MUNDUS is an assistive framework for recovering direct interaction capability of severely motor impaired people based on arm reaching and hand functions. It aims at achieving personalization, modularity maximization the user’s involvement in systems. To this, exploits any residual control end-user can be adapted to level severity or progression disease allowing user voluntarily interact with environment. target pathologies are high-level spinal cord injury (SCI) neurodegenerative genetic...
The cerebellum is involved in a large number of different neural processes, especially associative learning and fine motor control. To develop comprehensive theory sensorimotor control, it crucial to determine the basis coding plasticity embedded into cerebellar circuit how they are translated behavioral outcomes paradigms. Learning has be inferred from interaction an embodied system with its real environment, same principles derived cell physiology have able drive variety tasks nature,...
The cerebellum plays a crucial role in motor learning and it acts as predictive controller. Modeling embedding into sensorimotor tasks allows us to create functional links between plasticity mechanisms, neural circuits behavioral learning. Moreover, if applied real-time control of neurorobot, the cerebellar model has deal with real noisy changing environment, thus showing its robustness effectiveness A biologically inspired distributed plasticity, both at cortical nuclear sites, been used....
In this study, we test the feasibility of synergy- based approach for application in realistic and clinically oriented framework multi-degree freedom (DOF) robotic control. We developed tested online ten able-bodied subjects a semi-supervised method to achieve simultaneous, continuous control two DOFs arm, using muscle synergies extracted from upper limb muscles while performing flexion-extension movements elbow shoulder joints horizontal plane. To validate efficacy synergy-based extracting...
Reconstructing neuronal microcircuits through computational models is fundamental to simulate local dynamics. Here a scaffold model of the cerebellum has been developed in order flexibly place neurons space, connect them synaptically, and endow synapses with biologically-grounded mechanisms. The can keep morphology separated from network connectivity, which turn be obtained convergence/divergence ratios axonal/dendritic field 3D geometries. We first tested on cerebellar microcircuit,...
Brain dynamics can be simulated using virtual brain models, in which a standard mathematical representation of oscillatory activity is usually adopted for all cortical and subcortical regions. However, some regions have specific microcircuit properties that are not recapitulated by oscillators. Moreover, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based connectomes may able to capture local circuit connectivity. Region-specific models incorporating computational neurons microcircuits recently been...
Goal: In this study, we defined a realistic cerebellar model through the use of artificial spiking neural networks, testing it in computational simulations that reproduce associative motor tasks multiple sessions acquisition and extinction. Methods: By evolutionary algorithms, tuned microcircuit to find out near-optimal plasticity mechanism parameters better reproduced human-like behavior eye blink classical conditioning, one most extensively studied paradigms related cerebellum. We used two...
The cerebellum plays a crucial role in sensorimotor control and cerebellar disorders compromise adaptation learning of motor responses. However, the link between alterations at network level dysfunction is still unclear. In principle, this understanding would benefit development an artificial system embedding salient neuronal plastic properties operating closed-loop. To aim, we have exploited realistic spiking computational model to analyze correlates impairment. was modified reproduce three...
Abstract The cerebellum plays a critical role in forming precisely timed sensory‐motor associations. This process is thought to proceed through two learning phases: one leading memory acquisition; and the other more slowly consolidation saving. It has been proposed that fast acquisition occurs cerebellar cortex, while dislocated into deep nuclei. However, it was not clear how these components could be identified eyeblink classical conditioning (EBCC) humans, paradigm commonly used...
Abstract The cerebellar network is renowned for its regular architecture that has inspired foundational computational theories. However, the relationship between circuit structure, function and dynamics remains elusive. To tackle issue, we developed an advanced modeling framework allows us to reconstruct simulate structure of mouse cortex using morphologically realistic multi-compartmental neuron models. connectome generated through appropriate connection rules, unifying a collection...
According to the motor learning theory by Albus and Ito, synaptic depression at parallel fibre Purkinje cells synapse ( pf -PC) is main substrate responsible for sensorimotor contingencies under climbing control. However, recent experimental evidence challenges this relatively monopolistic view of cerebellar learning. Bidirectional plasticity appears crucial learning, in which different microzones can undergo opposite changes strength (e.g. downbound microzones–more likely depression,...
Mobile phones offer the possibility to monitor and track health parameters. Our aim was test feasibility accuracy of measuring beat-to-beat heart rate using smartphone accelerometers by recording vibrations generated during its function transmitted chest wall, i.e. so-called seismocardiographic signal (SCG).9 healthy male volunteers were studied in supine (SUP) standing (ST) posture. A (iPhone6, Apple) positioned on thorax (POS1) acquire SCG signal. While supine, a second navel (POS2). The...
A bioinspired adaptive model, developed by means of a spiking neural network made thousands artificial neurons, has been leveraged to control humanoid NAO robot in real time. The learning properties the system have challenged classic cerebellum-driven paradigm, perturbed upper limb reaching protocol. neurophysiological principles used develop model succeeded driving an motor protocol with baseline, acquisition, and extinction phases. showed behaviours similar ones experimentally measured...
Brain neurons exhibit complex electroresponsive properties - including intrinsic subthreshold oscillations and pacemaking, resonance phase-reset which are thought to play a critical role in controlling neural network dynamics. Although these emerge from detailed representations of molecular-level mechanisms "realistic" models, they cannot usually be generated by simplified neuronal models (although may show spike-frequency adaptation bursting). We report here that this whole set can the...
Mean-field (MF) models are computational formalism used to summarize in a few statistical parameters the salient biophysical properties of an inter-wired neuronal network. Their normally incorporates different types neurons and synapses along with their topological organization. MFs crucial efficiently implement modules large-scale brain function, maintaining specificity local cortical microcircuits. While have been generated for isocortex, they still missing other parts brain. Here we...
New insights suggest that dystonic motor impairments could also involve a deficit of sensory processing. In this framework, biofeedback, making covert physiological processes more overt, be useful. The present work proposes an innovative integrated setup which provides the user with electromyogram (EMG)-based visual-haptic biofeedback during upper limb movements (spiral tracking tasks), to test if augmented feedbacks can induce control improvement in patients primary dystonia. ad hoc...
The cerebellum plays a critical role in sensorimotor control. However, how the specific circuits and plastic mechanisms of are engaged closed-loop processing is still unclear. We developed an artificial control system embedding detailed spiking cerebellar microcircuit with three bidirectional plasticity sites. This proved able to reproduce cerebellar-driven associative paradigm, eyeblink classical conditioning (EBCC), which precise time relationship between unconditioned stimulus (US)...
Abstract Background Correlating the features of actual executed movement with associated cortical activations can enhance reliability functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data interpretation. This is crucial for longitudinal evaluation motor recovery in neurological patients and investigating detailed mutual interactions between activation maps parameters. Therefore, we have explored a new set-up combining fMRI an optoelectronic motion capture system, which provides multi-parameter...
The feasibility of measuring stress-related parameters by ultra-short variability (USV) indices calculated from the ballistocardiographic signal acquired mobile phone accelerometers (m-BCG) positioned on navel was tested, and its accuracy compared with gold standard ECG-derived indices. m-BCG in six healthy volunteers while supine position, during spontaneous breathing (CTRL) 1 minute mental stress (MS) induced arithmetic serial subtraction task. Beat occurrence independently automatically...