Valeria Longatelli

Politecnico di Milano | Polimi · Department of Bioengineering

In this work, we introduce the Agree exoskeleton, a robotic device designed to assist in upper-limb physical rehabilitation for post-stroke survivors. We detail the exoskeleton design at the mechatronic, actuation, and control levels. The Agree exoskeleton features a lightweight and adaptable mechanical design, which can be used with both the right...

Background In neurorehabilitation, we are witnessing a growing awareness of the importance of standardized quantitative assessment of limb functions. Detailed assessments of the sensorimotor deficits following neurological disorders are crucial. So far, this assessment has relied mainly on clinical scales, which showed several drawbacks. Different...

Rehabilitation exoskeletons can supplement therapist-based training allowing post-stroke patients to perform functional, high-dosage, repetitive exercises. The use of robotic devices allows providing intense rehabilitation sessions and permits clinicians to personalize the therapy according to the patient's need. In this work, we propose an upper-l...

A detailed comprehension of the central and peripheral processes underlying walking is essential to develop effective therapeutic interventions to slow down gait decline with age, and rehabilitation strategies to maximize motor recovery for patients with damages at the central nervous system. The combined use of electromyography (EMG) and electroen...

The recovery of symmetric and efficient walking is one of the key goals of a rehabilitation program in patients with stroke. The use of overground exoskeletons alongside conventional gait training might help foster rhythmic muscle activation in the gait cycle toward a more efficient gait. About twenty-nine patients with subacute stroke have been re...

Background: Appropriate training modalities for post-stroke upper-limb rehabilitation are key features for effective recovery after the acute event. This work presents a cooperative control framework that promotes compliant motion and implements a variety of high-level rehabilitation modalities with a unified low-level explicit impedance control la...

Active exoskeletons can help adults with muscular dystrophy regain independence and self-esteem, which have been limited due to their severe and progressive muscular weakness. A four degrees-of-freedom fully actuated upper limb exoskeleton, equipped with a spring-based anti-gravity system, has been designed, prototyped, and tested on end-users. Whi...

Background Upper limb assistive devices can compensate for muscular weakness and empower the user in the execution of daily activities. Multiple devices have been recently proposed but there is still a lack in the scientific comparison of their efficacy. Methods We conducted a cross-over multi-centric randomized controlled trial to assess the func...

The Performance of the Upper Limb (PUL) module is an externally-assessed clinical scale, initially designed for the Duchenne muscular dystrophy population. It provides an upper extremity functional score suitable for both weaker ambulatory and non-ambulatory phases up to the severely impaired patients. It is capable of characterizing overall progre...

Background: This systematic review summarizes the current evidence about the effectiveness of wearable assistive technologies for upper limbs support during activities of daily living for individuals with neuromuscular diseases. Methods: Fourteen studies have been included in the meta-analysis, involving 184 participants. All included studies compa...

An overview of upper limbs exoskeletons aimed at supporting daily life activities of persons with different levels of disabilities is presented, with a particular focus on the functional gain the devices possibly deliver to the user. Observed differences in terms of effective functional improvement and self-perceived functional improvement will be...

The market of medical devices for assisting disabled people at home and for rehabilitation in hospital and/or at home is very active and promising. The marketing approach, so far, has been based on experience-based report but a strong need to move to an evidence-based approach is one of the major changes that is expected in the next years. In addit...

Being able to perform a lost movement is an important experience towards increased independence and self-esteem, particularly for neuromuscular patients, who see their muscles weaken day after day. In this pilot study, preliminary results on the testing of a motorized upper-limb exoskeleton for muscular dystrophy patients are presented. The mechatr...