Description
This area includes a wide range of studies, strongly impacting on clinical practice, aimed at understanding the molecular basis of the damage (neuropathological aspect) and the physiopathogenetic related mechanisms (neurophysiopathological aspect) finalized to start specific and targeted rehabilitation interventions (neurorehabilitation aspect).
The use of advanced technologies both for diagnosis (molecular genetic studies and advanced neuroimaging with or without EEG detection) and for rehabilitation (robotic rehabilitation, use of shape memory materials), connect the research of area 1 to the activity of area 3 (Neurobiology and Computational Biology) and of area 4 (Applied Technologies). In addition studies on atypical psychomotor and cognitive development in at risk children (for example, pre-term birth or genetic disorders) are strongly connected to the activity of area 2 (Psychopathology).
The distinguishing feature of this area is the high specificity and the translational aspect. In fact, the issues raised by researches in neurogenetics, neuropathology, neurophysiology and neurological development translate into proposals for therapeutic/rehabilitative interventions.
Targets
In summary, the diagnostic and therapeutic rehabilitation research topics developed within area 1 are:
- malformations of cerebral cortex, commissural and posterior fossa structures
- early onset neurodegenerative diseases
- neuromuscular diseases
- epilepsy
- genetic syndromes involving the central nervous system and the musculoskeletal system
- brain injury and vegetative states
- post-oncological neurological diseases
- congenital and acquired cerebral palsy
- central low vision diseases and vision deficit at early onset
- atypical development in children at risk for environmental or genetic causes