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The study of neural correlates of motor execution is commonly performed by means of event-related processing of electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings, in which each event refers to a standardized, repeatable movement. Some authors have proposed a valuable single-parameter method, the Event-Related Synchronization and Desynchronization (ERS/ERD) approach, for the identification of motor-related...
Biological signal and image processing (BSIP) constitutes a major field of interest in both educational aspects and research environments in biomedical engineering. In fact, the physiological knowledge improvement in a wide variety of innovative research as well as the implementation in many clinical procedures extensively makes use of these concepts in more or less sophisticated medical applications...
A high frequency of cardiac arrhythmias has been reported in sleep disordered patients. In order to detect the presence of arrhythmia during sleep, cardiac activity needs to be monitored. Several devices exist able to provide reliable Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measures in a minimally-intrusive way. Hence, there is the need for the development of robust methods for arrhythmia detection based on...
The aim of this work was to design a protocol for the multifactorial assessment of the different sub-functions Motor Learning involves (e.g. planning, execution, correction, ...). Attention was focused onto the issue of Motor Adaptation (MA), which occurs when a partial (but not complete) learning of a new motor strategy is needed. Indeed, motor learning is defined as the type of learning in which...
This work investigates the relation between EEG complexity measures, in particular Fractal Dimension and Sample Entropy, and sleep structure, in terms of both macrostructure, i.e. sleep stages, and microstructure, i.e. phase A activation of CAP sleep. Activation phases are compared with the non-activation periods of non-REM sleep. The study suggests that complexity features can serve as consistent...
One of the areas of great demand for the need of continuous monitoring, patient participation and medical prediction is that of mood disorders, more specifically bipolar disorders. Due to the unpredictable and episodic nature of bipolar disorder, it is necessary to take the traditional standard procedures of mood assessment through the administration of rating scales and questionnaires and integrate...
The functional connectivity of the brain is investigated through the study of multivariate autoregressive models (MVAR) applied to multichannel EEG recordings. After the identification of the model, different indices can be calculated that are able to quantify direct and indirect functional connections between cortical areas. These methodology is used for the investigation of possible connectivity...
This study presents different methods for automatic sleep classification based on heart rate variability (HRV), respiration and movement signals recorded through bed sensors. Two methods for feature extraction have been implemented: time variant-autoregressive model (TVAM) and wavelet discrete transform (WDT); the obtained features are fed into two classifiers: Quadratic (QD) and Linear (LD) discriminant...
In the present work we apply a fully automatic procedure to the analysis of signal coming from a sensorized T-shit, worn during the night, for sleep evaluation. The goodness and reliability of the signals recorded trough the T-shirt was previously tested, while the employed algorithms for feature extraction and sleep classification were previously developed on standard ECG recordings and the obtained...
The aim of this work was to design a multimodal approach for the investigation of the different factors Motor Learning involves (e.g. planning, execution, correction, ...). Attention was focused onto the issue of Motor Adaptation (MA), which takes place when learning of a partially (but not completely) new motor strategy is needed. We hereby present a report about the methodological set-up which has...
Physiological neural mechanisms underlying attentional processes were investigated by means of moving dipoles method in survivors of diffuse axonal injury (DAI) and in a control group. N2 and P3 components were obtained by means of the administration of the Conner's Continuous Performance Test. Analysis of behavioral responses showed significant between-group differences in reaction times and error...
Automatic detection of the sleep macrostructure (Wake, NREM -non Rapid Eye Movement- and REM-Rapid Eye Movement-) based on bed sensor signals is presented. This study assesses the feasibility of different methodologies to evaluate the sleep quality out of sleep centers. The study compares a) the features extracted from time-variant autoregressive modeling (TVAM) and Wavelet Decomposition (WD) and...
This study aimed to develop an automatic algorithm to detect the activation phases (A phases) of the Cyclic Alternating Pattern. The sleep EEG microstructure of 4 adult, healthy subjects was scored by a sleep medicine expert. Features were calculated from each of the six EEG bands (low delta, high delta, theta, alpha, sigma and beta), and three additional characteristics were computed: the Hjorth...
The paper presents a microcontroller-based automatic scheduling system for the operation and control of the distributed energy resources connected to residential electric power installations, taking into account both the following operating conditions: 1) the grid connected operating mode, in which the household electric circuits are connected to the distribution network; and 2) the islanded operating...
In this demo we show a new bi-elastic fabric-based display for rendering softness. It consists of a thin layer of bi-elastic fabric placed on the top of a hollow cylinder and tied to an external circular crown which can run outside over the cylinder. The crown can be moved upward and downward by means of a DC motor. The crown is connected to the female screw by means of four supports which slide along...
This presentation focuses on the results of the application of the Permanent Scatterers Technique (PSInSAR??, an advanced InSAR technique capable of measuring millimetre scale displacements of individual radar targets on the ground) as a method for measuring deformation in volcanic area within the Globvolcano project. In this project, T.R.E. takes part as a service provider for the Deformation Mapping...
We evaluated frontal brain activation during a Working Memory task with graded levels of difficulty in a group of 15 healthy subjects, by means of fNIRS technique. Brain activation (% signal change with respect to the baseline) was computed and load-related increases of blood oxygenation were found for the four different levels of task difficulty. Generalized Linear Models were applied to the data...
The paper describes a test set-up, based on the use of a digital signal processor (DSP), developed for the evaluation of the operational characteristics of an autonomous auxiliary power unit (APU). The considered APU includes a 4.8 kW commercial proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell and a set of electrochemical batteries. Both power sources are connected to a common AC bus through power electronic...
The human brain substantially differs between males and females. A recent study demonstrated the existence of significant gender-related differences in the electrical activity (local field potentials, LFPs) recorded from the human subthalamic area in Parkinson's disease. However, these results do not clarify whether these differences are reflected also in the neural network architecture and in the...
Cognitive activity is related to important changes in the local blood flow level and in the oxygenation of the blood. These two effects lead to a modification of the optical properties of the cerebral cortex. With the aid of the functional Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (fNIRS) technique it is possible, through optical measures, to achieve information about the hemodynamic features of the brain activation...
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