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Miryam Mazzucchelli

Miryam Mazzucchelli

Curriculum Vitae

Miryam Mazzucchelli, born in Milan on February the 27th, 1988. I obtained a degree in Medicine in 2014 at the University of Milan and I specialized in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) in 2019 at the University of Milano-Bicocca with a thesis entitled “Analisi multifattoriale del rischio di caduta in soggetti affetti da disturbo dello spettro autistico in età evolutiva”.

I work as a PM&R physician in the Cognitive Neurorehabilitation Department of the Istituti Clinici Zucchi in Carate Brianza from 2020. 

Currently I am a Ph.D. candidate in Clinical Neuroscience at the School of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Milano-Bicocca (first year, XXXVI cycle). I’m interesting in motor control and rehabilitation field. 

Under the tutoring of Prof. Guido Angelo Cavaletti and the supervision of dott.ssa Paola Alberti, my research project aims to characterize multi-muscle synergy organization in relation to postural stability in individuals with Peripheral Neuropathies compared to healthy age-matched subjects and to assess the effectiveness of a rehabilitation program driven by multi-muscle synergy findings on clinical outcome.

Research project

Synergic control of posture in peripheral neuropathies’ patients

  • Curriculum: Experimental Neuroscience
  • Tutor: Prof. Guido Cavaletti;
  • Supervisor: dott.ssa Paola Alberti

Individuals suffering from peripheral neuropathy (PN, most commonly diabetic-PN and chemotherapy-induced-PN) show sensation and motor impairments usually worst in lower limb,  leading to deficits of postural stability and increased fall incidence. Rehabilitation intervention may improve postural capacity.  

Evidence suggests that peripheral perception disorders may impair movement control and may cause an abnormal muscular activation. Recently, a neurophysiological biomarker has been proposed to investigate movement control i.e., index of synergy (SI). Multi-muscle SIs are new measurements of postural stability and a proxy of multi-muscle coordination. Synergy has been defined as a neural organization of a large set of effectors (e.g., muscles) providing stability of salient performance variables (e.g., center of pressure, COP). Within this framework, SI has been introduced, reflecting the relative amount of inter-trial variance that does not affect a performance variable.  During steady-state (SS), SI typically is high for task-stabilization. When a person is preparing for a quick action from a SS (e.g., self-triggered perturbation), the SI drops 200–300ms prior to action initiation. Such feed-forward mechanism has been called Anticipatory Synergy Adjustments (ASA). ASAs represent a reflection of controlled movement stability that allows combining stability during SS and agility in transition to a quick action. 

Disruptions of multi-muscle synergies and ASAs structure have been reported in neurological conditions. To best of our knowledge, no studies evaluated if a rehabilitation program may improve postural stability driven by modulation of motor synergy organization. Therefore the study aim to:

  • characterize multi-muscle synergy organization in relation to postural stability in individuals with Peripheral Neuropathies compared to healthy age-matched subjects. Synergy Index and  Anticipatory Synergy Adjustments  will be computed during a postural task and self-trigger perturbation;
  • assess the effectiveness of a rehabilitation program driven by Synergy Index and Anticipatory Synergy Adjustments findings on clinical outcomes in individuals with  Peripheral Neuropathies.  

Publications

Articles

  • Perin C, Valagussa G, Mazzucchelli M, Gariboldi V, Cerri CG, Meroni R, Grossi E, Cornaggia CM, Menant J, Piscitelli D. Physiological Profile Assessment of Posture in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developing Peers. Brain Sci. 2020 Sep 27;10(10):681. doi: 10.3390/brainsci10100681. PMID: 32992546; PMCID: PMC7601261.
  • Calabró RS, Sorrentino G, Cassio A, Mazzoli D, Andrenelli E, Bizzarini E, Campanini I, Carmignano SM, Cerulli S, Chisari C, Colombo V, Dalise S, Fundaró C, Gazzotti V, Mazzoleni D, Mazzucchelli M, Melegari C, Merlo A, Stampacchia G, Boldrini P, Mazzoleni S, Posteraro F, Benanti P, Castelli E, Draicchio F, Falabella V, Galeri S, Gimigliano F, Grigioni M, Mazzon S, Molteni F, Morone G, Petrarca M, Picelli A, Senatore M, Turchetti G, Bonaiuti D; “CICERONE” Italian Consensus Conference on Robotic in Neurorehabilitation. Robotic-assisted gait rehabilitation following stroke: a systematic review of current guidelines and practical clinical recommendations. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2021 May 5. doi: 10.23736/S1973-9087.21.06887-8. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33947828.

 Poster and oral presentation

  • “Annual Meeting of Milan Center for Neuroscience” (2020, 18 December; online)

Poster: “Cerebello-spinal tDCS during treadmill in neurodegenerative ataxia: pilot study”; Authors: Mazzucchelli M, Ferri F, Piscitelli D, Cerri C, Cornaggia CM, Perin C.

  •  “11th World Congress for NeuroRehabilitation” (2020, 7-11 October; online)

Poster: “ Postural control performance and intellectual disability in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders”; Authors: Mazzucchelli M, Valagussa G, Meucci P, Piscitelli D, Perin C, Cerri C, Cornaggia CM.

  • “International Society for Autism Research 2020, annual meeting” (2020, 6-9 May; Seattle)

Poster: “ Altered sensorimotor postural control of ASD subjects: findings from the Physiological Profile Approach”; Authors: Perin C, Valagussa G, Mazzucchelli M, Gariboldi V, Piscitelli D, Meroni R, Grossi E, Cornaggia CM, Cerri C.

  • “XLVII Congresso nazionale SIMFER” (2019, 29 September-2 October; Firenza)

Oral communication: “Controllo postural e performance visive in soggetti in età evolutiva con neurosviluppo tipico e con disturbi dello spettro autistico: studio osservazionale trasversale”; Authors: Mazzucchelli M, Gariboldi V, Valagussa G, Perin C, Cerri C.

Oral communication TESC Award 2020: “ Assessment of postural control in autism spectrum disorder children using Fall Risk Assessment System”; Authors: Mazzucchelli M, Perin C, Valagussa G, Gariboldi V, Piscitelli D, Meroni R, Grossi E, Cornaggia CM, Menant J, Cerri C.

  • “International Society for Autism Research 2019, annual meeting” (2019, 1-4 May; Montreal)

Poster: “ Simple reaction time performance in autism spectrum disorder and neurotypical subjects”; Authors: Mazzucchelli M, Gariboldi V, Valagussa G, Perin C, Cerri C, Grossi E 

Poster: “Simple reaction time and postural control in autism spectrum disorder subjects”; Authors: Mazzucchelli M, Gariboldi V, Valagussa G, Perin C, Cerri C, Grossi E

  • “XIX Congresso Nazionale SIRN” (2019, 4-6 April; Perugia)

Oral communication: “Controllo posturale e tempi di reazione semplice in soggetti in età evolutiva con neurosviluppo tipico e con disturbo dello spettro autistico: studio osservazionale trasversale”; Authors: Mazzucchelli M, Gariboldi V, Valagussa G, Perin C, Cerri C.

  • “XII Congresso nazionale medici in formazione specialistica in medicina fisica e riabilitativa” (2018, 12 October)

Oral communication: “Distorsione dell’immagine corporea in seguito a amputazione di arto inferiore: implicazioni riabilitative”;Authors: Mazzucchelli M, Peroni F, Cornaggia C, Cerri C, Perin C.

  • “XLVI Congresso nazionale SIMFER” (2018, 20-23 September; Ancona)

Oral communication:“Andamento dei tempi di reazione al piede e correlazione con variabili sensomotorie nei soggetti in età evolutiva: studio osservazionale trasversale”; Authors: Mazzucchelli M, Gariboldi V, Trentin L, Valagussa G, Perin C, Cerri C.

  • XVIII Congresso nazionale SIRN” (2018, 5-7 April; Trieste)

Oral communication:“Andamento di sensibilità tattile e propriocezione dell’arto inferiore nei soggetti in età evolutiva: studio osservazionale trasversale”; Authors: Mazzucchelli M, Gariboldi V, Trentin L , Valagussa G, Perin C, Cerri C.

  • “45° Congresso nazionale SIMFER” (2017, 22-25 October 2017; Genova)

Oral communication: “Sarcopenia: dati preliminari di uno studio di prevalenza in pazienti geriatrici con frattura di femore”; Authors: Mazzucchelli M, Guzzardi F, Mazzone A, Paz Eraso C, Riva E, Zaccarini C, Grisendi M, Rosaspina S, Perin C, Cerri C, Suardi T.

Oral Communication: “Valutazione di un percorso riabilitativo in pazienti sottoposti a intervento di megaprotesi di spalla in ambito ortopedico-oncologico”; Authors: Lopresti M, Mazzucchelli M, Ghioni E, Monti M, Tomba A, Panella L.

  • “11° Congresso nazionale medici in formazione specialistica in medicina fisica e riabilitativa” (2017, 14 September; Bologna)

Poster:  “Valutazione del controllo posturale in bambini con ASD utilizzando la Pediatric Balance Scale e il Fall Screen Assessment System: risultati di uno studio pilota”; Authors: Mazzucchelli M, Gariboldi V, Valagussa G, Terragni E, Trentin L, Mauri D, Perin C, Cerri C, Grossi E.

Poster: “Prevalenza della sarcopenia nel paziente anziano con frattura di femore: dati preliminari di uno studio in un setting di riabilitazione geriatrica”; Authors: Guzzardi F, Mazzucchelli M, Mazzone A, Paz Eraso C, Riva E, Zaccarini C, Grisendi M, Rosaspina S, Perin C, Cerri C, Suardi T.

Award

  • Award best poster at “11° Congresso nazionale medici in formazione specialistica in medicina fisica e riabilitativa” (2017, 14 September; Bologna)

“Valutazione del controllo posturale in bambini con ASD utilizzando la Pediatric Balance Scale e il Fall Screen Assessment System: risultati di uno studio pilota”; Authors: Mazzucchelli M, Gariboldi V, Valagussa G, Terragni E, Trentin L, Mauri D, Perin C, Cerri C, Grossi E.

  • Award best oral presentation in resident session at “XIX Congresso Nazionale SIRN” (2019, 4-6 April; Perugia)

“Controllo posturale e tempi di reazione semplice in soggetti in età evolutiva con neurosviluppo tipico e con disturbo dello spettro autistico: studio osservazionale trasversale”; Authors: Mazzucchelli M, Gariboldi V, Valagussa G, Perin C, Cerri C.

Further info

 

Elisabetta Donzelli
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