CURRICULUM

After graduating in Medicine and specialising in Neurology at the Università degli Studi of Milan, I did a Phd in Neuroscience in the Department of Neuroscience e Biomedical Technologies of University of Milan Bicocca. After a visiting in the Faculty of Pychology of University of York, UK, in 2008 I became Associate Professor of Neurology in the Department of Surgery and Traslational Medicine of University of Milan Bicocca. In addition to research, my role involves teaching, and clinical activity in the Neurology Section of S. Gerardo Hospital in Monza,  In the fields of dementia and neuropsychology.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• neuropsychological markers for the differential diagnosis of dementia, with a special focus on clinical indices with neuropathological specificity
• neuropsychological profile of atypical degenerative dementias
• metabolic neuroimaging in dementia

RESEARCH PROJECT

The research project we propose is a molecular imaging study of the praxic network in neurodegenerative patients. The project focuses on the correlation between neurological and cognitive measures of movement control, and parameters of cortical glucose metabolism and subcortical dopamine uptake, in neurodegenerative patients. The study investigator should be a neurologist or psychologist with a great experience in the assessment of cognitive disorders, and with good knowledge of molecular imaging. Besides the administration of neurological scales and neuropsychological tests to participants enrolled in the Neuropsychology service of S. Gerardo Hospital in Monza, the study protocol includes a collaboration with the Nuclear Medicine from the same Institute for the planning of neuroimmaging exams (fluorodeoxyiglucose PET and 123-ioflupane SPET), and their post-processing and quantitative software analysis. Knowledge of statistics and of computer programs for the set up of cognitive experiments is also fundamental.

MOST RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS

1. Lesions to right prefrontal cortex impair real-world planning through premature commitments. Goel V, Vartanian O, Bartolo A, Hakim L, Ferraro AM, Isella V, Appollonio I, Drei S, Nichelli P. Neuropsychologia. 2013 Mar;51(4):713-24.
2. The applause sign in cortical and cortical-subcortical dementia. Isella V, Rucci F, Traficante D, Mapelli C, Ferri F, Appollonio IM. J Neurol. 2013 Apr;260(4):1099-103.
3. Validation and attempts of revision of the MDS-recommended tests for the screening of Parkinson’s disease dementia. Isella V, Mapelli C, Siri C, De Gaspari D, Pezzoli G, Antonini A, Poletti M, Bonuccelli U, Vista M, Appollonio IM. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2013 Sep 19.
4. Paced reading in semantic dementia: word knowledge contributes to phoneme binding in rapid speech production. Jefferies E, Grogan J, Mapelli C, Isella V. Neuropsychologia. 2012 Apr;50(5):723-32.
5. Qualitatively different forms of pure alexia. Rosazza C, Appollonio I, Isella V, Shallice T. Cogn Neuropsychol. 2007 Jun;24(4):393-418

FOREIGN COLLABORATIONS

• University of York, York, UK (Dr. E. Jefferies)