Aim will be the understanding of the scientific basis of neural recovery after a lesion, and of the plastic changes induced by exercise and inactivity. The student will learn the neurological and biomechanical basis of posture and balance control as well as their rehabilitation in ataxias. A special emphasis will be given to the healthy effects of physical exercise in the elderly and to the fall risk in the same population. Further, the student will learn the clinical and instrumental basis of posture and gait evaluation. The rehabilitation projects and programs of neurological diseases will be described focusing on therapeutic exercise to reduce disability through aerobic exercise, muscle strengthening and balance and gait training.
Course Prerequisites
The student must know the basic knowledge of anatomy, physiology and biomechemistry.
Teaching Methods
The course is based on lectures given with PowerPoint presentations, projected on screen and eventually integrated with workshops. Practice is not part of the course.
Assessment Methods
Written exam made of 15 questions with multiple choice answers scored from 0 to 30. Correction is made just after the test and immediately communicated to the students. Students who have obtained 30/30, will be able to take an oral exam for the achievement of 30/30 cum laude.
Texts
Calogero Foti e Marco Monticone. Manuale di Medicina Fisica e Riabilitativa. 2021 EDRA Spa, Milano
Contents
Introduction to rehabilitation. Neuronal damage. Recovery and plasticity. Motor learning. Postural control and its impairment. Falls in elderlies. Ataxia. Multiple Sclerosis. Parkinson's Disease. Myopathies. Cancer- Related Fatigue Syndrome. Pathophysiology and therapy of spasticity. Spinal cord lesions. Severe brain injuries. Motoneurone diseases.
