Francesco Draicchio - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Francesco Draicchio
BMC Neuroscience, 2012
Background: Modulation of nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) excitability was evaluated during g... more Background: Modulation of nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) excitability was evaluated during gait initiation in 10 healthy subjects to investigate how load-and movement-related joint inputs activate lower spinal centres in the transition from quiet stance to walking. A motion analysis system integrated with a surface EMG device was used to acquire kinematic, kinetic and EMG variables. Starting from a quiet stance, subjects were asked to walk forward, at their natural speed. The sural nerve was stimulated and EMG responses were recorded from major hip, knee and ankle muscles. Gait initiation was divided into four subphases based on centre of pressure and centre of mass behaviours, while joint displacements were used to categorise joint motion as flexion or extension. The reflex parameters were measured and compared between subphases and in relation to the joint kinematics. Results: The NWR was found to be subphase-dependent. NWR excitability was increased in the hip and knee flexor muscles of the starting leg, just prior to the occurrence of any movement, and in the knee flexor muscles of the same leg as soon as it was unloaded. The NWR was hip joint kinematics-dependent in a crossed manner. The excitability of the reflex was enhanced in the extensor muscles of the standing leg during the hip flexion of the starting leg, and in the hip flexors of the standing leg during the hip extension of the starting leg. No notable reflex modulation was observed in the ankle muscles. Conclusions: Our findings show that the NWR is modulated during the gait initiation phase. Leg unloading and hip joint motion are the main sources of the observed modulation and work in concert to prepare and assist the starting leg in the first step while supporting the contralateral leg, thereby possibly predisposing the lower limbs to the cyclical pattern of walking.
Journal of …, 1992
✓ In adult guinea pigs, the oculomotor nerve was sectioned proximally (at the tentorial edge) or ... more ✓ In adult guinea pigs, the oculomotor nerve was sectioned proximally (at the tentorial edge) or more distally (at the orbital fissure) and immediately repaired by reapproximation. During a 24-week postoperative period, extrinsic eye motility was assessed by analyzing the vestibulo-ocular reflexes. The regenerated oculomotor nerve was studied morphometrically on semi-thin histological sections at 16 and 24 weeks postinjury. The selectivity of muscle reinnervation was investigated by injection of both single (horseradish peroxidase) and double (fluorescent dyes) retrograde axonal tracers into the eye muscles. Following proximal repair of the oculomotor nerve, the degree of recovery of extraocular motility varied among different animals and remained stable over long-term observations. In animals with poor recovery, aberrant eye movements were always found, and the somatotopic map of the reinnervated eye muscles was greatly altered. Distortions of the central representation were also seen in those animals in which a good level of functional recovery was seen. However, in animals with good recovery, a topographic bias was re-established by about 65% of the original neuronal population, as opposed to 26% in the animals with poor recovery. Neurons located contralateral to the axotomized nucleus sprouted intra-axially and projected their axons to denervated eye muscles. The number and diameter of the regenerated axons, the number and soma diameter of the axotomized neurons, and the ratio of distal axonal branches to proximal supporting neurons were all related to the degree of functional recovery. Following repair of the oculomotor nerve at the orbital fissure, extraocular motility had recovered in all of the animals at 16 weeks without aberrant phenomena. Functional regeneration of the distally transected oculomotor nerve is thought to be the result of selective muscle reinnervation.
BIODEVICES-International Conference on Biomedical Electronics and Devices: part of BIOSTEC The 3rd International Joint Conference on Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies, 2010
Advances in technology in the last decades have provided the opportunity to observe human behavio... more Advances in technology in the last decades have provided the opportunity to observe human behaviour in the three dimensional space with great spatial accuracy. Image-based methods for measurements of human motions have been developed, such as optoelectronic techniques. However, it is found that, in the work environments, these methods are complicated to set up and can only easily be applied in laboratory. On the other hand, electronic sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, flexible angular sensors, have been developed and applied to solve the relevant outdoor application problems of the image-based methods. These sensors have been evaluated for the 3D measurement of trunk, lower and upper segments, during posture, walking and rising from a chair, in both normal and pathological conditions. In the present study we used a device including accelerometers and gyroscopes in order to calculate the angular behaviour of the pelvis on the sagittal, frontal and horizontal plane, measuring angle tracks and angular excursions during the following tasks: walking, gait initiation, gait termination, seat-to-stand and stand-to-seat, squat, standing anterior and lateral reaching and grasping, anterior and lateral trunk flexion and trunk rotation. The assessment of pelvis during posture and movement is important in improving our understanding of the motor strategies at work and preventing injuries (i.e. low back pain) and mechanical whole body fatigue. The device were placed directly on the skin over the sacrum. The calculated angles were compared to that computed by a high-quality optical motion analysis system (SMART-E System, BTS, Milan, Italy) consisting of eight infra-red ray cameras (operating at 120 fps) to detect the movements in threedimensional space of three retro-reflective markers (15 mm diameter) placed on the skin over the sacrum and the right and left anterior superior iliac spinae. For the comparison of the Range of Motions (ROMs) we used the root mean squared error (RMS) whereas the Coefficient of Multiple Correlation (CMC), i.e. the positive square root of the adjusted coefficient of multiple determination, was used to evaluate overall waveform similarity of instantaneous angle curves. The closer to 1 the CMC, the more similar the waveforms. Preliminary results showed a high similarity between the extracted angle tracks (anteriorposterior behaviour on the sagittal plane, pelvic obliquity and intra-extra rotation of the pelvis) in all of the acquired tasks. We also found low errors in the computation of the corresponding ROMs. This study suggests to apply an accurate, inexpensive and simple method to measure the kinematics of the pelvis during common work and daily-life activities.
The paper discusses the modifications of a supermarket check out and analysis through biomechanic... more The paper discusses the modifications of a supermarket check out and analysis through biomechanical lab tests ( EMG and Cinematic) the benefits for the user.
Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
We analyzed the coordination patterns between elbow, shoulder and trunk in a motor task consistin... more We analyzed the coordination patterns between elbow, shoulder and trunk in a motor task consisting of reaching out, picking up a cylinder, and transporting it back by using the Dynamical Systems Theory and calculating the continuous relative phase (CRP), a continuous measure of the coupling between two interacting joints. We used an optoelectronic motion analysis system consisting of eight infra-red ray cameras to detect the movements of nine skin-mounted markers. We calculated the root square of the adjusted coefficient of determination, the coefficient of multiple correlation (CMC), in order to investigate the repeatability of the joints coordination. The data confirm that the CNS establishes both synergic (i.e. coupling between shoulder and trunk on the frontal plane) and hierarchical (i.e. coupling between elbow-shoulder-trunk on the horizontal plane) relationships among the available degrees of freedom to overcome the complexity due to motor redundancy. The present study descri...
Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
Observational information on muscle activity is related to sEMG activity expressed as a percentag... more Observational information on muscle activity is related to sEMG activity expressed as a percentage of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). This is the case for the Garg and Moore Strain Index and the Hand Activity Level (HAL) proposed by the ACGIH. This latter involves the assessor recording the levels of MVC in 10% intervals. This degree of sensitivity certainly calls for the use of surface electromyography (sEMG) rather than just observation. Furthermore sEMG signal can contribute to assess muscle fatigue and force with the modern instruments for signal frequency analysis; earlier limitations have been overcome and dynamic assessment can now be done.
Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
There is little in the literature about the risks of manual handling of material in supermarkets ... more There is little in the literature about the risks of manual handling of material in supermarkets and what there is refers solely to storehouse work. This contrasts with the substantial number of studies of the risk of repeated arm movements among supermarket cash-desk staff. The scarcity of information is partly due to the difficulties of applying widely employed, standardized evaluation methods in this sector. One of the conditions limiting the application of the NIOSH protocol in this retail sector is that lifting tasks are so often closely tied to transport. The biomechanical analysis method we used brought to light considerable risks in many of the steps investigated: unpacking the pallet, unloading the crates from the pallet to the ground, lifting them from the floor onto display stands, and filling the boxes on the stands with goods before the shop opens. Images acquired on site were analyzed in the laboratory. We selected the most indicative images, which were then studied as...
Journal of Neurophysiology, 2015
A compact description of coordinated muscle activity is provided by the factorization of electrom... more A compact description of coordinated muscle activity is provided by the factorization of electromyographic (EMG) signals. Using this approach, it has consistently been shown that multi-muscle activity during human locomotion can be accounted for by 4-5 modules, each one comprised of a basic pattern timed at a different phase of gait cycle and the weighting coefficients of synergistic muscle activations. These modules are flexible, in so far as the timing of patterns and the amplitude of weightings can change as a function of gait speed and mode. Here we consider the adjustments of the locomotor modules related to unstable walking conditions. We compared three different conditions, i.e. locomotion of healthy subjects on slippery ground (SL) and on narrow beam (NB) and of cerebellar ataxic (CA) patients on normal ground. Motor modules were computed from the EMG signals of 12 muscles of the right lower limb using non-negative matrix factorization. The unstable gait of SL, NB and CA showed significant changes compared with controls in the stride length, stride width, range of angular motion, and trunk oscillations. In most subjects of all 3 unstable conditions, >70% of the overall variation of EMG waveforms was accounted for by 4 modules that were characterized by a widening of muscle activity patterns. This suggests that the nervous system adopts the strategy of prolonging the duration of basic muscle activity patterns to cope with unstable conditions resulting from either slippery ground, reduced support surface or pathology.
www.gimle.fsm.it Among work-related diseases, musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities ... more www.gimle.fsm.it Among work-related diseases, musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities have obtained increasing attention in recent last decades. Because of their relevance, the Italian Society of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene has decided to draw up a set of National Guidelines on the subject. This paper discusses their production and contents, including definitions, rationale, physiopathogenesis, occupational physician's contribution to biomechanical overload risk evaluation, medical surveillance of exposed workers.
Journal of Neurology, 2015
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a rotigotine transdermal patch on stationa... more The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a rotigotine transdermal patch on stationary and non-stationary locomotion in de novo Parkinson disease (PD) patients in an open-label uncontrolled study. A 3-D gait analysis system was used to investigate four different locomotor tasks: steady-state linear walking, gait initiation, gait termination and 180°-turning. A series of gait variables were measured for each locomotor task. PD patients who received rotigotine treatment (4-8 mg) displayed: (1) increased step length, gait speed, cadence and arm oscillations, and reduced double support duration and step asymmetry during steady-state linear gait; (2) increased initial step length during gait initiation; (3) increased final step length and gait speed, and decreased stability index during gait termination; (4) decreased duration of turning and head-pelvis delays during 180°-turning. The main finding that emerges from the present study is that the dopamine agonist rotigotine can improve various aspects of gait in de novo PD patients.
Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
Among work-related diseases, musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities have obtained inc... more Among work-related diseases, musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities have obtained increasing attention in recent last decades. Because of their relevance, the Italian Society of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene has decided to draw up a set of National Guidelines on the subject. This paper discusses their production and contents, including definitions, rationale, physiopathogenesis, occupational physician's contribution to biomechanical overload risk evaluation, medical surveillance of exposed workers.
Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
Aim of this work is to assess, with an objective technique (i.e. surface electromyography), the u... more Aim of this work is to assess, with an objective technique (i.e. surface electromyography), the upper limb biomechanical load in workers specialized in manufacturing of orthopedic prostheses. We considered two different working configurations (workstation height at 105 and 110 cm) and three different materials to be modeled (aluminum, steel and titanium). Our results showed significant differences between aluminum/steel and titanium bars. As regards the working configurations, we found differences in the muscle activation patterns between the two heights, with an increased exertion of the shoulder muscles at 110 cm with respect to 105.
Work (Reading, Mass.), Jan 24, 2014
There are few epidemiological data regarding musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in retail industry.... more There are few epidemiological data regarding musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in retail industry. Biomechanical risk assessment in ergonomics is commonly performed in retail sector using standardized protocols. However, such protocols have numerous limitations, such as the lack of objectivity or applicability and restrictive conditions. The aim of this study was to analyze one of the most commonly used shelves in vegetable and fruit departments in order to investigate the effect of different shelf levels (i.e. with variations in height and horizontal distance) and load weights on the workers' biomechanical load. We investigated trunk, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and ankle joint ROMs, as well as the mean and peak EMG values of the upper limb, trunk and lower limb muscles. We found that shelf level has a significant effect on most of the parameters examined, whereas within this limited range of 6 and 8 kg, weight does not affect the biomechanical load. We also identified the shelf ...
Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
One of the mechanisms adopted by the central nervous system to stabilize the joints or the spine ... more One of the mechanisms adopted by the central nervous system to stabilize the joints or the spine is muscle co-activation. Nevertheless during lifting tasks muscle co-activation increases spinal load. For co-activation assessment during 3 lifting tasks at increasing load levels we utilized a time-varying co-activation algorithm proposed by Rudolph in 2000. We found that Rudolph co-activation index grew with lifting index. The time-varying co-activation index gave a continuous measure of low back compression. A time-varying co-activation index could be of great interest in all conditions in which NIOSH equation is not applicable.
Journal of neurophysiology, 2014
Several studies have demonstrated how cerebellar ataxia (CA) affects gait, resulting in deficits ... more Several studies have demonstrated how cerebellar ataxia (CA) affects gait, resulting in deficits in multijoint coordination and stability. Nevertheless, how lesions of cerebellum influence the locomotor muscle pattern generation is still unclear. To better understand the effects of CA on locomotor output, here we investigated the idiosyncratic features of the spatiotemporal structure of leg muscle activity and impairments in the biomechanics of CA gait. To this end, we recorded the electromyographic (EMG) activity of 12 unilateral lower limb muscles and analyzed kinematic and kinetic parameters of 19 ataxic patients and 20 age-matched healthy subjects during overground walking. Neuromuscular control of gait in CA was characterized by a considerable widening of EMG bursts and significant temporal shifts in the center of activity due to overall enhanced muscle activation between late swing and mid-stance. Patients also demonstrated significant changes in the intersegmental coordinatio...
Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
The paper is a survey about Italian new rules and critical issues relative to health care manual ... more The paper is a survey about Italian new rules and critical issues relative to health care manual material handling risk management. The Legislative Decree 81/2008 introduced the definition of "pathologies due to biomechanical overload". This definition is more consistent and broad than the previous one that was mainly related to spine pathologies. Furthermore the new Decree addresses the importance of a dedicated staff to train workers in lifting and moving patients. This training is now mandatory. Regarding to risk assessment, the new rule suggests to use, as a main tool, the ISO standard 11228. The different risk assessment approaches are discussed according to the Italian Society of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene Guidelines. Medical surveillance, based on the bio psychosocial model, has to be measured in terms of efficacy and should targeted not only to lumbar spine but also to shoulder and other musculoskeletal localizations. It is important to note that ...
![Research paper thumbnail of [Criteria and methods for the study of occupational exposure to antineoplastic agents]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/41546206/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](La Medicina del lavoro
Risk assessment for occupational exposure to antiblastic chemotherapeutic drugs (ACD) is carried ... more Risk assessment for occupational exposure to antiblastic chemotherapeutic drugs (ACD) is carried out by means of environmental and biological monitoring. These practices are not widespread and furthermore their results are frequently difficult to interpret. This paper discusses some of the most important aspects of risk assessment for ACD and in particular for their exposure evaluation. The following guidelines are proposed: a) working rooms, working procedures, type and quantity of drugs, and preventive measures must be checked using a standardized scheme for collecting data: an example of a check list experimented in some Italian hospitals is presented; b) cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil, and Pt coordination compounds have been identified as tracers of drug mixtures usually administered, and their determination is recommended both in environmental and biological samples; c) for a correct evaluation of exposure, ACD should be determined firstly on the contaminated surfaces or on w...
International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1997
Ergonomics, 2015
Low-back disorders (LBDs) are the most common and costly musculoskeletal problem. Muscle co-activ... more Low-back disorders (LBDs) are the most common and costly musculoskeletal problem. Muscle co-activation, a mechanism that stabilises the spine, is adopted by the central nervous system to provide added protection and avoid LBDs. However, during high-risk lifting tasks, the compressive load on the spine grows owing to increased co-activation. The aim of this study was to develop a method for the sample-by-sample monitoring of the co-activation of more than two muscles, and to compare this method with agonist -antagonist methods. We propose a time-varying multi-muscle co-activation function that considers electromyographic (EMG) signals as input. EMG data of 10 healthy subjects were recorded while they manually lifted loads at three progressively heavier conditions. The repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant effect of lifting condition on our co-activation index. Heavier conditions resulted in higher muscle co-activation values. Significant correlations were found between the time-varying multi-muscle co-activation index and other agonist-antagonist methods.
BMC Neuroscience, 2012
Background: Modulation of nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) excitability was evaluated during g... more Background: Modulation of nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) excitability was evaluated during gait initiation in 10 healthy subjects to investigate how load-and movement-related joint inputs activate lower spinal centres in the transition from quiet stance to walking. A motion analysis system integrated with a surface EMG device was used to acquire kinematic, kinetic and EMG variables. Starting from a quiet stance, subjects were asked to walk forward, at their natural speed. The sural nerve was stimulated and EMG responses were recorded from major hip, knee and ankle muscles. Gait initiation was divided into four subphases based on centre of pressure and centre of mass behaviours, while joint displacements were used to categorise joint motion as flexion or extension. The reflex parameters were measured and compared between subphases and in relation to the joint kinematics. Results: The NWR was found to be subphase-dependent. NWR excitability was increased in the hip and knee flexor muscles of the starting leg, just prior to the occurrence of any movement, and in the knee flexor muscles of the same leg as soon as it was unloaded. The NWR was hip joint kinematics-dependent in a crossed manner. The excitability of the reflex was enhanced in the extensor muscles of the standing leg during the hip flexion of the starting leg, and in the hip flexors of the standing leg during the hip extension of the starting leg. No notable reflex modulation was observed in the ankle muscles. Conclusions: Our findings show that the NWR is modulated during the gait initiation phase. Leg unloading and hip joint motion are the main sources of the observed modulation and work in concert to prepare and assist the starting leg in the first step while supporting the contralateral leg, thereby possibly predisposing the lower limbs to the cyclical pattern of walking.
Journal of …, 1992
✓ In adult guinea pigs, the oculomotor nerve was sectioned proximally (at the tentorial edge) or ... more ✓ In adult guinea pigs, the oculomotor nerve was sectioned proximally (at the tentorial edge) or more distally (at the orbital fissure) and immediately repaired by reapproximation. During a 24-week postoperative period, extrinsic eye motility was assessed by analyzing the vestibulo-ocular reflexes. The regenerated oculomotor nerve was studied morphometrically on semi-thin histological sections at 16 and 24 weeks postinjury. The selectivity of muscle reinnervation was investigated by injection of both single (horseradish peroxidase) and double (fluorescent dyes) retrograde axonal tracers into the eye muscles. Following proximal repair of the oculomotor nerve, the degree of recovery of extraocular motility varied among different animals and remained stable over long-term observations. In animals with poor recovery, aberrant eye movements were always found, and the somatotopic map of the reinnervated eye muscles was greatly altered. Distortions of the central representation were also seen in those animals in which a good level of functional recovery was seen. However, in animals with good recovery, a topographic bias was re-established by about 65% of the original neuronal population, as opposed to 26% in the animals with poor recovery. Neurons located contralateral to the axotomized nucleus sprouted intra-axially and projected their axons to denervated eye muscles. The number and diameter of the regenerated axons, the number and soma diameter of the axotomized neurons, and the ratio of distal axonal branches to proximal supporting neurons were all related to the degree of functional recovery. Following repair of the oculomotor nerve at the orbital fissure, extraocular motility had recovered in all of the animals at 16 weeks without aberrant phenomena. Functional regeneration of the distally transected oculomotor nerve is thought to be the result of selective muscle reinnervation.
BIODEVICES-International Conference on Biomedical Electronics and Devices: part of BIOSTEC The 3rd International Joint Conference on Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies, 2010
Advances in technology in the last decades have provided the opportunity to observe human behavio... more Advances in technology in the last decades have provided the opportunity to observe human behaviour in the three dimensional space with great spatial accuracy. Image-based methods for measurements of human motions have been developed, such as optoelectronic techniques. However, it is found that, in the work environments, these methods are complicated to set up and can only easily be applied in laboratory. On the other hand, electronic sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, flexible angular sensors, have been developed and applied to solve the relevant outdoor application problems of the image-based methods. These sensors have been evaluated for the 3D measurement of trunk, lower and upper segments, during posture, walking and rising from a chair, in both normal and pathological conditions. In the present study we used a device including accelerometers and gyroscopes in order to calculate the angular behaviour of the pelvis on the sagittal, frontal and horizontal plane, measuring angle tracks and angular excursions during the following tasks: walking, gait initiation, gait termination, seat-to-stand and stand-to-seat, squat, standing anterior and lateral reaching and grasping, anterior and lateral trunk flexion and trunk rotation. The assessment of pelvis during posture and movement is important in improving our understanding of the motor strategies at work and preventing injuries (i.e. low back pain) and mechanical whole body fatigue. The device were placed directly on the skin over the sacrum. The calculated angles were compared to that computed by a high-quality optical motion analysis system (SMART-E System, BTS, Milan, Italy) consisting of eight infra-red ray cameras (operating at 120 fps) to detect the movements in threedimensional space of three retro-reflective markers (15 mm diameter) placed on the skin over the sacrum and the right and left anterior superior iliac spinae. For the comparison of the Range of Motions (ROMs) we used the root mean squared error (RMS) whereas the Coefficient of Multiple Correlation (CMC), i.e. the positive square root of the adjusted coefficient of multiple determination, was used to evaluate overall waveform similarity of instantaneous angle curves. The closer to 1 the CMC, the more similar the waveforms. Preliminary results showed a high similarity between the extracted angle tracks (anteriorposterior behaviour on the sagittal plane, pelvic obliquity and intra-extra rotation of the pelvis) in all of the acquired tasks. We also found low errors in the computation of the corresponding ROMs. This study suggests to apply an accurate, inexpensive and simple method to measure the kinematics of the pelvis during common work and daily-life activities.
The paper discusses the modifications of a supermarket check out and analysis through biomechanic... more The paper discusses the modifications of a supermarket check out and analysis through biomechanical lab tests ( EMG and Cinematic) the benefits for the user.
Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
We analyzed the coordination patterns between elbow, shoulder and trunk in a motor task consistin... more We analyzed the coordination patterns between elbow, shoulder and trunk in a motor task consisting of reaching out, picking up a cylinder, and transporting it back by using the Dynamical Systems Theory and calculating the continuous relative phase (CRP), a continuous measure of the coupling between two interacting joints. We used an optoelectronic motion analysis system consisting of eight infra-red ray cameras to detect the movements of nine skin-mounted markers. We calculated the root square of the adjusted coefficient of determination, the coefficient of multiple correlation (CMC), in order to investigate the repeatability of the joints coordination. The data confirm that the CNS establishes both synergic (i.e. coupling between shoulder and trunk on the frontal plane) and hierarchical (i.e. coupling between elbow-shoulder-trunk on the horizontal plane) relationships among the available degrees of freedom to overcome the complexity due to motor redundancy. The present study descri...
Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
Observational information on muscle activity is related to sEMG activity expressed as a percentag... more Observational information on muscle activity is related to sEMG activity expressed as a percentage of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). This is the case for the Garg and Moore Strain Index and the Hand Activity Level (HAL) proposed by the ACGIH. This latter involves the assessor recording the levels of MVC in 10% intervals. This degree of sensitivity certainly calls for the use of surface electromyography (sEMG) rather than just observation. Furthermore sEMG signal can contribute to assess muscle fatigue and force with the modern instruments for signal frequency analysis; earlier limitations have been overcome and dynamic assessment can now be done.
Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
There is little in the literature about the risks of manual handling of material in supermarkets ... more There is little in the literature about the risks of manual handling of material in supermarkets and what there is refers solely to storehouse work. This contrasts with the substantial number of studies of the risk of repeated arm movements among supermarket cash-desk staff. The scarcity of information is partly due to the difficulties of applying widely employed, standardized evaluation methods in this sector. One of the conditions limiting the application of the NIOSH protocol in this retail sector is that lifting tasks are so often closely tied to transport. The biomechanical analysis method we used brought to light considerable risks in many of the steps investigated: unpacking the pallet, unloading the crates from the pallet to the ground, lifting them from the floor onto display stands, and filling the boxes on the stands with goods before the shop opens. Images acquired on site were analyzed in the laboratory. We selected the most indicative images, which were then studied as...
Journal of Neurophysiology, 2015
A compact description of coordinated muscle activity is provided by the factorization of electrom... more A compact description of coordinated muscle activity is provided by the factorization of electromyographic (EMG) signals. Using this approach, it has consistently been shown that multi-muscle activity during human locomotion can be accounted for by 4-5 modules, each one comprised of a basic pattern timed at a different phase of gait cycle and the weighting coefficients of synergistic muscle activations. These modules are flexible, in so far as the timing of patterns and the amplitude of weightings can change as a function of gait speed and mode. Here we consider the adjustments of the locomotor modules related to unstable walking conditions. We compared three different conditions, i.e. locomotion of healthy subjects on slippery ground (SL) and on narrow beam (NB) and of cerebellar ataxic (CA) patients on normal ground. Motor modules were computed from the EMG signals of 12 muscles of the right lower limb using non-negative matrix factorization. The unstable gait of SL, NB and CA showed significant changes compared with controls in the stride length, stride width, range of angular motion, and trunk oscillations. In most subjects of all 3 unstable conditions, >70% of the overall variation of EMG waveforms was accounted for by 4 modules that were characterized by a widening of muscle activity patterns. This suggests that the nervous system adopts the strategy of prolonging the duration of basic muscle activity patterns to cope with unstable conditions resulting from either slippery ground, reduced support surface or pathology.
www.gimle.fsm.it Among work-related diseases, musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities ... more www.gimle.fsm.it Among work-related diseases, musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities have obtained increasing attention in recent last decades. Because of their relevance, the Italian Society of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene has decided to draw up a set of National Guidelines on the subject. This paper discusses their production and contents, including definitions, rationale, physiopathogenesis, occupational physician's contribution to biomechanical overload risk evaluation, medical surveillance of exposed workers.
Journal of Neurology, 2015
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a rotigotine transdermal patch on stationa... more The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a rotigotine transdermal patch on stationary and non-stationary locomotion in de novo Parkinson disease (PD) patients in an open-label uncontrolled study. A 3-D gait analysis system was used to investigate four different locomotor tasks: steady-state linear walking, gait initiation, gait termination and 180°-turning. A series of gait variables were measured for each locomotor task. PD patients who received rotigotine treatment (4-8 mg) displayed: (1) increased step length, gait speed, cadence and arm oscillations, and reduced double support duration and step asymmetry during steady-state linear gait; (2) increased initial step length during gait initiation; (3) increased final step length and gait speed, and decreased stability index during gait termination; (4) decreased duration of turning and head-pelvis delays during 180°-turning. The main finding that emerges from the present study is that the dopamine agonist rotigotine can improve various aspects of gait in de novo PD patients.
Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
Among work-related diseases, musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities have obtained inc... more Among work-related diseases, musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremities have obtained increasing attention in recent last decades. Because of their relevance, the Italian Society of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene has decided to draw up a set of National Guidelines on the subject. This paper discusses their production and contents, including definitions, rationale, physiopathogenesis, occupational physician's contribution to biomechanical overload risk evaluation, medical surveillance of exposed workers.
Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
Aim of this work is to assess, with an objective technique (i.e. surface electromyography), the u... more Aim of this work is to assess, with an objective technique (i.e. surface electromyography), the upper limb biomechanical load in workers specialized in manufacturing of orthopedic prostheses. We considered two different working configurations (workstation height at 105 and 110 cm) and three different materials to be modeled (aluminum, steel and titanium). Our results showed significant differences between aluminum/steel and titanium bars. As regards the working configurations, we found differences in the muscle activation patterns between the two heights, with an increased exertion of the shoulder muscles at 110 cm with respect to 105.
Work (Reading, Mass.), Jan 24, 2014
There are few epidemiological data regarding musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in retail industry.... more There are few epidemiological data regarding musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in retail industry. Biomechanical risk assessment in ergonomics is commonly performed in retail sector using standardized protocols. However, such protocols have numerous limitations, such as the lack of objectivity or applicability and restrictive conditions. The aim of this study was to analyze one of the most commonly used shelves in vegetable and fruit departments in order to investigate the effect of different shelf levels (i.e. with variations in height and horizontal distance) and load weights on the workers' biomechanical load. We investigated trunk, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and ankle joint ROMs, as well as the mean and peak EMG values of the upper limb, trunk and lower limb muscles. We found that shelf level has a significant effect on most of the parameters examined, whereas within this limited range of 6 and 8 kg, weight does not affect the biomechanical load. We also identified the shelf ...
Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
One of the mechanisms adopted by the central nervous system to stabilize the joints or the spine ... more One of the mechanisms adopted by the central nervous system to stabilize the joints or the spine is muscle co-activation. Nevertheless during lifting tasks muscle co-activation increases spinal load. For co-activation assessment during 3 lifting tasks at increasing load levels we utilized a time-varying co-activation algorithm proposed by Rudolph in 2000. We found that Rudolph co-activation index grew with lifting index. The time-varying co-activation index gave a continuous measure of low back compression. A time-varying co-activation index could be of great interest in all conditions in which NIOSH equation is not applicable.
Journal of neurophysiology, 2014
Several studies have demonstrated how cerebellar ataxia (CA) affects gait, resulting in deficits ... more Several studies have demonstrated how cerebellar ataxia (CA) affects gait, resulting in deficits in multijoint coordination and stability. Nevertheless, how lesions of cerebellum influence the locomotor muscle pattern generation is still unclear. To better understand the effects of CA on locomotor output, here we investigated the idiosyncratic features of the spatiotemporal structure of leg muscle activity and impairments in the biomechanics of CA gait. To this end, we recorded the electromyographic (EMG) activity of 12 unilateral lower limb muscles and analyzed kinematic and kinetic parameters of 19 ataxic patients and 20 age-matched healthy subjects during overground walking. Neuromuscular control of gait in CA was characterized by a considerable widening of EMG bursts and significant temporal shifts in the center of activity due to overall enhanced muscle activation between late swing and mid-stance. Patients also demonstrated significant changes in the intersegmental coordinatio...
Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
The paper is a survey about Italian new rules and critical issues relative to health care manual ... more The paper is a survey about Italian new rules and critical issues relative to health care manual material handling risk management. The Legislative Decree 81/2008 introduced the definition of "pathologies due to biomechanical overload". This definition is more consistent and broad than the previous one that was mainly related to spine pathologies. Furthermore the new Decree addresses the importance of a dedicated staff to train workers in lifting and moving patients. This training is now mandatory. Regarding to risk assessment, the new rule suggests to use, as a main tool, the ISO standard 11228. The different risk assessment approaches are discussed according to the Italian Society of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene Guidelines. Medical surveillance, based on the bio psychosocial model, has to be measured in terms of efficacy and should targeted not only to lumbar spine but also to shoulder and other musculoskeletal localizations. It is important to note that ...
La Medicina del lavoro
Risk assessment for occupational exposure to antiblastic chemotherapeutic drugs (ACD) is carried ... more Risk assessment for occupational exposure to antiblastic chemotherapeutic drugs (ACD) is carried out by means of environmental and biological monitoring. These practices are not widespread and furthermore their results are frequently difficult to interpret. This paper discusses some of the most important aspects of risk assessment for ACD and in particular for their exposure evaluation. The following guidelines are proposed: a) working rooms, working procedures, type and quantity of drugs, and preventive measures must be checked using a standardized scheme for collecting data: an example of a check list experimented in some Italian hospitals is presented; b) cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil, and Pt coordination compounds have been identified as tracers of drug mixtures usually administered, and their determination is recommended both in environmental and biological samples; c) for a correct evaluation of exposure, ACD should be determined firstly on the contaminated surfaces or on w...
International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1997
Ergonomics, 2015
Low-back disorders (LBDs) are the most common and costly musculoskeletal problem. Muscle co-activ... more Low-back disorders (LBDs) are the most common and costly musculoskeletal problem. Muscle co-activation, a mechanism that stabilises the spine, is adopted by the central nervous system to provide added protection and avoid LBDs. However, during high-risk lifting tasks, the compressive load on the spine grows owing to increased co-activation. The aim of this study was to develop a method for the sample-by-sample monitoring of the co-activation of more than two muscles, and to compare this method with agonist -antagonist methods. We propose a time-varying multi-muscle co-activation function that considers electromyographic (EMG) signals as input. EMG data of 10 healthy subjects were recorded while they manually lifted loads at three progressively heavier conditions. The repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant effect of lifting condition on our co-activation index. Heavier conditions resulted in higher muscle co-activation values. Significant correlations were found between the time-varying multi-muscle co-activation index and other agonist-antagonist methods.