Federica Solca - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Federica Solca

Research paper thumbnail of Cognitive assessment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis by means of P300-Brain Computer Interface: a preliminary study

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis & frontotemporal degeneration, Jan 12, 2016

To investigate the use of P300-based Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology for the administra... more To investigate the use of P300-based Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology for the administration of motor-verbal free cognitive tests in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). We recruited 15 ALS patients and 15 age- and education-matched healthy subjects. All participants underwent a BCI-based neuropsychological assessment, together with two standard cognitive screening tools (FAB, MoCA), two psychological questionnaires (BDI, STAI-Y) and a usability questionnaire. For patients, clinical and respiratory examinations were also performed, together with a behavioural assessment (FBI). Correlations were observed between standard cognitive and BCI-based neuropsychological assessment, mainly concerning execution times in the ALS group. Moreover, patients provided positive rates concerning the BCI perceived usability and subjective experience. Finally, execution times at the BCI-based neuropsychological assessment were useful to discriminate patients from controls, with patients achiev...

Research paper thumbnail of The validation of the Italian Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS)

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 2016

This study presents the Italian validation of the recently developed Edinburgh Cognitive and Beha... more This study presents the Italian validation of the recently developed Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS), a short screen for cognitive/behavioural alterations in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We evaluated the psychometric properties of the ECAS Italian version in terms of reliability and convergent validity for both cognitive and behavioural features. Furthermore, we investigated the relationship with affective and clinical variables, in addition to ECAS usability and patients' insight into cognitive/behaviour changes. Finally, correlations between genetic and cognitive/behavioural data were analysed. We recruited 107 patients with ALS. Normative data were collected on 248 healthy subjects. Participants were administered the ECAS and two standard cognitive screening tools (FAB, MoCA), two psychological questionnaires (BDI, STAI/Y) and an ad hoc usability questionnaire. The FBI was also carried out with caregivers. Results showed that the ECAS Italian version discriminated well between patients and controls. The most prevalent deficit occurred in executive functions and fluency. Correlations were observed between the ECAS and standard cognitive screening tools and between the ECAS carer interview and the FBI, supporting its full convergent validity. In conclusion, the ECAS Italian version provides clinicians with a rapid, feasible and sensitive tool, useful to identify different profiles of cognitive-behavioural impairment in ALS.

Research paper thumbnail of Cognitive assessment of executive functions using brain computer interface and eye-tracking

ICST Transactions on Ambient Systems, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of The combined use of Brain Computer Interface and Eye-Tracking technology for cognitive assessment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Proceedings of the 5th International ICST Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare, 2011

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Cognitive deficit... more Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Cognitive deficits are known to be present in some ALS patients. Recently, it has been hypothesized that most ALS patients show cognitive impairments of one sort or the other. In this study we explore the capability of a combined use of Brain Computer Interface and Eye-Tracking technology to assess such deficits and as augmentative and alternative communication tools. In particular, we propose a setup based on both technologies in order to realize a neuropsychological battery for cognitive assessment in ALS.

Research paper thumbnail of Counterfactual Thinking Deficit in Huntington’s Disease

PLOS ONE, 2015

Counterfactual thinking (CFT) refers to the generation of mental simulations of alternatives to p... more Counterfactual thinking (CFT) refers to the generation of mental simulations of alternatives to past events, actions and outcomes. CFT is a pervasive cognitive feature in every-day life and is closely related to decision-making, planning and problem-solving - all of which are cognitive processes linked to unimpaired frontal lobe functioning. Huntington's Disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by motor, behavioral and cognitive dysfunctions. Because an impairment in frontal and executive functions has been described in HD, we hypothesised that HD patients may have a CFT impairment. Tests of spontaneous counterfactual thoughts and counterfactual-derived inferences were administered to 24 symptomatic HD patients and 24 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. Our results show a significant impairment in the spontaneous generation of CFT and low performance on the Counterfactual Inference Test (CIT) in HD patients. Low performance on the spontaneous CFT test significantly correlates with impaired attention abilities, verbal fluency and frontal lobe efficiency, as measured by Trail Making Test - Part A, Phonemic Verbal Fluency Test and FAB. Spontaneous CFT and the use of this type of reasoning are impaired in HD patients. This deficit may be related to frontal lobe dysfunction, which is a hallmark of HD. Because CFT has a pervasive role in patients' daily lives regarding their planning, decision making and problem solving skills, cognitive rehabilitation may improve HD patients' ability to analyse current behaviors and future actions.

Research paper thumbnail of Anti-Saccade Paradigm and Cognitive Assessment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Research paper thumbnail of Brain Computer Interface and Eye-Tracking Technology for Neuropsychological Assessment of ALS Patients

Research paper thumbnail of Computerized Neuropsychological Assessment in Aging: Testing Efficacy and Clinical Ecology of Different Interfaces

Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of The combined use of Brain Computer Interface and Eye-Tracking technology for cognitive assessment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Cognitive deficit... more Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Cognitive deficits are known to be present in some ALS patients. Recently, it has been hypothesized that most ALS patients show cognitive impairments of one sort or the other. In this study we explore the capability of a combined use of Brain Computer Interface and Eye-Tracking technology to assess such deficits and as augmentative and alternative communication tools. In particular, we propose a setup based on both technologies in order to realize a neuropsychological battery for cognitive assessment in ALS.

Research paper thumbnail of The use of P300-based BCIs in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: from augmentative and alternative communication to cognitive assessment

Brain and behavior, 2012

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, augmentative and alternative communication, brain-computer interfa... more Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, augmentative and alternative communication, brain-computer interface, cognitive assessment, P300.

Research paper thumbnail of Brain Computer Interface and Eye-tracking for Neuropsychological Assessment of Executive Functions: A Pilot Study

Research paper thumbnail of Counterfactual Thinking in Tourette’s Syndrome: A Study Using Three Measures

Behavioural Neurology, 2014

Pathophysiological evidence suggests an involvement of frontostriatal circuits in Tourette syndro... more Pathophysiological evidence suggests an involvement of frontostriatal circuits in Tourette syndrome (TS) and cognitive abnormalities have been detected in tasks sensitive to cognitive deficits associated with prefrontal damage (verbal fluency, planning, attention shifting, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and social reasoning). A disorder in counterfactual thinking (CFT), a behavioural executive process linked to the prefrontal cortex functioning, has not been investigated in TS. CFT refers to the generation of a mental simulation of alternatives to past factual events, actions, and outcomes. It is a pervasive cognitive feature in everyday life and it is closely related to decision-making, planning, problem-solving, and experience-driven learningcognitive processes that involve wide neuronal networks in which prefrontal lobes play a fundamental role. Clinical observations in patients with focal prefrontal lobe damage or with neurological and psychiatric diseases related to frontal lobe dysfunction (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and schizophrenia) show counterfactual thinking impairments. In this work, we evaluate the performance of CFT in a group of patients with Tourette's syndrome compared with a group of healthy participants. Overall results showed no statistical differences in counterfactual thinking between TS patients and controls in the three counterfactual measures proposed. The possible explanations of this unexpected result are discussed below.

Research paper thumbnail of Cognitive assessment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis by means of P300-Brain Computer Interface: a preliminary study

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis & frontotemporal degeneration, Jan 12, 2016

To investigate the use of P300-based Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology for the administra... more To investigate the use of P300-based Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology for the administration of motor-verbal free cognitive tests in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). We recruited 15 ALS patients and 15 age- and education-matched healthy subjects. All participants underwent a BCI-based neuropsychological assessment, together with two standard cognitive screening tools (FAB, MoCA), two psychological questionnaires (BDI, STAI-Y) and a usability questionnaire. For patients, clinical and respiratory examinations were also performed, together with a behavioural assessment (FBI). Correlations were observed between standard cognitive and BCI-based neuropsychological assessment, mainly concerning execution times in the ALS group. Moreover, patients provided positive rates concerning the BCI perceived usability and subjective experience. Finally, execution times at the BCI-based neuropsychological assessment were useful to discriminate patients from controls, with patients achiev...

Research paper thumbnail of The validation of the Italian Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS)

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration, 2016

This study presents the Italian validation of the recently developed Edinburgh Cognitive and Beha... more This study presents the Italian validation of the recently developed Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS), a short screen for cognitive/behavioural alterations in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We evaluated the psychometric properties of the ECAS Italian version in terms of reliability and convergent validity for both cognitive and behavioural features. Furthermore, we investigated the relationship with affective and clinical variables, in addition to ECAS usability and patients' insight into cognitive/behaviour changes. Finally, correlations between genetic and cognitive/behavioural data were analysed. We recruited 107 patients with ALS. Normative data were collected on 248 healthy subjects. Participants were administered the ECAS and two standard cognitive screening tools (FAB, MoCA), two psychological questionnaires (BDI, STAI/Y) and an ad hoc usability questionnaire. The FBI was also carried out with caregivers. Results showed that the ECAS Italian version discriminated well between patients and controls. The most prevalent deficit occurred in executive functions and fluency. Correlations were observed between the ECAS and standard cognitive screening tools and between the ECAS carer interview and the FBI, supporting its full convergent validity. In conclusion, the ECAS Italian version provides clinicians with a rapid, feasible and sensitive tool, useful to identify different profiles of cognitive-behavioural impairment in ALS.

Research paper thumbnail of Cognitive assessment of executive functions using brain computer interface and eye-tracking

ICST Transactions on Ambient Systems, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of The combined use of Brain Computer Interface and Eye-Tracking technology for cognitive assessment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Proceedings of the 5th International ICST Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare, 2011

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Cognitive deficit... more Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Cognitive deficits are known to be present in some ALS patients. Recently, it has been hypothesized that most ALS patients show cognitive impairments of one sort or the other. In this study we explore the capability of a combined use of Brain Computer Interface and Eye-Tracking technology to assess such deficits and as augmentative and alternative communication tools. In particular, we propose a setup based on both technologies in order to realize a neuropsychological battery for cognitive assessment in ALS.

Research paper thumbnail of Counterfactual Thinking Deficit in Huntington’s Disease

PLOS ONE, 2015

Counterfactual thinking (CFT) refers to the generation of mental simulations of alternatives to p... more Counterfactual thinking (CFT) refers to the generation of mental simulations of alternatives to past events, actions and outcomes. CFT is a pervasive cognitive feature in every-day life and is closely related to decision-making, planning and problem-solving - all of which are cognitive processes linked to unimpaired frontal lobe functioning. Huntington's Disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by motor, behavioral and cognitive dysfunctions. Because an impairment in frontal and executive functions has been described in HD, we hypothesised that HD patients may have a CFT impairment. Tests of spontaneous counterfactual thoughts and counterfactual-derived inferences were administered to 24 symptomatic HD patients and 24 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. Our results show a significant impairment in the spontaneous generation of CFT and low performance on the Counterfactual Inference Test (CIT) in HD patients. Low performance on the spontaneous CFT test significantly correlates with impaired attention abilities, verbal fluency and frontal lobe efficiency, as measured by Trail Making Test - Part A, Phonemic Verbal Fluency Test and FAB. Spontaneous CFT and the use of this type of reasoning are impaired in HD patients. This deficit may be related to frontal lobe dysfunction, which is a hallmark of HD. Because CFT has a pervasive role in patients' daily lives regarding their planning, decision making and problem solving skills, cognitive rehabilitation may improve HD patients' ability to analyse current behaviors and future actions.

Research paper thumbnail of Anti-Saccade Paradigm and Cognitive Assessment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Research paper thumbnail of Brain Computer Interface and Eye-Tracking Technology for Neuropsychological Assessment of ALS Patients

Research paper thumbnail of Computerized Neuropsychological Assessment in Aging: Testing Efficacy and Clinical Ecology of Different Interfaces

Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of The combined use of Brain Computer Interface and Eye-Tracking technology for cognitive assessment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Cognitive deficit... more Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Cognitive deficits are known to be present in some ALS patients. Recently, it has been hypothesized that most ALS patients show cognitive impairments of one sort or the other. In this study we explore the capability of a combined use of Brain Computer Interface and Eye-Tracking technology to assess such deficits and as augmentative and alternative communication tools. In particular, we propose a setup based on both technologies in order to realize a neuropsychological battery for cognitive assessment in ALS.

Research paper thumbnail of The use of P300-based BCIs in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: from augmentative and alternative communication to cognitive assessment

Brain and behavior, 2012

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, augmentative and alternative communication, brain-computer interfa... more Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, augmentative and alternative communication, brain-computer interface, cognitive assessment, P300.

Research paper thumbnail of Brain Computer Interface and Eye-tracking for Neuropsychological Assessment of Executive Functions: A Pilot Study

Research paper thumbnail of Counterfactual Thinking in Tourette’s Syndrome: A Study Using Three Measures

Behavioural Neurology, 2014

Pathophysiological evidence suggests an involvement of frontostriatal circuits in Tourette syndro... more Pathophysiological evidence suggests an involvement of frontostriatal circuits in Tourette syndrome (TS) and cognitive abnormalities have been detected in tasks sensitive to cognitive deficits associated with prefrontal damage (verbal fluency, planning, attention shifting, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and social reasoning). A disorder in counterfactual thinking (CFT), a behavioural executive process linked to the prefrontal cortex functioning, has not been investigated in TS. CFT refers to the generation of a mental simulation of alternatives to past factual events, actions, and outcomes. It is a pervasive cognitive feature in everyday life and it is closely related to decision-making, planning, problem-solving, and experience-driven learningcognitive processes that involve wide neuronal networks in which prefrontal lobes play a fundamental role. Clinical observations in patients with focal prefrontal lobe damage or with neurological and psychiatric diseases related to frontal lobe dysfunction (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and schizophrenia) show counterfactual thinking impairments. In this work, we evaluate the performance of CFT in a group of patients with Tourette's syndrome compared with a group of healthy participants. Overall results showed no statistical differences in counterfactual thinking between TS patients and controls in the three counterfactual measures proposed. The possible explanations of this unexpected result are discussed below.