Fabio Meloni | Università degli Studi "La Sapienza" di Roma (original) (raw)

Papers by Fabio Meloni

Research paper thumbnail of Models of Disability in Children's Pretend Play: Measurement of Cognitive Representations and Affective Expression Using the Affect in Play Scale

Frontiers in psychology, 2017

Play is a natural mode of children's expression and constitutes a fundamental aspect of their... more Play is a natural mode of children's expression and constitutes a fundamental aspect of their life. Cognitive, affective, and social aspects can be assessed through play, considered as a "window" to observe a child's functioning. According to Russ's model, cognitive and affective components and their reciprocal connections can be assessed through the Affect in Play Scale (APS). The aim of the present study was to investigate children's representations of the three main models of disability (medical, social, and biopsychosocial) and how these models affected cognitive and affective components of children's play. Sixty-three children, aged 6-10 years, were assessed by means of the APS. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two APS task orders: the standard APS task followed by the modified APS task (including a wheelchair toy), or vice versa. The standard and modified APS sessions were coded according to the APS system. The modified APS sessions w...

Research paper thumbnail of Gait Rehabilitation with Exoskeletons

Handbook of Human Motion, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Rassegna della letteratura internazionale sulla WHODAS II (Scheda per la Valutazione della Disabilità dell’Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità)

Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II) basati sulla produzione scientifica in... more Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II) basati sulla produzione scientifica internazionale. La WHODAS II euno strumento sviluppato dall'Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanita con 10 scopo di valutare Ie limitazioni comportamentali e Ie restrizioni alla partecipazione che un individuo prova, indipendentemente da una diagnosi medica. Scopo della ricerca eaccertare if livello di diffusione intemazionale degli usi della WHODAS II e, nella stesso tempo, analizzare gli studi riguardanti la validazione psicometrica della traduzione e dell'adattamento dello strumento in altri linguaggi e contesti geografici. In particolare, l'obiettivo eevidenziare quali caratteristiche psicometriche sono state esaminate, centrando I'attenzione sulla struttura fattoriale, I'attendibilita, e la validita del-10 strumento. La letteratura intemazionale estata consultata usando i principali database della produzione scientifica indicizzata: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, PubMed, e Google Scholar, dal1990 fino al dicembre 2008.

Research paper thumbnail of The Biopsychosocial Model and Reciprocal Triadic Causation

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Research paper thumbnail of Cognitive Constraints Underlying Models of Disability: A New Paradigm in Disability Study

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. significant difference were found in t... more The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. significant difference were found in their level-ef suicidal ideation (White X 23.84, SD 32.04; Black X 35.12, SD 39.39; Mixed Race X 47.85, SD 47.12). Significant differences were found with regard to financial stressors (>Black group) and relationship stressors (>Black group). Black participants reported more frequent use of dysfunctional coping strategies (such as denial and mental disengagement) (1% significance level). lntroduction:Previous studies suggest a link between childhood family structure and risk of depression in adolescence, but few have prospectively examined the effects of father absence on occurrence of depressive symptoms. Aims: To examine whether girls from father absent homes are at higher risk of developing depressive symptoms at age 14 years. Method:The study sample comprised 4,334 girls from the UK-based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children who had data on father absence occurring from birth to age 10 years, levels of depressive symptoms, and prospectively measured confounders relating to socio-economic disadvantage, maternal characteristics and marital conflict in early and middle childhood. The association between father absence and depressive symptoms was examined by fitting binary logistic regression models. Results:Father absence in early childhood (0-5 years) was independently associated with increased risks of depressive symptoms at 14 years after adjusting for confounding factors. Conversely, father absence in middle childhood (5-10 years) was not associated with depressive symptoms in adolescent girls aged 14 years. Discussion: Early exposure to father absence is associated with increased levels of depressive symptoms in mid-adolescence, independent of adverse socio-economic and familial circumstances preceding family dissolution. Family-based early prevention and intervention programmes could target young girls at risk.

Research paper thumbnail of The Minority of Minorities: Homophobia and Disability in Scientific Literature

Research paper thumbnail of Analisi qualitativa assistita dal software Atlas.ti dei modelli di disabilità: la prospettiva di genitori, insegnanti e educatori professionali

ABSTRACT Introduction. Identifying proper disability models that inform social and educational re... more ABSTRACT Introduction. Identifying proper disability models that inform social and educational relationships of pupils with disabilities is an important step forward in the analysis of those “communicative stimuli” that affect the development of young people with disabilities (Federici, 2003), even beyond parental relationships. Moreover, a survey aimed to know the points of view of parents, teachers and educators might offer precious and rare information on the dissemination of principles stated in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF; WHO, 2002) as well as on the biopsychosocial model for different categories of people living in the same educational environment, but coming from different cultural and social backgrounds. Objectives. To explore any possible representation of disability which would orient opinions, attitudes, and behaviours in 83 individuals (teachers in regular schools and special teachers, parents of children with or without disabilities, social and medical staff, professional educators) in order to investigate the relationship between disability, adaptation, socialization and development as well as to contribute to the dissemination of the biopsychosocial model introduced by the ICF. Method. The experimental objective has been checked through qualitative analyses, by means of the Atlas.ti software, for text coding and interpreting on 16 focus group, a tool purposefully chosen to detect all those aspects connected with the primary objective, which, by means of quantitative analyses, uses the chi-square distributions. Results. The social model of disability is a very well known model to all professional groups, except for specialized teachers. Nevertheless, only parents of children with disabilities and regular-class teachers seem to strongly be willing to adhere to such a model. Whereas specialized teachers, social and medical staff and professional educators claim for a “transition model” which oscillates between the social and the biopsychosocial models, parents of children with no disabilities start from a different perspective oscillating between medical and social models. Conclusions. Results from the qualitative analysis, using both manual and computerized (Atlas.ti software) procedures, show varying perspectives on disabilities, other than medical, social and biopsychosocial models. The poor dissemination of the biopsychosocial model among parents highlights the lack of a vision which is “open” to personal development, social growth, improvement of the standards in the quality of life. This suggests a priority: the need for extending training and educational occasions also to parents, in order to promote a more effective management of personal and environmental resources to face disabilities of their children, in the aim of developing and actually promoting a new “culture of diversities”.

Research paper thumbnail of Arte tra mente e corpo: Un processo estetico di cura

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Research paper thumbnail of WHODAS II: Contribution to the Validation of the Italian Version

CITATIONS 0 READS 37 4 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also worki... more CITATIONS 0 READS 37 4 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Research paper thumbnail of WHODAS II: Contributo alla validazione della versione italiana

Research paper thumbnail of When the body tells: The body and sex in disability and the Italian AMAABILI (love-able) project. Paper presented at the 44th Annual Conference of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists: AASECT ’12

The international scientific literature is unanimous in finding that the theme of sexuality in di... more The international scientific literature is unanimous in finding that the theme of sexuality in disability is still latent and overwhelming both in residential centers of care and assistance and in the families of the disabled themselves. The sexuality of a disabled person is not amongst the explicit purposes of his or her education or rehabilitation. The lack of education and training on sexual health and the strong prejudices of the professional and familial caregivers are a barrier often insuperable. The AMAABILI (love-able) research-intervention project (fully founded by Umbria Region, Italy, 2010-2011) was born from these assumptions. The main objectives of the project were both to explore the spread of the prejudices about sexuality and disability among the disabled and their caregivers and to train and educate not only disabled people but especially the caregivers in achieving awareness about their sexuality as a prerequisite for the promotion of the sexuality of their disabled clients.

Research paper thumbnail of The abandonment of assistive technology in Italy: a survey of users of the national health service

European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine, Jan 19, 2016

this study was an extension of research which began in the Umbria region in 2009. to investigate ... more this study was an extension of research which began in the Umbria region in 2009. to investigate the extent to which assistive technology (AT) has been abandoned by users of the Italian National Health Service (ULHS) and the reasons for this. observational study. users who received a hearing device (HD) or mobility device (MD) by ULHS between 2010 and 2013. 749 out of 3,791 ULHS users contacted via telephone completed the interview: 330 (44.06%) had a HD and 419 (55.94%) a MD. Data were collected using a specially developed telephone interview questionnaire including the Italian version of the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with AT (QUEST 2.0) and Assistive Technology Use Follow-up Survey (ATUFS). 134 users (17.9%) were no longer using their assigned AT device within seven months of issue and 40% of this group reported that they had never used the device. Duration of use (how long the AT device was used before abandonment) and satisfaction with service delivery did not predi...

Research paper thumbnail of WhatsOnWeb: A Sonificated Search Engine for Blind People

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Research paper thumbnail of Homophobia and Disability: Literature Review

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Research paper thumbnail of La minoranza delle minoranze: Omofobia e disabilità nella letteratura scientifica nazionale ed internazionale

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Research paper thumbnail of Analisi del QUIS e del SUMI come misure dell’usabilità

CITATIONS 0 READS 109 4 authors, including:

Research paper thumbnail of A Person-Centered Assistive Technology Service Delivery Model: A Framework for Device Selection and Assignment

Background: The introduction of assistive technology (AT) into people's lives is a deliberative a... more Background: The introduction of assistive technology (AT) into people's lives is a deliberative and long-term process, which presupposes teamwork as much as professionalism, time, and experience. The aim of the assistive technology assessment (ATA) process is to suggest guidelines to follow in order to reach valid results during the AT selection and assignment process. Purpose: This paper aims to critically discuss the application of the model of the ATA process developed by . Method: A cross-cultural comparison of Life Span and Disability Federici S. et al. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Research paper thumbnail of L’efficacia dei trattamenti non farmacologici

La salute è un costrutto complesso e multifattoriale che coincide con una condizione di completo ... more La salute è un costrutto complesso e multifattoriale che coincide con una condizione di completo benessere fisico, mentale e sociale, non riducibile alla semplice assenza di malattia, di menomazione o di infermità. Per tale motivo, i trattamenti farmacologici da soli non possono costituire una misura sufficiente per raggiungere il benessere della persona cui vengono somministrati. Una mole crescente di studi sull'effetto placebo e sui trattamenti non convenzionali sta verificando l'efficacia di strumenti, tecniche e pratiche alternative rispetto al trattamento farmacologico, con risultati sempre più incoraggianti. La concezione della cura che si sta affermando in conseguenza di questi risultati tende a far scivolare sullo sfondo la specificità delle tecniche proprie di ciascun approccio, farmacologico o meno, ponendo in primo piano i fattori comuni a tutti i trattamenti. I..:elemento che può riassumere la maggior parte di tali fattori è, con ogni probabilità, la relazione d'aiuto, entro la quale tecniche, farmaci e placebo acquistano senso e significato, trasformandosi in strumenti utili al raggiungimento del benessere.

Research paper thumbnail of Genitori, insegnanti ed educatori professionali a confronto sulla visione di disabilità

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Research paper thumbnail of The effectiveness of powered, active lower limb exoskeletons in neurorehabilitation: A systematic review

NeuroRehabilitation, Jan 2, 2015

This review examines the utility of current active, powered, wearable lower limb exoskeletons as ... more This review examines the utility of current active, powered, wearable lower limb exoskeletons as aids to rehabilitation in paraplegic patients with gait disorders resulting from central nervous system lesions. The PRISMA guidelines were used to review literature on the use of powered and active lower limb exoskeletons for neurorehabilitative training in paraplegic subjects retrieved in a search of the electronic databases PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. We reviewed 27 studies published between 2001 and 2014, involving a total of 144 participants from the USA, Japan, Germany, Sweden, Israel, Italy, and Spain. Seventy percent of the studies were experimental tests of safety or efficacy and 29% evaluated rehabilitative effectiveness through uncontrolled (22%) or controlled (7%) clinical trials. Exoskeletons provide a safe and practical method of neurorehabilitation which is not physically exhausting and makes minimal demands on working memory. It is...

Research paper thumbnail of Models of Disability in Children's Pretend Play: Measurement of Cognitive Representations and Affective Expression Using the Affect in Play Scale

Frontiers in psychology, 2017

Play is a natural mode of children's expression and constitutes a fundamental aspect of their... more Play is a natural mode of children's expression and constitutes a fundamental aspect of their life. Cognitive, affective, and social aspects can be assessed through play, considered as a "window" to observe a child's functioning. According to Russ's model, cognitive and affective components and their reciprocal connections can be assessed through the Affect in Play Scale (APS). The aim of the present study was to investigate children's representations of the three main models of disability (medical, social, and biopsychosocial) and how these models affected cognitive and affective components of children's play. Sixty-three children, aged 6-10 years, were assessed by means of the APS. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two APS task orders: the standard APS task followed by the modified APS task (including a wheelchair toy), or vice versa. The standard and modified APS sessions were coded according to the APS system. The modified APS sessions w...

Research paper thumbnail of Gait Rehabilitation with Exoskeletons

Handbook of Human Motion, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Rassegna della letteratura internazionale sulla WHODAS II (Scheda per la Valutazione della Disabilità dell’Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità)

Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II) basati sulla produzione scientifica in... more Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II) basati sulla produzione scientifica internazionale. La WHODAS II euno strumento sviluppato dall'Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanita con 10 scopo di valutare Ie limitazioni comportamentali e Ie restrizioni alla partecipazione che un individuo prova, indipendentemente da una diagnosi medica. Scopo della ricerca eaccertare if livello di diffusione intemazionale degli usi della WHODAS II e, nella stesso tempo, analizzare gli studi riguardanti la validazione psicometrica della traduzione e dell'adattamento dello strumento in altri linguaggi e contesti geografici. In particolare, l'obiettivo eevidenziare quali caratteristiche psicometriche sono state esaminate, centrando I'attenzione sulla struttura fattoriale, I'attendibilita, e la validita del-10 strumento. La letteratura intemazionale estata consultata usando i principali database della produzione scientifica indicizzata: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, PubMed, e Google Scholar, dal1990 fino al dicembre 2008.

Research paper thumbnail of The Biopsychosocial Model and Reciprocal Triadic Causation

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Research paper thumbnail of Cognitive Constraints Underlying Models of Disability: A New Paradigm in Disability Study

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. significant difference were found in t... more The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. significant difference were found in their level-ef suicidal ideation (White X 23.84, SD 32.04; Black X 35.12, SD 39.39; Mixed Race X 47.85, SD 47.12). Significant differences were found with regard to financial stressors (>Black group) and relationship stressors (>Black group). Black participants reported more frequent use of dysfunctional coping strategies (such as denial and mental disengagement) (1% significance level). lntroduction:Previous studies suggest a link between childhood family structure and risk of depression in adolescence, but few have prospectively examined the effects of father absence on occurrence of depressive symptoms. Aims: To examine whether girls from father absent homes are at higher risk of developing depressive symptoms at age 14 years. Method:The study sample comprised 4,334 girls from the UK-based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children who had data on father absence occurring from birth to age 10 years, levels of depressive symptoms, and prospectively measured confounders relating to socio-economic disadvantage, maternal characteristics and marital conflict in early and middle childhood. The association between father absence and depressive symptoms was examined by fitting binary logistic regression models. Results:Father absence in early childhood (0-5 years) was independently associated with increased risks of depressive symptoms at 14 years after adjusting for confounding factors. Conversely, father absence in middle childhood (5-10 years) was not associated with depressive symptoms in adolescent girls aged 14 years. Discussion: Early exposure to father absence is associated with increased levels of depressive symptoms in mid-adolescence, independent of adverse socio-economic and familial circumstances preceding family dissolution. Family-based early prevention and intervention programmes could target young girls at risk.

Research paper thumbnail of The Minority of Minorities: Homophobia and Disability in Scientific Literature

Research paper thumbnail of Analisi qualitativa assistita dal software Atlas.ti dei modelli di disabilità: la prospettiva di genitori, insegnanti e educatori professionali

ABSTRACT Introduction. Identifying proper disability models that inform social and educational re... more ABSTRACT Introduction. Identifying proper disability models that inform social and educational relationships of pupils with disabilities is an important step forward in the analysis of those “communicative stimuli” that affect the development of young people with disabilities (Federici, 2003), even beyond parental relationships. Moreover, a survey aimed to know the points of view of parents, teachers and educators might offer precious and rare information on the dissemination of principles stated in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF; WHO, 2002) as well as on the biopsychosocial model for different categories of people living in the same educational environment, but coming from different cultural and social backgrounds. Objectives. To explore any possible representation of disability which would orient opinions, attitudes, and behaviours in 83 individuals (teachers in regular schools and special teachers, parents of children with or without disabilities, social and medical staff, professional educators) in order to investigate the relationship between disability, adaptation, socialization and development as well as to contribute to the dissemination of the biopsychosocial model introduced by the ICF. Method. The experimental objective has been checked through qualitative analyses, by means of the Atlas.ti software, for text coding and interpreting on 16 focus group, a tool purposefully chosen to detect all those aspects connected with the primary objective, which, by means of quantitative analyses, uses the chi-square distributions. Results. The social model of disability is a very well known model to all professional groups, except for specialized teachers. Nevertheless, only parents of children with disabilities and regular-class teachers seem to strongly be willing to adhere to such a model. Whereas specialized teachers, social and medical staff and professional educators claim for a “transition model” which oscillates between the social and the biopsychosocial models, parents of children with no disabilities start from a different perspective oscillating between medical and social models. Conclusions. Results from the qualitative analysis, using both manual and computerized (Atlas.ti software) procedures, show varying perspectives on disabilities, other than medical, social and biopsychosocial models. The poor dissemination of the biopsychosocial model among parents highlights the lack of a vision which is “open” to personal development, social growth, improvement of the standards in the quality of life. This suggests a priority: the need for extending training and educational occasions also to parents, in order to promote a more effective management of personal and environmental resources to face disabilities of their children, in the aim of developing and actually promoting a new “culture of diversities”.

Research paper thumbnail of Arte tra mente e corpo: Un processo estetico di cura

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Research paper thumbnail of WHODAS II: Contribution to the Validation of the Italian Version

CITATIONS 0 READS 37 4 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also worki... more CITATIONS 0 READS 37 4 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Research paper thumbnail of WHODAS II: Contributo alla validazione della versione italiana

Research paper thumbnail of When the body tells: The body and sex in disability and the Italian AMAABILI (love-able) project. Paper presented at the 44th Annual Conference of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists: AASECT ’12

The international scientific literature is unanimous in finding that the theme of sexuality in di... more The international scientific literature is unanimous in finding that the theme of sexuality in disability is still latent and overwhelming both in residential centers of care and assistance and in the families of the disabled themselves. The sexuality of a disabled person is not amongst the explicit purposes of his or her education or rehabilitation. The lack of education and training on sexual health and the strong prejudices of the professional and familial caregivers are a barrier often insuperable. The AMAABILI (love-able) research-intervention project (fully founded by Umbria Region, Italy, 2010-2011) was born from these assumptions. The main objectives of the project were both to explore the spread of the prejudices about sexuality and disability among the disabled and their caregivers and to train and educate not only disabled people but especially the caregivers in achieving awareness about their sexuality as a prerequisite for the promotion of the sexuality of their disabled clients.

Research paper thumbnail of The abandonment of assistive technology in Italy: a survey of users of the national health service

European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine, Jan 19, 2016

this study was an extension of research which began in the Umbria region in 2009. to investigate ... more this study was an extension of research which began in the Umbria region in 2009. to investigate the extent to which assistive technology (AT) has been abandoned by users of the Italian National Health Service (ULHS) and the reasons for this. observational study. users who received a hearing device (HD) or mobility device (MD) by ULHS between 2010 and 2013. 749 out of 3,791 ULHS users contacted via telephone completed the interview: 330 (44.06%) had a HD and 419 (55.94%) a MD. Data were collected using a specially developed telephone interview questionnaire including the Italian version of the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with AT (QUEST 2.0) and Assistive Technology Use Follow-up Survey (ATUFS). 134 users (17.9%) were no longer using their assigned AT device within seven months of issue and 40% of this group reported that they had never used the device. Duration of use (how long the AT device was used before abandonment) and satisfaction with service delivery did not predi...

Research paper thumbnail of WhatsOnWeb: A Sonificated Search Engine for Blind People

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Research paper thumbnail of Homophobia and Disability: Literature Review

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Research paper thumbnail of La minoranza delle minoranze: Omofobia e disabilità nella letteratura scientifica nazionale ed internazionale

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Research paper thumbnail of Analisi del QUIS e del SUMI come misure dell’usabilità

CITATIONS 0 READS 109 4 authors, including:

Research paper thumbnail of A Person-Centered Assistive Technology Service Delivery Model: A Framework for Device Selection and Assignment

Background: The introduction of assistive technology (AT) into people's lives is a deliberative a... more Background: The introduction of assistive technology (AT) into people's lives is a deliberative and long-term process, which presupposes teamwork as much as professionalism, time, and experience. The aim of the assistive technology assessment (ATA) process is to suggest guidelines to follow in order to reach valid results during the AT selection and assignment process. Purpose: This paper aims to critically discuss the application of the model of the ATA process developed by . Method: A cross-cultural comparison of Life Span and Disability Federici S. et al. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Research paper thumbnail of L’efficacia dei trattamenti non farmacologici

La salute è un costrutto complesso e multifattoriale che coincide con una condizione di completo ... more La salute è un costrutto complesso e multifattoriale che coincide con una condizione di completo benessere fisico, mentale e sociale, non riducibile alla semplice assenza di malattia, di menomazione o di infermità. Per tale motivo, i trattamenti farmacologici da soli non possono costituire una misura sufficiente per raggiungere il benessere della persona cui vengono somministrati. Una mole crescente di studi sull'effetto placebo e sui trattamenti non convenzionali sta verificando l'efficacia di strumenti, tecniche e pratiche alternative rispetto al trattamento farmacologico, con risultati sempre più incoraggianti. La concezione della cura che si sta affermando in conseguenza di questi risultati tende a far scivolare sullo sfondo la specificità delle tecniche proprie di ciascun approccio, farmacologico o meno, ponendo in primo piano i fattori comuni a tutti i trattamenti. I..:elemento che può riassumere la maggior parte di tali fattori è, con ogni probabilità, la relazione d'aiuto, entro la quale tecniche, farmaci e placebo acquistano senso e significato, trasformandosi in strumenti utili al raggiungimento del benessere.

Research paper thumbnail of Genitori, insegnanti ed educatori professionali a confronto sulla visione di disabilità

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Research paper thumbnail of The effectiveness of powered, active lower limb exoskeletons in neurorehabilitation: A systematic review

NeuroRehabilitation, Jan 2, 2015

This review examines the utility of current active, powered, wearable lower limb exoskeletons as ... more This review examines the utility of current active, powered, wearable lower limb exoskeletons as aids to rehabilitation in paraplegic patients with gait disorders resulting from central nervous system lesions. The PRISMA guidelines were used to review literature on the use of powered and active lower limb exoskeletons for neurorehabilitative training in paraplegic subjects retrieved in a search of the electronic databases PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. We reviewed 27 studies published between 2001 and 2014, involving a total of 144 participants from the USA, Japan, Germany, Sweden, Israel, Italy, and Spain. Seventy percent of the studies were experimental tests of safety or efficacy and 29% evaluated rehabilitative effectiveness through uncontrolled (22%) or controlled (7%) clinical trials. Exoskeletons provide a safe and practical method of neurorehabilitation which is not physically exhausting and makes minimal demands on working memory. It is...