Leidy Yanet Serna Higuita
@upc.edu
Scopus Publications
- Assessing Motor Cortical Activity: How Repetitions Impact Motor Execution and Imagery Analysis
Marta Borràs, Sergio Romero, Leidy Y. Serna, Joan F. Alonso, Alejandro Bachiller, et al.
Psychophysiology, 2025
The study of motor‐related cortical activity is crucial for analyzing brain behavior during motor execution (ME) and imagery (MI). Improving motor learning and recovery in patients with motor disorders involves both ME and MI. Although ME and MI share the same motor brain network, multiple studies show differences in motor‐related cortical activity regarding amplitude, timing, and fatigue. Movement‐related cortical potentials (MRCPs) and event‐related desynchronization (ERD) are key motor‐related cortical activities in time and frequency domains. These are used to characterize and monitor neuromotor pathologies through averaging techniques. However, a sufficient number of trials is needed for cortical activity averaging, which may prolong tasks and induce patient fatigue, potentially affecting the results. The aim of this work was to analyze the effect of the number of trials on MRCPs and ERD mu and beta bands during upper‐limb movements: elbow flexion/extension, forearm pronation/supination, and hand open/close. Differences between ME and MI were assessed using Monte Carlo analysis of motor‐related cortical features, scalp topography activity, and low‐resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA). The impact of reduced trials varied by movement and feature. Certain differences between ME and MI became statistically nonsignificant with fewer trials. Hand opening/closing and ERD in the mu band were most sensitive to reduced trials. Results were supported by topographic maps and LORETA images, linking reduced trials to increased intersubject variability. These findings highlight the need for an optimal number of trials to ensure reliable outcomes. - Individualized time windows enhance TMS-EEG signal characterization and improve assessment of cortical function in schizophrenia
Gema Mijancos-Martínez, Alejandro Bachiller, Inés Fernández-Linsenbarth, Sergio Romero, Leidy Y. Serna, et al.
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 2025
Transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) recordings are crucial to directly assess cortical excitability and inhibition in a non-invasive and task-free manner. TMS-EEG signals are characterized by TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs), which are employed to evaluate cortical function. Nonetheless, different time windows (TW) have been used to compute them over the years. Moreover, these TWs tend to be the same for all participants omitting the intersubject variability. Therefore, the objective of this study is to assess the effect of using different TWs to compute the TEPs, moving from a common fixed TW to more adaptive individualized TWs. Twenty-nine healthy (HC) controls and twenty schizophrenia patients (SCZ) underwent single-pulse (SP) TMS-EEG protocol. Firstly, only the HC were considered to evaluate the TEPs for three different TWs in terms of amplitude and topographical distribution. Secondly, the SCZ patients were included to determine which TW is better to characterize the brain alterations of SCZ. The results indicate that a more individualized TW provides a better characterization of the SP TMS-EEG signals, although all of them show the same tendency. Regarding the comparison between groups, the individualized TW is the one that provides a better differentiation between populations. They also provide further support to the possible imbalance of cortical excitability/inhibition in the SCZ population due to its reduced activity in the N45 TEP and greater amplitude values in the N100. Results also suggest that the SCZ brain has a baseline hyperactive state since the TEPs of the SCZ appear earlier than those of the HC. - Repetitive active and passive cognitive stimulations induce EEG changes in patients with Rett syndrome
Ana Tost, Alejandro Bachiller, Inés Medina-Rivera, Sergio Romero, Leidy-Yanet Serna, et al.
Pediatric Research, 2025 - AML-DECODER: Advanced Machine Learning for HD-sEMG Signal Classification—Decoding Lateral Epicondylitis in Forearm Muscles
Mehdi Shirzadi, Mónica Rojas Martínez, Joan Francesc Alonso, Leidy Yanet Serna, Joaquim Chaler, et al.
Diagnostics, 2024
Background: Innovative algorithms for wearable devices and garments are critical for diagnosing and monitoring disease (such as lateral epicondylitis (LE)) progression. LE affects individuals across various professions and causes daily problems. Methods: We analyzed signals from the forearm muscles of 14 healthy controls and 14 LE patients using high-density surface electromyography. We discerned significant differences between groups by employing phase–amplitude coupling (PAC) features. Our study leveraged PAC, Daubechies wavelet with four vanishing moments (db4), and state-of-the-art techniques to train a neural network for the subject’s label prediction. Results: Remarkably, PAC features achieved 100% specificity and sensitivity in predicting unseen subjects, while state-of-the-art features lagged with only 35.71% sensitivity and 28.57% specificity, and db4 with 78.57% sensitivity and 85.71 specificity. PAC significantly outperformed the state-of-the-art features (adj. p-value < 0.001) with a large effect size. However, no significant difference was found between PAC and db4 (adj. p-value = 0.147). Also, the Jeffries–Matusita (JM) distance of the PAC was significantly higher than other features (adj. p-value < 0.001), with a large effect size, suggesting PAC features as robust predictors of neuromuscular diseases, offering a profound understanding of disease pathology and new avenues for interpretation. We evaluated the generalization ability of the PAC model using 99.9% confidence intervals and Bayesian credible intervals to quantify prediction uncertainty across subjects. Both methods demonstrated high reliability, with an expected accuracy of 89% in larger, more diverse populations. Conclusions: This study’s implications might extend beyond LE, paving the way for enhanced diagnostic tools and deeper insights into the complexities of neuromuscular disorders. - EEG connectivity patterns in response to gaming and learning-based cognitive stimulations in Rett syndrome
Ana Tost, Sergio Romero, Joan F. Alonso, Alejandro Bachiller, Leidy-Yanet Serna, et al.
Research in Developmental Disabilities, 2024 - A Dynamic Fitting Strategy for Physiological Models: A Case Study of a Cardiorespiratory Model for the Simulation of Incremental Aerobic Exercise
Carlos A. Sarmiento, Alher M. Hernández, Miguel Á. Mañanas, Leidy Y. Serna
Journal of Personalized Medicine, 2024
Using mathematical models of physiological systems in medicine has allowed for the development of diagnostic, treatment, and medical educational tools. However, their complexity restricts, in most cases, their application for predictive, preventive, and personalized purposes. Although there are strategies that reduce the complexity of applying models based on fitting techniques, most of them are focused on a single instant of time, neglecting the effect of the system’s temporal evolution. The objective of this research was to introduce a dynamic fitting strategy for physiological models with an extensive array of parameters and a constrained amount of experimental data. The proposed strategy focused on obtaining better predictions based on the temporal trends in the system’s parameters and being capable of predicting future states. The study utilized a cardiorespiratory model as a case study. Experimental data from a longitudinal study of healthy adult subjects undergoing aerobic exercise were used for fitting and validation. The model predictions obtained in a steady state using the proposed strategy and the traditional single-fit approach were compared. The most successful outcomes were primarily linked to the proposed strategy, exhibiting better overall results regarding accuracy and behavior than the traditional population fitting approach at a single instant in time. The results evidenced the usefulness of the dynamic fitting strategy, highlighting its use for predictive, preventive, and personalized applications. - A Novel Strategy to Fit and Validate Physiological Models: A Case Study of a Cardiorespiratory Model for Simulation of Incremental Aerobic Exercise
Carlos A. Sarmiento, Leidy Y. Serna, Alher M. Hernández, Miguel Á. Mañanas
Diagnostics, 2023
Applying complex mathematical models of physiological systems is challenging due to the large number of parameters. Identifying these parameters through experimentation is difficult, and although procedures for fitting and validating models are reported, no integrated strategy exists. Additionally, the complexity of optimization is generally neglected when the number of experimental observations is restricted, obtaining multiple solutions or results without physiological justification. This work proposes a fitting and validation strategy for physiological models with many parameters under various populations, stimuli, and experimental conditions. A cardiorespiratory system model is used as a case study, and the strategy, model, computational implementation, and data analysis are described. Using optimized parameter values, model simulations are compared to those obtained using nominal values, with experimental data as a reference. Overall, a reduction in prediction error is achieved compared to that reported for model building. Furthermore, the behavior and accuracy of all the predictions in the steady state were improved. The results validate the fitted model and provide evidence of the proposed strategy’s usefulness. - Spinal Cord Injury Patients Exhibit Changes in Motor-Related Activity and Topographic Distribution
Marta Borràs, Sergio Romero, Mónica Rojas-Martínez, Leidy Y. Serna, Miguel A. Mañanas
Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society EMBS, 2023 - Influence of the number of trials on evoked motor cortical activity in EEG recordings
Marta Borràs, Sergio Romero, Joan F Alonso, Alejandro Bachiller, Leidy Y Serna, et al.
Journal of Neural Engineering, 2022
Objective . Improvements in electroencephalography enable the study of the localization of active brain regions during motor tasks. Movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs), and event-related desynchronization (ERD) and synchronization are the main motor-related cortical phenomena/neural correlates observed when a movement is elicited. When assessing neurological diseases, averaging techniques are commonly applied to characterize motor related processes better. In this case, a large number of trials is required to obtain a motor potential that is representative enough of the subject’s condition. This study aimed to assess the effect of a limited number of trials on motor-related activity corresponding to different upper limb movements (elbow flexion/extension, pronation/supination and hand open/close). Approach . An open dataset consisting on 15 healthy subjects was used for the analysis. A Monte Carlo simulation approach was applied to analyse, in a robust way, different typical time- and frequency-domain features, topography, and low-resolution electromagnetic tomography. Main results . Grand average potentials, and topographic and tomographic maps showed few differences when using fewer trials, but shifts in the localization of motor-related activity were found for several individuals. MRCP and beta ERD features were more robust to a limited number of trials, yielding differences lower than 20% for cases with 50 trials or more. Strong correlations between features were obtained for subsets above 50 trials. However, the inter-subject variability increased as the number of trials decreased. The elbow flexion/extension movement showed a more robust performance for a limited number of trials, both in population and in individual-based analysis. Significance . Our findings suggested that 50 trials can be an appropriate number to obtain stable motor-related features in terms of differences in the averaged motor features, correlation, and changes in topography and tomography. - Web Applications for Teaching the Respiratory System: Content Validation
Susana Mejía, Isabel Cristina Muñoz, Leidy Yanet Serna, Carlos Andrés Sarmiento, Carlos Leonardo Bravo, et al.
Applied Sciences Switzerland, 2022
The subject of respiratory mechanics has complex characteristics, functions, and interactions that can be difficult to understand in training and medical education contexts. As such, education strategies based on computational simulations comprise useful tools, but their application in the medical area requires stricter validation processes. This paper shows a statistical and a Delphi validation for two modules of a web application used for respiratory system learning: (I) “Anatomy and Physiology” and (II) “Work of Breathing Indexes”. For statistical validation, population and individual analyses were made using a database of healthy men to compare experimental and model-predicted data. For both modules, the predicted values followed the trend marked by the experimental data in the population analysis, while in the individual analysis, the predicted errors were 9.54% and 25.38% for maximal tidal volume and airflow, respectively, and 6.55%, 9.33%, and 11.77% for rapid shallow breathing index, work of breathing, and maximal inspiratory pressure, respectively. For the Delphi validation, an average higher than 4 was obtained after health professionals evaluated both modules from 1 to 5. In conclusion, both modules are good tools for respiratory system learning processes. The studied parameters behaved consistently with the expressions that describe ventilatory dynamics and were correlated with experimental data; furthermore, they had great acceptance by specialists. - An integrated mathematical model of the cardiovascular and respiratory response to exercise: Model-building and comparison with reported models
Carlos Andrés Sarmiento, Alher Mauricio Hernández, Leidy Yanet Serna, Miguel Ángel Mañanas
American Journal of Physiology Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 2021 - High-density surface electromyography signals during isometric contractions of elbow muscles of healthy humans
Mónica Rojas-Martínez, Leidy Yanet Serna, Mislav Jordanic, Hamid Reza Marateb, Roberto Merletti, et al.
Scientific Data, 2020 - Reliable and accurate information extraction from surface electromyographic signals
Modelling and Analysis of Active Biopotential Signals in Healthcare Volume 1, 2020 - Areas with the Highest Use of Simulator for Health Education in Colombia
Maria Bernarda Salazar-Sánchez, Alher Mauricio Hernández-Valdivieso, Carolina Rodríguez-López, Juan Camilo Mesa-Agudelo, Isabel Cristina Muñoz-Ortega, et al.
Communications in Computer and Information Science, 2019 - Comparison of computational cost and prediction error of cardiorespiratory models for exercise simulation
C. A. Sarmiento, A. M. Hernández, L. Y. Serna
2018 Global Medical Engineering Physics Exchanges Pan American Health Care Exchanges Gmepe Pahce 2018, 2018 - An improved dynamic model for the respiratory response to exercise
Leidy Y. Serna, Miguel A. Mañanas, Alher M. Hernández, Roberto A. Rabinovich
Frontiers in Physiology, 2018 - Model fitting and simulation of the respiratory control system under incremental exercise and altitude in healthy subjects
C. A. Sarmiento, A. M. Hernández, L. Y. Serna
Ifmbe Proceedings, 2017 - Optimization techniques in respiratory control system models
Leidy Y. Serna, Miguel Ángel Mañanas, Jesús Marín, Alher Mauricio Hernández, Salvador Benito
Applied Soft Computing Journal, 2016 - Novel Modeling of Work of Breathing for Its Optimization during Increased Respiratory Efforts
Leidy Y. Serna Higuita, Miguel A. Mananas, A. Mauricio Hernandez, Jesus Marina Sanchez, Salvador Benito
IEEE Systems Journal, 2016 - A synchronization system for the analysis of biomedical signals recorded with different devices from mechanically ventilated patients
A. Camacho, A. M. Hernandez, Z. Londono, L. Y. Serna, M. A. Mananas
Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society EMBS, 2012 - Computational tool for modeling and simulation of mechanically ventilated patients
L Y Serna, A M Hernandez, M A Mañanas
2010 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Embc 10, 2010
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
- Assessing motor cortical activity: how repetitions impact motor execution and imagery analysis
M Borràs, S Romero, LY Serna, JF Alonso, A Bachiller, MA Mañanas, ...
Psychophysiology 62 (6), e70090 , 2025
2025
Citations: 4 - Individualized time windows enhance TMS-EEG signal characterization and improve assessment of cortical function in schizophrenia
G Mijancos-Martínez, A Bachiller, I Fernández-Linsenbarth, S Romero, ...
European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience 275 (3), 785-797 , 2025
2025
Citations: 8 - Repetitive active and passive cognitive stimulations induce EEG changes in patients with Rett syndrome
A Tost, A Bachiller, I Medina-Rivera, S Romero, LY Serna, ...
Pediatric research 97 (2), 751-762 , 2025
2025
Citations: 9 - AML-DECODER: advanced machine learning for HD-sEMG signal classification—decoding lateral epicondylitis in forearm muscles
M Shirzadi, MR Martínez, JF Alonso, LY Serna, J Chaler, MA Mañanas, ...
Diagnostics 14 (20), 2255 , 2024
2024 - EEG connectivity patterns in response to gaming and learning-based cognitive stimulations in Rett syndrome
A Tost, S Romero, JF Alonso, A Bachiller, LY Serna, I Medina-Rivera, ...
Research in developmental disabilities 150, 104751 , 2024
2024
Citations: 4 - A dynamic fitting strategy for physiological models: A case study of a cardiorespiratory model for the simulation of incremental aerobic exercise
CA Sarmiento, AM Hernández, MÁ Mañanas, LY Serna
Journal of personalized medicine 14 (4), 406 , 2024
2024
Citations: 3 - Adults with Down syndrome show quantitative sleep electroencephalogram patterns similar to those observed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease
S Giménez, S Clos, LY Serna, M Carmona‐Iragui, B Benejam, M Rojas, ...
Alzheimer's & Dementia 19, e080397 , 2023
2023 - Spinal cord injury patients exhibit changes in motor-related activity and topographic distribution
M Borràs, S Romero, M Rojas-Martínez, LY Serna, MA Mañanas
2023 45th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in … , 2023
2023
Citations: 5 - A novel strategy to fit and validate physiological models: A case study of a cardiorespiratory model for simulation of incremental aerobic exercise
CA Sarmiento, LY Serna, AM Hernández, MÁ Mañanas
Diagnostics 13 (5), 908 , 2023
2023
Citations: 5 - Influence of the number of trials on evoked motor cortical activity in EEG recordings
M Borràs, S Romero, JF Alonso, A Bachiller, LY Serna, C Migliorelli, ...
Journal of Neural Engineering 19 (4), 046050 , 2022
2022
Citations: 13 - Web applications for teaching the respiratory system: content validation
S Mejía, IC Muñoz, LY Serna, CA Sarmiento, CL Bravo, AM Hernández
Applied Sciences 12 (9), 4289 , 2022
2022
Citations: 5 - An integrated mathematical model of the cardiovascular and respiratory response to exercise: model-building and comparison with reported models
CA Sarmiento, AM Hernández, LY Serna, MÁ Mañanas
American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology 320 (4 … , 2021
2021
Citations: 29 - High-density surface electromyography signals during isometric contractions of elbow muscles of healthy humans
M Rojas-Martínez, LY Serna, M Jordanic, HR Marateb, R Merletti, ...
Scientific data 7 (1), 397 , 2020
2020
Citations: 53 - Reliable and accurate information extraction from surface electromyographic signals
HR Marateb, M Jordanic, M Rojas-Martínez, JF Alonso, LY Serna, ...
Modelling and Analysis of Active Biopotential Signals in Healthcare, Volume … , 2020
2020
Citations: 4 - Comparison of computational cost and prediction error of cardiorespiratory models for exercise simulation
CA Sarmiento, AM Hernández, LY Serna
2018 Global Medical Engineering Physics Exchanges/Pan American Health Care … , 2018
2018 - An improved dynamic model for the respiratory response to exercise
LY Serna, MA Mañanas, AM Hernández, RA Rabinovich
Frontiers in physiology 9, 69 , 2018
2018
Citations: 32 - Model Fitting and Simulation of the Respiratory Control System under Incremental Exercise and Altitude in Healthy Subjects
CA Sarmiento, AM Hernández, LY Serna
VII Latin American Congress on Biomedical Engineering CLAIB 2016 … , 2017
2017
Citations: 1 - Optimization techniques in respiratory control system models
LY Serna, MÁ Mañanas, J Marín, AM Hernández, S Benito
Applied Soft Computing 48, 431-443 , 2016
2016
Citations: 14 - A synchronization system for the analysis of biomedical signals recorded with different devices from mechanically ventilated patients
A Camacho, AM Hernández, Z Londoño, LY Serna, MA Mañanas
2012 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and … , 2012
2012
Citations: 13 - Computational tool for modeling and simulation of mechanically ventilated patients
LY Serna, AM Hernandez, MA Mañanas
2010 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and … , 2010
2010
Citations: 19
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
- High-density surface electromyography signals during isometric contractions of elbow muscles of healthy humans
M Rojas-Martínez, LY Serna, M Jordanic, HR Marateb, R Merletti, ...
Scientific data 7 (1), 397 , 2020
2020
Citations: 53 - An improved dynamic model for the respiratory response to exercise
LY Serna, MA Mañanas, AM Hernández, RA Rabinovich
Frontiers in physiology 9, 69 , 2018
2018
Citations: 32 - An integrated mathematical model of the cardiovascular and respiratory response to exercise: model-building and comparison with reported models
CA Sarmiento, AM Hernández, LY Serna, MÁ Mañanas
American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology 320 (4 … , 2021
2021
Citations: 29 - Computational tool for modeling and simulation of mechanically ventilated patients
LY Serna, AM Hernandez, MA Mañanas
2010 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and … , 2010
2010
Citations: 19 - Optimization techniques in respiratory control system models
LY Serna, MÁ Mañanas, J Marín, AM Hernández, S Benito
Applied Soft Computing 48, 431-443 , 2016
2016
Citations: 14 - Influence of the number of trials on evoked motor cortical activity in EEG recordings
M Borràs, S Romero, JF Alonso, A Bachiller, LY Serna, C Migliorelli, ...
Journal of Neural Engineering 19 (4), 046050 , 2022
2022
Citations: 13 - A synchronization system for the analysis of biomedical signals recorded with different devices from mechanically ventilated patients
A Camacho, AM Hernández, Z Londoño, LY Serna, MA Mañanas
2012 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and … , 2012
2012
Citations: 13 - Repetitive active and passive cognitive stimulations induce EEG changes in patients with Rett syndrome
A Tost, A Bachiller, I Medina-Rivera, S Romero, LY Serna, ...
Pediatric research 97 (2), 751-762 , 2025
2025
Citations: 9 - Individualized time windows enhance TMS-EEG signal characterization and improve assessment of cortical function in schizophrenia
G Mijancos-Martínez, A Bachiller, I Fernández-Linsenbarth, S Romero, ...
European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience 275 (3), 785-797 , 2025
2025
Citations: 8 - Spinal cord injury patients exhibit changes in motor-related activity and topographic distribution
M Borràs, S Romero, M Rojas-Martínez, LY Serna, MA Mañanas
2023 45th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in … , 2023
2023
Citations: 5 - A novel strategy to fit and validate physiological models: A case study of a cardiorespiratory model for simulation of incremental aerobic exercise
CA Sarmiento, LY Serna, AM Hernández, MÁ Mañanas
Diagnostics 13 (5), 908 , 2023
2023
Citations: 5 - Web applications for teaching the respiratory system: content validation
S Mejía, IC Muñoz, LY Serna, CA Sarmiento, CL Bravo, AM Hernández
Applied Sciences 12 (9), 4289 , 2022
2022
Citations: 5 - Assessing motor cortical activity: how repetitions impact motor execution and imagery analysis
M Borràs, S Romero, LY Serna, JF Alonso, A Bachiller, MA Mañanas, ...
Psychophysiology 62 (6), e70090 , 2025
2025
Citations: 4 - EEG connectivity patterns in response to gaming and learning-based cognitive stimulations in Rett syndrome
A Tost, S Romero, JF Alonso, A Bachiller, LY Serna, I Medina-Rivera, ...
Research in developmental disabilities 150, 104751 , 2024
2024
Citations: 4 - Reliable and accurate information extraction from surface electromyographic signals
HR Marateb, M Jordanic, M Rojas-Martínez, JF Alonso, LY Serna, ...
Modelling and Analysis of Active Biopotential Signals in Healthcare, Volume … , 2020
2020
Citations: 4 - A dynamic fitting strategy for physiological models: A case study of a cardiorespiratory model for the simulation of incremental aerobic exercise
CA Sarmiento, AM Hernández, MÁ Mañanas, LY Serna
Journal of personalized medicine 14 (4), 406 , 2024
2024
Citations: 3 - Model Fitting and Simulation of the Respiratory Control System under Incremental Exercise and Altitude in Healthy Subjects
CA Sarmiento, AM Hernández, LY Serna
VII Latin American Congress on Biomedical Engineering CLAIB 2016 … , 2017
2017
Citations: 1 - AML-DECODER: advanced machine learning for HD-sEMG signal classification—decoding lateral epicondylitis in forearm muscles
M Shirzadi, MR Martínez, JF Alonso, LY Serna, J Chaler, MA Mañanas, ...
Diagnostics 14 (20), 2255 , 2024
2024 - Adults with Down syndrome show quantitative sleep electroencephalogram patterns similar to those observed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease
S Giménez, S Clos, LY Serna, M Carmona‐Iragui, B Benejam, M Rojas, ...
Alzheimer's & Dementia 19, e080397 , 2023
2023 - Comparison of computational cost and prediction error of cardiorespiratory models for exercise simulation
CA Sarmiento, AM Hernández, LY Serna
2018 Global Medical Engineering Physics Exchanges/Pan American Health Care … , 2018
2018