Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology, Experimental and Cognitive Psychology, Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience
17
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Rewiring Recovery: Cognitive and Motor Gains Through Personalized Neurofeedback After Tumor Resection—A Case Series from Neurorehabilitation Practice Gianvito Lagravinese, Valentina Nicolardi, Simona Aresta, Marialuisa Guglielmo, Serena Tagliente, Fabiana Montenegro, Petronilla Battista, Brendan Parsons, Stefania De Trane Applied Psychophysiology Biofeedback, 2026 Postoperative cognitive impairment is common among patients undergoing brain tumor resection. Neurofeedback (NF) represents a promising adjunctive intervention for cognitive rehabilitation, though its clinical application in neuro-oncology remains largely unexplored. This prospective case series enrolled seven inpatients (5 women, 2 men; aged 46-76 years) with cognitive deficits following brain tumor surgery. Each underwent 15 sessions of EEG-based NF (35 min/session, five times per week for three weeks) in parallel with daily motor rehabilitation. Baseline and post-intervention assessments included quantitative EEG (qEEG), a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, and functional measures. All patients completed the NF protocol without adverse events. qEEG analyses revealed heterogeneous but measurable modulations in absolute power and spectral ratios, with several patients showing normalization of pathological delta/beta activity. Reliable Change Index analyses indicated cognitive improvements in all patients, particularly in domains of memory, executive function, and language. Secondary benefits were also observed in mood, motor performance, and activities of daily living, though these varied across individuals. Intensive NF training combined with motor rehabilitation was feasible and well tolerated in this heterogeneous cohort. Preliminary results suggest that NF may promote postoperative cognitive recovery, with additional gains in functional and affective domains. Larger controlled studies are required to validate these exploratory findings.
The influence of bilingualism on the assessment and treatment of an Italian–English speaker with the logopenic variant of PPA Roberta Tomasoni, Gaia C. Santi, Serena Tagliente, Chiara Griseta, Simona Aresta, Allegra Benzini, Paola Santacesaria, Cinzia Palmirotta, Maria Luisa Mandelli, Stephanie Grasso, Petronilla Battista Alzheimer S and Dementia Diagnosis Assessment and Disease Monitoring, 2026 INTRODUCTION The impact of bilingualism on speech‐language assessment and therapy in primary progressive aphasia (PPA) remains underexplored, despite its suggested influence on disease presentation. METHODS A bilingual Italian (L1)—English (L2) individual with logopenic‐variant PPA completed a bilingual assessment as well as dual‐language lexical retrieval therapy (LRT). His bilingual experience was characterized in detail, and therapy outcomes were evaluated within and across languages. RESULTS Pre‐morbidly, the patient was a relatively balanced bilingual individual with stronger L1 literacy. Following disease onset, L2 showed faster decline, whereas L1 remained stable. Age at acquisition, dominance, and language use were among the main factors contributing to his language maintenance and decline. Therapy yielded relatively equivalent item‐specific gains in both languages (L1 d 2 = 5.0; L2 d 2 = 5.6), asymmetric crosslinguistic transfer to L2 > L1, and modest functional improvements. DISCUSSION Findings support the relevance of in‐depth bilingual assessment and therapy to guarantee successful treatment in PPA, unveiling the relevance of bilingual experience in shaping treatment outcomes.
“Not That I’ve Become Exceptional, But I’m Able to Make Myself Understood Better”: Impact of Speech and Language Therapy on Everyday Communication in People with Primary Progressive Aphasia and Their Carers Cinzia Palmirotta, Gaia C. Santi, Simona Aresta, Roberta Tomasoni, Allegra Benzini, Giuliana Leccese, Paola Santacesaria, Serena Tagliente, Maura Cosseddu, Federica Biddau, Alessandro Introna, Rosa Capozzo, Stefania Tagliente, Alessandro Padovani, Pietro Fiore, Petronilla Battista Neurology and Therapy, 2026 INTRODUCTION: Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative syndrome characterized by progressive speech and language impairments that impact communication, independence, and psychosocial well-being. People with PPA (PwPPA) and their carers face communication difficulties that lead to social withdrawal. Speech and language therapy (SLT) offers non-pharmacological strategies to support communication, yet evidence regarding its perceived impact on daily life remains limited. This study explored the experiences of PwPPA and their carers following SLT, focusing on perceived changes in communication abilities, confidence, and psychosocial well-being. METHODS: PwPPA participated in a 5-week, tailored telerehabilitation program (Lexical Retrieval Cascade Treatment for logopenic PPA/semantic PPA; Video-Implemented Script Training for nonfluent/agrammatic PPA). Post-treatment questionnaires were developed to collect the opinions of PwPPA and their carers regarding the SLT. The questionnaires included 22 closed-ended Likert-scale items and two open-ended questions for each group. Quantitative data were analyzed for frequency and consistency between PwPPA and carers, while qualitative responses underwent reflexive thematic analysis. Twenty-five PwPPA and 24 carers completed the questionnaires. RESULTS: Quantitative findings showed consistent perceptions between PwPPA and carers, with approximately 30% reporting improvements in communication confidence, speaking ability, and stress. Thematic analysis revealed four shared themes: reduction in negative emotions/increased self-efficacy, proactivity, acquisition of compensatory strategies, and the importance of the treatment setting and patient-clinician relationship. Additional themes included enhanced communicative effectiveness for PwPPA and increased awareness and improved interpersonal relationships for carers. Participants emphasized the benefits of individualized, supportive therapy delivered in a comfortable environment, including via telerehabilitation. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the positive influence of SLT on both communication and psychosocial outcomes in PwPPA and their carers. Integrating subjective experiences with quantitative measures underscores the importance of person-centered, holistic interventions that address linguistic, emotional, and social dimensions, supporting everyday communication and quality of life.
Respiratory Biofeedback Training as an Adjunct Intervention in Pulmonary Rehabilitation for Late-Stage COPD: A Pilot Trial Gianvito Lagravinese, Giorgio Castellana, Maddalena Genco, Marialuisa Guglielmo, Serena Tagliente, Patrizia Guido, Ioannis Alexandros Charitos, Maria Aliani, Petronilla Battista, Mattia Nese, Mauro Carone Applied Psychophysiology Biofeedback, 2026 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with persistent dyspnea, reduced functional capacity, and significant cognitive and affective impairments. Pulmonary rehabilitation improves the physical and psychological condition, however residual symptoms often remain, especially in patients with advanced disease. Respiratory biofeedback training (RBT) may help modulate autonomic and emotional responses to dyspnea, offering a potential adjunctive intervention. This pilot study investigated the effects of RBT integrated into a standard program of pulmonary rehabilitation for hospitalized patients with very severe COPD (GOLD stage 4 and an mMRC dyspnea score of ≥ 3 despite maximal pharmacological therapy). Thirty patients were randomized to receive either standard pulmonary rehabilitation alone (control group) or in combination with daily RBT sessions for three weeks (biofeedback group). Pre- and post-treatment assessments included measures of dyspnea, functional performance, quality of life, cognitive function and mood. Data were analyzed using Bayesian repeated-measures ANOVA, and results were normalized using Minimal Clinically Important Differences (MCIDs). Both groups showed significant improvements in respiratory and functional outcomes (e.g., mMRC, 6MWT), with no group differences. However, the biofeedback group demonstrated greater improvements in cognitive performance (MoCA) and depressive symptoms (HADS-D). While RBT did not enhance dyspnea or physical performance in patients receiving inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation, it was associated with significant gains in cognitive and emotional outcomes. These findings suggest that RBT may serve as a valuable neuropsychological adjunct in the management of late-stage COPD.
Digital phenotyping of Parkinson’s disease via natural language processing Simona Aresta, Petronilla Battista, Cinzia Palmirotta, Serena Tagliente, Gianvito Lagravinese, Paola Santacesaria, Allegra Benzini, Davide Mongelli, Brigida Minafra, Christian Lunetta, Adolfo M. García, Christian Salvatore Npj Parkinson S Disease, 2025 Frontostriatal degeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with language deficits, which can be identified using natural language processing, a remarkable tool for digital-phenotyping. Current evidence is mostly blind to the disorder's cognitive phenotypes. We validated an AI-driven approach to capture digital language markers of PD with and without mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI, PD-nMCI) relative to healthy controls (HCs). Analyzing the connected speech of participants, we extracted linguistic features with CLAN software. Classification was performed using SVM and RFE. Discrimination between PD and HCs reached an AUC of 77%, with even better results for subgroup analyses (AUC: 85% PD-nMCI vs. HCs; 83% PD-MCI vs. HCs; 75% PD-nMCI vs. PD-MCI). Key linguistic features included retracing, action verb, utterance error, and verbless-utterance ratios. Despite the small sample size, which may limit statistical power and generalizability, this study highlights the foundational potential of linguistic digital markers for early diagnosis and phenotyping of PD.
Specific Impairment of Visual Attention and Swallowing in the Subacute Phase of Post-Stroke: A Retrospective Cohort Study Serena Tagliente, Gianvito Lagravinese, Davide Mongelli, Simona Aresta, Rosanna Falcone, Cinzia Palmirotta, Allegra Benzini, Roberta Tomasoni, Stefania De Trane, Pietro Fiore, Brigida Minafra, Petronilla Battista, Irene Battel Folia Phoniatrica Et Logopaedica, 2025 Introduction: Post-stroke dysphagia affects a significant proportion of stroke survivors, with estimates suggesting that up to 50% experience swallowing difficulties following their event. While neurological damage from stroke is a well-recognized factor contributing to dysphagia, the relationship between cognitive impairment and the presence of dysphagia in post-stroke survivors is less clear. Therefore, we aimed to assess the correlation and the association between cognitive impairment and the presence of dysphagia in post-stroke survivors at 1 month. Methods: A retrospective observational cohort of stroke survivors treated from 2022 to 2024 underwent the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA) and the Oxford Cognitive Screen (OCS) 1-month post-stroke. Spearman’s partial correlations and multiple binary logistic regression analyses assessed whether a domain-specific cognitive impairment was associated with MASA scores. Results: A total of 48 stroke survivors were included; 20 subjects (10 males; mean age: 64.40 ± 11.93 years) were classified as non-dysphagic (group 1); 28 subjects (12 males; mean age: 70.93 ± 10.19 years) were classified as dysphagic (group 2). According to the cognitive profile subtests, there was an increased severity of semantics (p = 0.05), visual attention (i.e., broken hearts; p < 0.001), executive functions (p < 0.01), and praxis (i.e., imitating gestures; p = 0.001) scores that were correlated with higher scores at the MASA, independent of age. Domain-specific impairment in visual attention (odds ratio = 0.89, 95% confidence intervals: 0.82–0.94, p < 0.001) predicted dysphagia in stroke survivors independent of age. Conclusion: Domain-specific cognitive impairments, specifically in attention and executive functions, were found to negatively impact overall swallowing function outcomes 1-month post-stroke.
