11.2022 - 02.2026

Creating an innovative database of “emotional walk" videos for neuroscience

Safe walking can be influenced by various factors such as motor and cognitive abilities, emotions and the surrounding environment. This project aims to understand the ability to recognize the different types of emotional walking in the healthy population and in people suffering from Parkinson's disease in order to explore the link between emotions and motor performance (walking). To date, there are various databases in the scientific field used for evaluating the recognition of emotions (e.g. faces and emotional postures), but they are not specific for walking. The project aims to create a database to be used in the scientific field as a standardized tool for studying the recognition of emotions through movement. The method of evaluating arousal and valence during the observation of the walk allows us to quantify the emotions observed by the participants.

Project objective
 • Development of an innovative database of videos representing different types of “emotional journey' (eg joy, anxiety and sadness). The videos are made with the collaboration of professional actors/actresses;
 • Assess whether the different types of emotional walk are correctly identified by healthy subjects in different age groups and by subjects suffering from neurological pathologies. In particular, people with Parkinson's disease will be recruited at this stage;
 • Evaluate the arousal (intensity) and valence (pleasant or unpleasant) of the emotions expressed by the actor/actress in order to “measure” the perception of the emotions of the participants (healthy people suffering from Parkinson's disease). 

• Neuroscience: better understanding of the relationship between emotions and actions
• Neurology, psychiatry, pediatrics and rehabilitation: development of standardized assessments and personalized therapies
• Assistive technologies: development of intelligent aids for walking support
• Artificial intelligence: advanced systems for emotion recognition

Spoke 4 : Perception and Brain-Body Interaction

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