11.2025 - 02.2026

3T-MRI and neurophysiological methods to explore structural and functional brain networks (i.e. vision and sensory-motor) connectivity changes induced by neurostimulation, brain damage and rehabilitation

This project aims to investigate the dynamic reorganization of structural and functional brain networks in response to neurostimulation, brain damage, and rehabilitative interventions, using high-resolution 3T-MRI and neurophysiological approaches. Building upon recent evidence from our group, which highlights the interplay between social cognition, emotional regulation, and motor control within distributed brain circuits, this research seeks to delineate the neural mechanisms underlying adaptive and maladaptive plasticity across sensory-motor and cognitive domains. Specifically, the project will integrate multimodal neuroimaging (fMRI, DTI) and electrophysiological measures (EEG mapping) to characterize how interventions such as non-invasive neurostimulation and action observation therapy— alone or combined with electromyography-driven feedback—modulate brain connectivity. Special attention will be devoted to the influence of individual factors such as emotional valence, sex, and motor reserve on neural and behavioral recovery trajectories. Furthermore, leveraging longitudinal paradigms, we will explore inter-subject variability in emotional and sensory-motor processing during rehabilitation, with the goal of identifying neurophysiological markers predictive of treatment response. The ultimate objective is to advance precision rehabilitation through a mechanistic understanding of how targeted interventions reshape brain networks involved in vision, sensory-motor integration, and socio-emotional functioning. 

Settori Scientifico Disciplinari

ING-INF/06  ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATICS BIOENGINEERING MED/26  NEUROLOGY

Spoke 2 : Neural Plasticity and Connectivity