FEELIGHT: Rehabilitation and social integration of hemianoptic subjects

Name: ANNA

Surname: BERTUCCI

Tutor : LANZILOTTO M.

Website: https:\\www.researchgate.net/lab/Marco-Lanzilotto-Lab

A focal brain lesion involving the primary visual cortex causes cortical blindness with devastating effects on patients’ quality of life, such as increased unemployment, obesity, and the manifestation of depressive phenomena, all of which lead to social isolation. However, most subjects with cortical blindness exhibit residual vision abilities, even without awareness (Weiskrantz et al., 1974 Brain) and this phenomenon is referred to as “Blindsight”. One of the goals of biomedical research is to develop methods capable of exploiting the unconscious residual vision of these patients to restore their awareness. Consolidated studies show that, after the presentation of visual stimuli in the blind field, some facial muscles are reflexively and selectively activated based on the emotional valence of the visual stimulus presented. When the stimulus is pleasant, some muscles (e.g., zygomaticus) are activated, while other muscles are inhibited (e.g., corrugator), and vice versa when the stimulus is aversive (Tamietto et al., 2009 PNAS). Therefore, this project aims to develop a neuroprosthetic device, capable of encoding the facial EMG in real-time and restoring the subject's awareness of what he or she is observing, by simultaneously stimulating the tactile system using a biofeedback process. The development of this device will be economically sustainable as it is based on the most advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and will use the latest low-cost hardware that will make it efficient and immediately applicable on the territory. In addition, the project fits perfectly into another dimension of sustainable development, namely the fight against inequalities as envisaged in the 2030 Agenda: social inclusion regardless of disabilities.