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Media usage is pervasive in young children and in parents. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of media usage on family functioning. To measure media usage we used the Media Usage Questionnaire (MUQ). To measure the family functioning we used the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES IV), in which balanced scores (cohesion and flexibility) reveal a healthy functioning, and unbalanced scores reveal a dysfunctional functioning (disengagement, enmeshment, rigidity and chaos). Both instruments were administered to a sample of 80 families with children aged from 1 to 8 years. Results indicated that family functioning was balanced when both parents and young children showed low levels of digital device usage, whereas family functioning was dysfunctional when parents showed high levels of media usage and they allowed children high usage too. The results are discussed in terms of implications for the analysis of risk of altered family functioning., Author(s): Tindara Caprì [sup.1] , Maria Cristina Gugliandolo [sup.1] , Giancarlo Iannizzotto [sup.2] , Andrea Nucita [sup.2] , Rosa Angela Fabio [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.10438.3e, 0000 0001 2178 8421, [...]

The aims of the present pilot study were two: a) to investigate if learning and exercise in a virtual reality (VR) environment was motivating and emotionally positive for subjects with Rett Syndrome (RTT), and b) to examine if the speed of motor reaction was higher in a virtual or concrete environment. To achieve these aims, specific VR environments were developed to stimulate motor skills. Seven subjects with RTT were tested in three experimental conditions. In the concrete condition, real stimuli were placed on the table and the participants were invited to reach the stimulus. In the 2D and 3D conditions, a computer was placed on the table, and, through the developed software, stimuli were shown in 2D and 3D environments. The virtual system was able to recognize the reaching movements of participants. Thus, the object shown in the virtual environment moved towards the participant when the participant tried to grasp it. Results indicated that in the virtual environment the participants were more motivated and emotionally more involved in the proposed exercises. The motor speed was lower in concrete and 2D conditions than 3D conditions. This pilot study shows preliminary evidence on the usability of VR for RTT in improving learning, motivation and motricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of telerehabilitation systems has shown a significant growth in the past years, demonstrating their crucial relevance in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many devices and sensors have been proposed to analytically measure parameters for patient assessment, with limitations due to costs or feasibility. In this paper, we present a motor telerehabilitation system with computer vision-assisted markerless measures for patients with Rett syndrome. Twenty-one RTT (Rett syndrome) patients, with ages ranging from age 4 to 31 (Median: 12.50; IQR (interquartile range): 9.50–17.25) were recruited. The study follows a pre-test–post-test design, where the patients were submitted to a pre-test, treatment, post-test 1, treatment, post-test 2 procedure. Progress in patient outcomes was assessed by measuring joint passive range of movement (PRoM). Results show the reliability of our system, and the feasibility of a telerehabilitation treatment for RTT patients, with significant improvements in shoulder mobility and in elbow flexion and extension. Limited results in lower limbs suggest that home treatment should be fostered to reduce sedentary time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An edge-based segmentation algorithm is presented, based on active contour with low computational complexity in two dimensional images.

Objective: Several studies agree on the link between attention and eye movements during reading. It has been well established that attention and working memory (WM) interact. A question that could be addressed to better understand these relationships is: to what extent can an attention deficit affect eye movements and, consequently, remembering a word? The main aims of the present study were (1) to compare visual patterns of word stimuli between children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and typically developing (TD) children, during a visual task on word stimuli; (2) to examine the WM accuracy of the word stimuli; and (3) to compare the dynamic of visual scan path in both groups. Method: A total of 49 children with ADHD, age and sex matched with 32 TD children, were recruited. We used eye-tracking technology in which the Word Memory Test was implemented. To highlight the scan path of participants, two measures were used: the ordered direction of reading and the entropy index. Results: ADHD groups showed a poorer WM than TD group. They did not follow a typical scan path across the words compared with TD children, but their visual scanning was discontinuous, uncoordinated, and chaotic. ADHD groups showed an index of entropy among the four categories of saccades higher than TD group. Conclusions: The findings were discussed in light of two directions: the relationship between atypical visual scan path and WM and the training implications related to the necessity of redirecting the dynamic of visual scan path in ADHD to improve WM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]