Electromyographic (EMG) sensors are essential tools for analyzing muscle activity, but traditional designs often face challenges such as motion artifacts, signal variability, and limited wearability. This study introduces a novel EMG sensor fabricated using Aerosol Jet Printing (AJP) technology that addresses these limitations with a focus on precision, flexibility, and stability. The innovative sensor design minimizes air interposition at the skin–electrode interface, thereby reducing variability and improving signal quality. AJP enables the precise deposition of conductive materials onto flexible substrates, achieving a thinner and more conformable sensor that enhances user comfort and wearability. Performance testing compared the novel sensor to commercially available alternatives, highlighting its superior impedance stability across frequencies, even under mechanical stress. Physiological validation on a human participant confirmed the sensor’s ability to accurately capture muscle activity during rest and voluntary contractions, with clear differentiation between low and high activity states. The findings highlight the sensor’s potential for diverse applications, such as clinical diagnostics, rehabilitation, and sports performance monitoring. This work establishes AJP technology as a novel approach for designing wearable EMG sensors, providing a pathway for further advancements in miniaturization, strain-insensitive designs, and real-world deployment. Future research will explore optimization for broader applications and larger populations.

Background: Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is a rare post-infectious, immune-mediated inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nervous system that can manifest in multiple distinct forms. It significantly impacts patients’ quality of life, causing both short-term and long-term impairments, including reduced strength, respiratory deficits, functional limitations, decreased endurance, and increased fatigue. This scoping review aimed to assess the impact of physical activity on strength, functional independence, and fatigue in patients with GBS, as well as to identify effective types of physical activity for rehabilitation programs. Methods: A literature search was conducted in March 2024 and updated in June 2024 across PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. We included full-text, peer-reviewed articles written in English, French, Polish, or Italian that focused on strength, fatigue, and functional independence within the context of physical exercise. Results: A total of 1021 papers were eligible for screening, and after the screening process, 16 papers were included in this review. Conclusions: Physical exercise may enhance strength, reduce fatigue, and promote functional independence in GBS. Recommended interventions often include muscle strengthening, functional training, and endurance exercises. Larger, high-quality studies and further research into chronic fatigue mechanisms are needed to refine long-term rehabilitation strategies.

Background and Objectives: In patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a decrease in muscle strength can lead to limitations in pulmonary functions, potentially causing respiratory complications. To address these challenges, the lung volume recruitment (LVR) maneuver has emerged as a potential intervention. This study sought to evaluate the impact of a four-week LVR protocol on respiratory function in secondary progressive MS patients. Materials and Methods: In a quasi-randomized pre/post-controlled trial, 24 patients with secondary progressive MS were recruited. Participants aged 20–70 years with an EDSS score of 2 to 9 were alternately allocated to intervention (n = 12) or control groups (n = 12). The intervention group underwent a 4-week respiratory rehabilitation training focused on LVR, using a standardized cough machine treatment protocol twice daily. The control group received no respiratory intervention. Outcomes measured included forced vital capacity (FVC), maximal insufflation capacity (MIC), and peak cough flow (PCF), using turbine spirometry and other associated equipment. All measurements were taken at baseline (T₀) and after 4 weeks (T₁) by a blinded assessor. Results: For the intervention group, the mean difference pre/post-treatment in MIC (mL) was 0.45 (SD 1.13) (p = 0.02), and in MIC (%), it was 0.13 (SD 0.24) (p = 0.03). Compared to the control group (n = 10), the between-group mean difference for MIC (mL) was 0.54 (p = 0.02), and for MIC (%), it was 0.15 (p = 0.02). Conclusions: The short-term daily LVR protocol notably improved passive lung capacity, despite minimal changes in active lung capacity or cough force. The LVR maneuver offers promise for enhancing respiratory function, especially passive lung capacity, in secondary progressive MS patients. Further research should explore optimal treatment durations and frequencies for more extensive respiratory gains.

Technological innovation has revolutionized healthcare, particularly in neurological rehabilitation, where it has been used to address chronic conditions. Smart home and building automation (SH&BA) technologies offer promising solutions for managing chronic disabilities associated with such conditions. This single group, pre-post longitudinal pilot study, part of the H2020 HosmartAI project, aims to explore the integration of smart home technologies into neurorehabilitation. Eighty subjects will be enrolled from IRCCS San Camillo Hospital (Venice, Italy) and will receive rehabilitation treatment through virtual reality (VR) and robotics devices for 15 h per day, 5 days a week for 3 weeks in the HosmartAI Room (HR), equipped with SH&BA devices measuring the environment. The study seeks to optimize patient outcomes and refine rehabilitation practices. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and scientific meetings, contributing to advancements in neurological rehabilitation and guiding future research.

Background: Recovery following incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI) remains challenging, with conventional rehabilitation often emphasizing compensation over functional restoration. As most new spinal cord injury cases preserve some motor or sensory pathways, there is increasing interest in therapies that harness neuroplasticity. Robotic exoskeletons provide a promising means to deliver task-specific, repetitive gait training that may promote adaptive neural reorganization. This feasibility study investigates the feasibility, safety, and short-term effects of exoskeleton-assisted walking in individuals with degenerative iSCI. Methods: Two cooperative male patients (patients A and B) with degenerative iSCI (AIS C, neurological level L1) participated in a four-week intervention consisting of one hour of neuromotor physiotherapy followed by one hour of exoskeleton-assisted gait training, three times per week. Functional performance was assessed using the 10-Meter Walk Test, while gait quality was examined through spatiotemporal gait analysis. Vendor-generated surface electromyography (sEMG) plots were available only for qualitative description. Results: Patient A demonstrated a clinically meaningful increase in walking speed (+0.15 m/s). Spatiotemporal parameters showed mixed and non-uniform changes, including longer cycle, stance, and swing times, which reflect a slower stepping pattern rather than improved efficiency or coordination. Patient B showed a stable walking speed (+0.03 m/s) and persistent gait asymmetries. Qualitative sEMG plots are presented descriptively but cannot support interpretations of muscle recruitment patterns or neuromuscular changes. Conclusions: In this exploratory study, exoskeleton-assisted gait training was feasible and well tolerated when combined with conventional physiotherapy. However, observed changes were heterogeneous and do not allow causal or mechanistic interpretation related to neuromuscular control, muscle recruitment, or device-specific effects. These findings highlight substantial inter-individual variability and underscore the need for larger controlled studies to identify predictors of response and optimize rehabilitation protocols.

Functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling may be relevant in motor neuron disease, but its feasibility and safety in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and primary lateral sclerosis remain unclear. The authors aimed to assess feasibility, apparent safety, and exploratory pre-post clinical changes of a three-week functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling protocol in ambulatory inpatients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or primary lateral sclerosis. Fifteen patients were assessed; 11 were enrolled (5 ALS, 6 PLS) and received 15 supervised 30-minute FES-cycling sessions over three weeks in addition to conventional neuromotor rehabilitation. Bilateral eight-channel stimulation targeted quadriceps, tibialis anterior, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius during active or active-assisted cycling. Feasibility outcomes were enrollment, completion, tolerance, adverse events, and pre-post data availability. Clinical outcomes were analyzed descriptively. Eleven of 15 assessed patients were enrolled (73.3%; 5 ALS, 6 PLS). All enrolled participants completed the protocol, no adverse events were documented, and complete pre-post data were available. Exploratory outcomes showed favorable short-term changes in mobility, walking, strength, and spasticity. This protocol appears feasible and apparently safe in selected ambulatory inpatients. Findings are hypothesis-generating and support a prospective controlled feasibility trial before efficacy is tested.