New frontiers of rehabilitation: technology at the service of recovery

Technology transforming human biology. This was the central theme of the panel titled: “Sport & Technology: Digital Advancements in Tele-Rehabilitation”, featuring esteemed professionals in the field such as Antonio Amati, General Manager of IT at Almaviva; Franco Molteni, Scientific Director of Villa Beretta; and Paolo Guidelli, Central Director at INAIL. Also in attendance was Paralympic athlete Ambra Sabatini, gold medalist at Tokyo 2020 and current world record holder.

Journalist Massimo Caputi, acting as moderator, steered the discussion around the development of new technologies in the medical field. Tele-rehabilitation, a specific type of treatment governed by guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health in 2021, was a key focus. The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly accelerated its adoption: while only 15% of facilities utilized it in 2020, today that figure has risen to approximately 40%. In the panel’s first segment, emphasis was placed on the satisfaction level of patients undergoing this treatment (around 70%), as well as the challenges ahead.

“Although investments are still limited, we firmly believe in this technology and its associated benefits. Its efficiency is indisputable, along with the cost reductions it offers. The goal is to increase patient trust in these technologies and strive to tailor interventions more closely to individual needs,” stated Antonio Amati. Guidelli then highlighted the qualitative improvement in patients’ lives after therapy, with significant enhancements in motor capabilities and the strong human connection established with physicians following treatment.

The ultimate goal remains clear and unequivocal: to soften the perceived coldness of “devices” by leveraging the wearable tech industry to monitor subjects’ movements in real time. How? By employing motor imagery techniques utilizing mirror neurons, which train both the brain areas responsible for physical movement and those neurologically linked to imagining motor stimuli.

“I am fascinated by this technology. It has greatly contributed to my neuromuscular development, and I want to thank Villa Beretta, INAIL, and the entire coaching staff for helping me achieve improvements in my prosthetics as well,” Sabatini commented in conclusion. She is already training for the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics.

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