[Neuromotor rehabilitation with “sonification” techniques]

The use of sound and music in the rehabilitation context is now supported by a lot of scientific evidence. The reiteration of tasks-oriented movements to functional recovery, typical of the rehabilitation training, can be effectively supported by adequate sonorous-music stimuli. This integration aims at introducing an audio-motor feedback, describing and modulating the movement. In addition, the sonorous-music stimuli induce potential plastic changes and stimulates brain networks underlying to the mechanisms of reward and motivation, improving the patient's involvement and compliance in the rehabilitation activities. In particular, the Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) provided interesting results based on different techniques that use sonorous-music elements to achieve objectives related to motor, cognitive and sensory domains.The sonification arises as a technique designed to represent kinetic data (obtained by the use of sensors) through appropriate sonorous-music patterns (processed by a sound synthesis software) with the aim of improving the control of the movement from its planning to its execution, also improving the proprioceptive feedback. In a recent study involving stroke patients in a sub-acute stage, the use of the "SonicHand" kit was positively evaluated not only in the rehabilitation of upper limbs motor functions, but also in the quality-of-life improvement and in perceiving pain during rehabilitation. On this basis, a new research project ("Sonic Walk") has been developed based on the use of sonification techniques and aimed at gait rehabilitation in patients with stroke, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.