Laura Mandolesi

Alcohol craving is a key process in alcohol abuse, especially during young adulthood, a period of heightened vulnerability and continued brain development. Although acute physical exercise has been proposed as a potential strategy to reduce craving and modulate affective and cognitive processes, current evidence remains limited regarding its effectiveness and underlying mechanisms. This systematic review examined the effects of brief exercise interventions on alcohol craving in young adults with problematic alcohol use or alcohol use disorder (AUD) and explored available evidence on associated neurobiological responses. Four electronic databases were searched for studies published between 2016 and 2026 following PRISMA guidelines. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261371036). Eligible studies included participants aged 18–29 years and assessed alcohol craving following a single bout of exercise. Random‐effects meta‐analyses using Hedges' g were conducted when sufficient data were available, while additional outcomes were synthesized narratively. Six studies met the inclusion criteria. Meta‐analysis showed a moderate and statistically significant reduction in alcohol craving following acute exercise compared with baseline or control conditions ( g ≈ 0.55), with moderate between‐study heterogeneity. Narrative findings indicated that acute exercise was often accompanied by reductions in anxiety and negative affective state, modulation of stress‐related physiological markers, improvements in executive functioning, and changes in indices of brain and autonomic activity, although findings varied across studies. Overall, available evidence suggests that a single session of physical exercise may be associated with short‐term reductions in alcohol craving in young adults, highlighting the need for further clinically focused and methodologically robust research.

The study of human locomotion has long relied on descriptive frameworks of the gait cycle, which have provided essential insights into the functional phases of walking and their underlying biomechanical demands. While these models remain highly informative, they are largely based on observational analyses and may not fully capture the continuous, global coordination that characterizes human movement. The present study proposes an integrated framework to study whole-body coordination. This framework combines network theory with non-negative matrix factorization (NNMF) to treat gait as a dynamic system of coordinated joint interactions. Using three-dimensional kinematic data from 60 healthy subjects, we constructed a representation of whole-body coordination across time, named “dynamic kinectome”. It was then decomposed using NNMF to extract spatial patterns of joint coordination and their corresponding temporal activations, allowing for an interpretable characterization of locomotor organization while preserving physiological meaning. Our analysis extracted six robust, highly consistent, and symmetrical coordination patterns across participants, effectively capturing the primary functional subtasks of locomotion. Rather than challenging classical phase descriptions, these findings enrich them by showing how coordination emerges as a continuous, often proactive process that can extend across conventional phase boundaries and systematically integrates the upper limbs for dynamic stability. Overall, this study provides a holistic, data-driven perspective on human locomotion, offering a promising basis for future investigations in motor control and may contribute to the development of sensitive biomarkers for clinical and rehabilitative applications.

The present study explores the innovative application of virtual reality (VR) in conducting the Radial Arm Maze (RAM) task, a performance-based test traditionally utilized for assessing spatial memory. This study aimed to develop a gamified version of the RAM implemented in immersive VR and investigate the interaction between the sense of presence, movement features, and performance within the RAM. We developed software supporting a head-mounted display (HMD), addressing prior limitations in the scientific literature concerning user interaction, data collection accuracy, operational flexibility, and immersion level. This study involved a sample of healthy young adults who engaged with the immersive VR version of the RAM, examining the influence of VR experience variables (sense of presence, motion sickness, and usability) on RAM performance. Notably, it also introduced the collection and analysis of movement features within the VR environment to ascertain their impact on performance outcomes and their relationship with VR experience variables. The VR application developed is notable for its user-friendliness, adaptability, and integration capability with physiological monitoring devices, marking a significant advance in utilizing VR for cognitive assessments. Findings from our study underscore the importance of VR experience factors in RAM performance, highlighting how a heightened sense of presence can predict better performance, thereby emphasizing engagement and immersion as crucial for task success in VR settings. Additionally, this study revealed how movement parameters within the VR environment, specifically speed and directness, significantly influence RAM performance, offering new insights into optimizing VR experiences for enhanced task performance.

Background/Objectives: Walking coordination is crucial for maintaining independence and quality of life, but it is significantly affected by aging and cognitive decline. This study investigates how age and cognitive status relate to lower limb coordination during gait, using a network-based analysis of joint kinematics. Methods: Fifty-six healthy participants (31–82 years old) underwent gait analysis with a stereophotogrammetric system and cognitive assessment through standardized neuropsychological tests. Kinematic data were processed to build “kinectomes”, representing the inter-joint coordination across the gait cycle. Results: The results showed that the mean lower limb coordination on the sagittal plane negatively correlated with age and positively with cognitive performance. Detailed analysis revealed that age-related declines in coordination were primarily driven by reduced synchronization at the knees, while cognitive status was associated with overall coordination rather than joint-specific changes. Conclusion: These findings emphasize the knees’ critical role in preserving gait coordination with aging and underline the involvement of cognitive aspects in global coordination mechanisms. In summary, our network-based approach provides a refined perspective on gait dynamics, highlighting the relationship between coordination and both age and cognition.

Background/Objectives: This study investigates how age and cognitive status relate to lower limb coordination during gait, using a network-based analysis of joint kinematics. Methods: Fifty-six healthy participants underwent gait analysis with a stereophotogrammetric system and cognitive assessment through standardized neuropsychological tests. Kinematic data were processed to build "kinectomes", representing the inter-joint coordination across the gait cycle. Results: Results showed that mean lower limb coordination on the sagittal plane negatively correlated with age and positively with cognitive performance. Detailed analysis revealed that age-related declines in coordination were primarily driven by reduced synchronization at the knees, while cognitive status was associated with overall coordination rather than joint-specific changes. Conclusions: These findings emphasize the knees’ critical role in preserving gait coordination with aging and highlight the need for multidimensional interventions targeting both motor and cognitive aspects of mobility in older adults. Our network-based approach provides a refined perspective on gait dynamics, offering potential markers for early identification of mobility and cognitive decline.

Physical activity (PA) significantly impacts brain function and counteracts age-related changes in cognitive and motor abilities. This pilot study delved into exploring the cognitive benefits of PA in older adults, focusing on their fluency abilities. We assessed verbal and graphic fluency in 45 older participants (mean age = 68.11 ± 3.34 years) using the Fluency Test (FAS) and modified Five-Points Test (m-FPT). They were divided into Active and Sedentary based on International Physical Activity Questionnaire cut-off scores. The results revealed significant findings regarding the relationship between PA level and executive functions. Generalized linear model analyses indicated that sedentary individuals exhibited poorer performance in the number of unique drawings, drawings performed with a cognitive strategy, and strategy index (ISs). Regarding gender differences, we found a significant positive prediction of verbal fluency abilities in males compared to females. However, no significant effects of gender were observed for the m-FPT. These preliminary findings strengthen existing evidence highlighting PA’s beneficial impact on cognitive function in older adults. This study highlights a distinctive support for graphic abilities over verbal fluency due to PA, emphasizing a specific connection to cognitive efficacy. It also prompts consideration of graphic fluency as a possible marker for successful ageing.

Background/Objectives: Adolescence is a crucial developmental stage characterized by significant psychological and emotional changes. Within the school context, academic self-efficacy (ASE) influences students’ emotional well-being, including positive and negative affective states. Research has shown that both ASE and emotional well-being are associated with socioeconomic status (SES) and immigrant background. This study aims to examine whether SES and immigrant background moderate the relationship between ASE and positive/negative affect among adolescents. Methods: Data were collected from a representative sample of 26,564 10th-grade students in Italian schools. ASE, positive and negative affect, SES, and immigrant background were assessed through validated measures. Multigroup structural equation modeling (multigroup SEM) was conducted to test the moderating roles of SES (low, middle, high) and immigrant background (native, first-generation immigrant, second-generation immigrant) on the relationship between ASE and affective states. Results: The results indicated that ASE significantly predicted positive affect (β = 0.34, p < 0.001) and negative affect (β = −0.17, p < 0.001) across all groups. However, results indicated no significant differences in the ASE–emotional affect relationship across SES and immigrant background groups, indicating that neither SES nor immigrant background moderated these associations. Conclusions: The findings suggest that ASE is associated with both positive affect and negative affect in adolescents, irrespective of SES and immigrant background. This highlights the universal importance of fostering ASE in school settings to support emotional well-being across diverse demographic groups.

Scientific investigations have increasingly revealed the intricate connection between masticatory function and cognitive functioning, as well as psychological well-being. Addressing malocclusions, such as the common unilateral posterior crossbite, during early developmental stages, emerges as an effective strategy for gaining health. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of treating unilateral posterior crossbite by utilizing a function generating bite (FGB) appliance in a 12-year-old child, focusing on its impact on specific cognitive domains. Through meticulous pre- and post-treatment assessments, encompassing global cognitive activity (Colored Progressive Matrices), verbal and spatial working memory (Digit Span and Corsi Block-Tapping Test), and graphic fluency (modified Five Points Test), this research aims to elucidate the cognitive benefits associated with FGB treatment. Results unveil that a mere seven-month application of FGB effectively rectified the malocclusion while concurrently yielding notable improvements in the cognitive abilities under scrutiny. Additionally, post-treatment observations revealed enhanced well-being and sleep quality, further emphasizing the multifaceted benefits of such interventions. Although this study presents findings from a singular case, it serves as a catalyst for further exploration into the intricate interplay between masticatory function and cognitive performance. Such endeavors are vital for advancing holistic healthcare practices that integrate dental care with cognitive and psychological considerations, thereby fostering comprehensive well-being and optimal development.

Sensory habituation allows us to decrease responsiveness to repetitive or prolonged stimuli over time, making them easy to filter out and not interfere with ongoing activities. As such, habituation could be an important aspect to be evaluated within a sensory and cognitive assessment. The main aim of the present study was to validate an Italian version of the Sensory Habituation Questionnaire (S-Hab-Q), a self-report tool assessing how long an adult individual takes to adapt to daily sensory stimuli. We examined the relationship between sensory habituation and sensory sensitivity by administering the Sensory Perception Quotient questionnaire (SPQ) and tested a factor model based on a sensory modality categorization of items. In addition, given the high probability of altered sensory processing in autism, we explored the relationship between sensory habituation and autistic traits by administering the Autism Quotient questionnaire (AQ). A total of 262 participants, aged 18 to 67 years, completed the S-Hab-Q, the SPQ, and the AQ questionnaires. The results showed that, as the original version of the S-Hab-Q, the Italian version had a high internal consistency and a significant correlation with the SPQ score. A confirmatory factor analysis, based on a two-factor model (i.e., vision and hearing vs. touch, smell, and taste), showed a good fit of the S-Hab-Q data. As expected, a significant correlation between the S-Hab-Q and the AQ score was found. Interestingly, mediation analysis revealed that the S-Hab-Q score mediated the relationship between SPQ and AQ scores. Overall, the results confirm that a questionnaire assessing habituation can be a feasible tool to profile individual habituation in daily life. Moreover, they suggest that sensory habituation contributes to explaining the link between sensory sensitivity and autistic traits.

Regular physical activity has consistently shown promise in improving cognitive functioning among children. However, there is a shortage of comprehensive studies that delve into these benefits across various cognitive domains. This preliminary investigation aimed to discern potential disparities in cognitive performance between active and sedentary children, with a specific focus on inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and visuo-spatial working memory abilities. The study employed a cross-sectional design encompassing 26 children (mean age 9.53 ± 2.20 years), categorized into two groups: Active and Sedentary. Executive functions were assessed using the NEPSY-II, while visuo-spatial working memory abilities were evaluated through the table version of the Radial Arm Maze (table-RAM) task. All outputs were analyzed with One-way ANOVAS or Kruskal–Wallis Tests to assess differences between Active and Sedentary children in both executive functioning and visuo-spatial working memory processes. The findings revealed that the Active group outperformed the sedentary group in inhibitory control (F1,23 = 4.99, p = 0.03*), cognitive flexibility (F1,23 = 5.77, p = 0.02*), spatial span (F1,23 = 4.40, p = 0.04*), and working memory errors (F1,23 = 8.59, p = 0.01**). Both spatial span and working memory errors are parameters closely associated with visuo-spatial working memory abilities. Although preliminary, these results offer evidence of a positive link between physical activity and cognitive functioning in children. This indicates the importance of promoting active behaviors, especially within educational environments.