• children
• haptic interfaces
• neuromotor disorders
• rehabilitation
• upper limb
• virtual reality

Recently, the use of new technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) acquired greater relevance in rehabilitation, particularly in the field of neuromotor and neurocognitive rehabilitation.
The pediatric literature presented a wide range of VR applications, as a matter of fact the use of these systems seems to foster motor learning, retention of learned skills, and skill transfer to real-world situations. Moreover, VR systems can be assisted and enriched by devices that allow integrated tactile and proprioceptive perception: this devices are defined as Aptic Interfaces (IA). According to some studies, if a subject is requested to perform a task, the presence of a feedback (like an aptic feedback) can significantly improve the performance.
The aim of the study presented in this thesis is to evaluate the effects of a novel rehabilitative device based on a virtual reality system integrated with haptic interfaces on the upper limb of children with movement disorders, with the purpose of improving participation and involvement of the little patients, preserving the rehabilitative validity of the therapy sessions on the same time. We recruited 7 patients, 4 children with Developmental Dyspraxia and 3 with Cerebral Palsy, 5 males and 2 females. The 7 children were randomized between two groups, each one undergoing a therapy cross-over: during the first period of therapy one of the two groups attended conventional therapy sessions, the other one attended the VR therapy sessions; during the second period, the type of therapy was switched between the groups; the two periods were separated by a wash-out phase where the upper limb therapy was suspended. Before starting and at the end of each period, upper limb and praxis functions of the patients were evaluated with validated scales and a kinematic evaluation. This study demonstrates that such technologies represent valuable rehabilitation tools, and that they allow the rehabilitative session to be conducted in a stimulating but at the same time supervised, adjustable, repruducible and recorded context.