Katiuscia Sacco

About

Katiuscia Sacco is a leading researcher at the intersection of neurorehabilitation and biomedical robotics, whose work focuses on restoring locomotor function in patients with brain injuries and neurological disorders. Her major contributions center on the development and validation of innovative robotic exoskeletons—most notably P.I.G.R.O. (Pneumatic Interactive Gait Rehabilitation Orthosis) and Bra.Di.P.O.—designed to deliver precise, multi-joint gait training. Sacco’s landmark 2011 study, cited 39 times, provided early evidence that combined robotic and cognitive training can drive cerebral functional reorganization in chronic traumatic brain injury patients, demonstrating measurable improvements in walking capabilities. Her research has systematically explored how body weight support and gait speed influence lower limb kinematics, establishing critical reference data for robot-assisted rehabilitation protocols. Sacco’s work uniquely bridges engineering and neuroscience, showing that robotic orthoses can not only impose coordinated movement patterns but also help patients re-learn mental representations of walking after brain lesions. With a growing citation impact across her publications, Sacco is recognized for advancing personalized, evidence-based neurorehabilitation strategies that integrate mechatronic innovation with cognitive-motor training principles.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   A combined robotic and cognitive training for locomotor rehabilitation: evidences of cerebral functional reorganization in two chronic traumatic brain injured patients

   39 citations · 2011
2. 2
   P.I.G.R.O.: An Active Exoskeleton for Robotic Neurorehabilitation Training Driven by an Electro-Pneumatic Control

   11 citations · 2017
3. 3
   Influence of the amount of body weight support on lower limb joints’ kinematics during treadmill walking at different gait speeds: Reference data on healthy adults to define trajectories for robot assistance

   9 citations · 2018
4. 4
   Bra.Di.P.O. and P.I.G.R.O.: Innovative Devices for Motor Learning Programs

   8 citations · 2014
5. 5
   Re-learning mental representation of walking after a brain lesion. Effects of a cognitive-motor training with a robotic orthosis

   5 citations · 2023
6. 6
   MR Compatible device for Active and Passive Foot Movements

   2 citations · 2009
7. 7
   Control curves for a new lower limbs robotic exoskeleton obtained from the study of joints angles during an unloaded human walking

   2 citations · 2017

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links