Ricerc@Sapienza

In this paper, a wearable sensor system embedded
in a belt for monitoring cardio-respiratory activity in children
with neurodevelopmental disorder is presented. The sensors are
integrated, using a micro-controller with a wireless interface, in a
network that is able to transmit the monitored parameters to a
data collection station. The data are acquired, processed and
stored using a virtual instrument developed in the LabVIEW
environment. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness

Monitoring physiological parameters under stress conditions – i.e., heart rate, breath frequency or heart rate variability - through non-invasive and comfortable wearable devices was a research topic of great interest in many medical fields. In the last decade, several wearable devices and methods have been developed for stress monitoring, showing suitable performance in estimating the stress indicator. In spite of the interest in the field, the development of wearable solutions suitable for child neuropsychiatry applications was still an open challenge.

Helsmoortel-Van der Aa syndrome (HVDAS) is a neurodevelopmental condition associated with intellectual disability/developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder, and multiple medical comorbidities. HVDAS is caused by mutations in activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP). A recent study identified genome-wide DNA methylation changes in 22 individuals with HVDAS, adding to the group of neurodevelopmental disorders with an epigenetic signature. This methylation signature segregated those with HVDAS into two groups based on the location of the mutations.