Pierfilippo De Sanctis, Ph.D
Project Director, Cognitive Aging & Research
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology
pierfilippo.sanctis@einsteinmed.edu
Dr. Pierfilippo De Sanctis is interested in how aging and neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, affect cognition and locomotion. In order to investigate brain functions during active walking in humans, Dr. De Sanctis and his team designed and established the feasibility of a novel Mobile Brain-Body Imaging (MOBI) system. The system employs 3D infra-red camera technology in order to monitor gait, posture, stride-length and foot-falls during ambulation on a treadmill, while high-density electrophysiology is simultaneously recorded. Concurrently, participants are exposed to full-field optical flow stimulation to manipulate visuo-vestibular inputs and/or are engaged in performing cognitive tasks to mimic walking in a complex environment. Their goal is to further understanding of sensory-motor and cognitive impairments to enhance mobility in individuals of advanced age and with neurological disorders.
Dr. De Sanctis' publications can be found here