In December, we presented the preliminary results of the Espertamente research project, with the participation of many patients involved in the study and their caregivers. A moment of feedback and dialogue that allowed the research journey to be shared and highlighted the essential contribution of those who actively took part in the project.
The Espertamente project was funded by PNRR resources allocated to the National Biodiversity Center and was coordinated by the Villa Beretta Rehabilitation Research Innovation Institute, with the involvement of Fondazione Don Gnocchi and ASSOCIAZIONE LA NOSTRA FAMIGLIA.
The Espertamente project was designed to investigate how the interaction between the external exposome — environmental, social, and lifestyle factors — rehabilitation pathways, and the internal exposome (neuroinflammation, neuroplasticity biomarkers, and comorbidities) influences long-term multidomain clinical outcomes after stroke.
Preliminary data collected from 113 adult post-stroke patients and 30 adolescent-onset stroke patients, divided into three groups (10, 5, and 1 year post-stroke), along with their caregivers, outline a complex picture: recovery is not determined solely by the severity of neurological damage, but by a network of interconnected factors. Significant variability emerges in levels of autonomy, persistent motor and cognitive impairments, and a systemic impact of stroke that can also affect the non-impaired limb.
Beyond clinical and functional outcomes, Espertamente also explored the subjective experience of life after stroke, identifying different profiles of autonomy and psychological adaptation. Stroke emerges as a profound, multi-level life transformation involving the body, identity, relationships, and future life plans.
Caregivers, analyzed through a Human Functioning Analysis framework, play a central role as well. Among the adult population, more than half report comorbidities and pharmacological treatments, over 50% experience poor sleep quality, and many report moderate levels of caregiver burden — particularly in its objective dimension. These findings highlight how the social exposome significantly influences the overall balance of the patient–family system.
A research pathway that confirms the importance of a multidimensional and integrated approach to post-stroke rehabilitation, capable of addressing clinical outcomes, lived experience, and social context together. These findings highlight the need for long-term follow-up to define global rehabilitation strategies aimed at maintaining optimal human functioning after stroke.
