Active Research Projects

Movement Characterization in Cerebral Palsy
Through the integration of classical ballet exercises with virtual reality and haptic environments, this project aims to characteize movement in children with cerebral palsy. 
 
Targeted Ballet Class for Children  and Adults with Cerebral Palsy
Examining muscle regulation adaptations in response to classical ballet training in children a nd adults with cerebral palsy. 
 
Mindful Ballet Class for Adults with Multiple Sclerosis
A combination of mindfulness training and classical ballet targeted to adults diagnosed with multiple sclerosis seeks to improve gait function and balance while ameliorating ataxia.. 
 
Training Eye Movements in Parkinson's Disease 
Investigation of eye movement response to training protocols in subjects with and without Parkinson's disease

 

Publications

1.     Camacho, P., Carbonari, R., Shen S., Zadikoff, C., Kramer A. F., López-Ortiz C. Training the amplitude of voluntary saccades improves reflexive saccade behavior in Parkinson’s disease. (Work in progress.)
2.     Chembrammel ,P., He, M., McNish, R., López-Ortiz, C. Training isometric force matching tasks in classical ballet postures in children with dystonic cerebral palsy. (Work in progress.)
3.     Chembrammel, P., Bolan, A., He, M., McNish, R., López-Ortiz, C. Training isometric force matching tasks in classical ballet postures in children.  (Work in progress.)
4.     Camacho, P., Carbonari, R., Shen S., Zadikoff, C., Kramer A. F., López-Ortiz C.  Training the amplitude of voluntary saccades improves reflexive saccade behavior in older adults. (Work in progress.)
5.     Chembrammel ,P., Bolan, A., McNish, R., Speidel  N., McKeeman, S. N., López-Ortiz, C. Design of a Robotic System with Mixed Reality Feedback for Rehabilitation and Classification of Movement in Cerebral Palsy: Proof of concept  . (Work in progress.)
6.     He, M, Lencioni, D, Alberto, N, Gaebler-Spira, D.J.,  Levin M. A, López-Ortiz, C. targeted ballet class for spastic cerebral palsy reduces the spastic stretch reflex threshold. (Writing in progress.)
7.     Bolan, A., Chembrammel P., Speidel N., McNish, R., McKeeman, S. N., López-Ortiz, C. Patterns of muscle activation in whole body isometric force efforts. (Writing in progress.)
8.     He, M, Chembrammel ,P., Speidel N., López-Ortiz, C. Cooperative muscle activation patterns in upper limb quasi-static force efforts. (Writing in progress.)
9.     Lakes, J., Sharp, K., Neville, R., Grant-Beuttler, M., Sunico, S., Ho, D,.  Schneider, M., Sawitz, S., Paulsen, J., Caputo, K., Haddad F., Lu, K., Aminian, A., Lopez-Ortiz, C., Radom-Aizik, S. (2019) Therapeutic ballet for children with cerebral palsy: a mixed-methods study of effects on social-emotional and executive functioning. (2019) Frontiers in Public Health, 7:137 DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2019.00137
10. Camacho, P., Carbonari, R., Shen S., Zadikoff, C., Kramer A. F., López-Ortiz C. Protocol for pilot clinical trial on the training of voluntary saccades in older adults and PD. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, (2019) Vol. 11 Issue 77.   
11. Tisha, L. A., Armstrong A. A., Wagner-Johnson A., López-Ortiz, C. (2019) Adaptations and passive mechanical stiffness of muscles in spastic cerebral palsy: A review and conceptual model (2019). Accepted June  2018.  Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 35 (1):68-79 DOI: 10.1123/jab.2018-0049.  
12. McNish RN, Chembrammel P, Speidel NC, Lin JJ, López-Ortiz C. Rehabilitation for Children With Dystonic Cerebral Palsy Using Haptic Feedback in Virtual Reality: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (2019) JMIR Res Protoc 2019;8(1):e11470 DOI: 10.2196/11470.
13. López-Ortiz, C, Jahansen, R. B., Green, D. Enabling participation: innovations and advancements.  Book chapter in “Enabling Participation in Childhood Onset Neuro-Disability: Optimising Outcomes” Edited by Dido Green and Christine Imms. Peer reviewed. Mac Keith Press, London, UK. Submitted 2018. Accepted.
14. López-Ortiz C., Gaebler-Spira D. J. , McKeeman S. N. , McNish R, N., Green, D. Dance and Rehabilitation for Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Search and Review. (2019) First published 23 October 2018. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 61: 393–398. 
15. Scheidler A. M., Kinnett-Hopkins, D. L., Learmonth, Y. C, Motl, R., López-Ortiz, C. (2018). Targeted ballet program mitigates ataxia and improves balance in females with mild-to-moderate multiple sclerosis. PLOS ONE 2018-10 | journal-article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205382.
16. López-Ortiz, C., Eagan, T., Gaebler-Spira, D. (2016) Pilot study of a targeted dance class for physical rehabilitation in children with cerebral palsy. Sage Open Medicine, 4:1-5.
17. López-Ortiz, C., Gladden, K., Deon, L., Schmidt, J., Girolami, G. and Gaebler-Spira, D.  (2012). Dance program for physical rehabilitation and participation in children with cerebral palsy, Arts & Health 4(1,): 39-54. First published on: 13 June 2011 (iFirst).
18. Alibigalou, L., López-Ortiz, C., Brown D. A., (2009). Phase dependence of lower limb muscle activity in locomotion after stroke Journal of Neurophysiology Nov; 102(5): 2856-65. Epub 2009 Sep 9.

  1. Gruben K. G., López-Ortiz, C., and Schmidt, M. W. (2003). The control of foot force during pushing efforts against a moving pedal. Experimental Brain Research, 148:50-61.
  2. Gruben, K.G., López-Ortiz, C., and C. Giachetti, R. S. (2003). Muscular and postural components of lower limb forces during quasi-static extension efforts. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 19:239-245
  3. Schmidt, M.W., López-Ortiz, C., Barrett, P. S., Rogers. L. M., Gruben, K. G. (2003). Foot force direction in an isometric moving task. Experimental Brain Research, 150:245-254.
  4.  Gruben, K. and López-Ortiz, C. (2000) Characteristics of the force applied to a pedal during human pushing efforts. Journal of Motor Behavior, 32:151-162.

 
 
            Bulletins, Reports, Conference Proceedings, and Conference Papers 
 
1.     Scheidler, A. M., Tisha, A. L., Kinnett-Hopkins, D. L., Learmonth, Y. C. , Motl, R., López-Ortiz, C. (2017)Targeted Dance Program for Improved Mobility in Multiple Sclerosis. Converging Clinical and Engineering Research on Neurorehabilitation II, Biosystems and Robotics 15: 1073-1078. Springer-Verlag. 
2.     López-Ortiz, C., Simkowski J., Gomez, W, Stoykov, N., Gaebler-Spira, D. (2013) Motor Learning in Children with Cerebral Palsy with Feedback of Principal Component Space of Reduced Dimension. Converging Clinical and Engineering Research on Neurorehabilitation, Biosystems and Robotics I: 311-315. Springer-Verlag.
3.     López-Ortiz, C. (2013) Sound and Rehabilitation Robotics for Pediatric Cerebral Palsy. Converging Clinical and Engineering Research on Neurorehabilitation, Biosystems and Robotics 2:31-315. Springer-Verlag.
 
4.     López-Ortiz C, Warnick, J, Gomez W, Doshi K, Simkowsky J, Reese M, Gaebler-Spira D. (2012) A pilot study using virtual reality and statistics of dance postures to enhance balance and dissociation of movements in children with cerebral palsy. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology: 54 S6: 41-42.