Address book
Contacts
GIORGIO ARCARA
Position
Professore Associato
Address
VIA VENEZIA, 8 - PADOVA
Telephone
0498276681
2025-present Associate Professor in Psychometrics (DPG, University of Padua)
2022-present Deputy Scientific Director (IRCCS San Camillo, Venice)
2019-present Head of Laboratory (IRCCS San Camillo, Venice)
2016-2019 Researcher (IRCCS San Camillo, Venice)
2014-2016 Research Fellow (Department of Neuroscience, University of Padua)
2012-2014 Research Grant Holder (IRCCS San Camillo, Venice)
2011-2012 Research Fellow (DPG, University of Padua)
2010-2011 Research Fellow (DEI, University of Padua)
2007-2010 PhD in Psychological Sciences, Psychobiology Track (University of Padua)
2006 Master's in Neuropsychology of Acquired Cognitive Disorders (University of Padua)
2005 Degree in Psychology - cum Laude (University of Padua)
Notices
https://giorgioarcara.github.io/
Orari di ricevimento
Si prega di prendere appuntamento scrivendo una mail. Il ricevimento sarà in presenza (6 piano, via Venezia 8) oppure sulla stanza personale zoom del docente (https://unipd.zoom.us/j/9063134084) Indicativamente si riceve il martedì e il giovedì dalle 14.00 alle 15.00. Please make an appointment by sending an email. The office hours will be held either in person (6th floor, via Venezia 8) or in the professor's personal Zoom room (https://unipd.zoom.us/j/9063134084) Generally, office hours are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM.
Publications
PUBLICATIONS
For a full list of my publications see the two links below:
Scopus Account: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=36714999100
Scholar Account: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=B7eJBYsAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Below are some significant recent publications, divided by topic
(update as of 30/04/2025):
Psychometrics and Clinical Neuropsychology
- Arcara, G. (2024). Improving Equivalent Scores for Clinical Neuropsychology: A new method for regression model selection. Neurological Sciences. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-024-07806-z
- Montemurro, S., Daini, R., Tagliabue, C., Guzzetti, S., Gualco, G., Mondini, S., & Arcara, G. (2023). Cognitive reserve estimated with a life experience questionnaire outperforms education in predicting performance on MoCA: Italian normative data. Current Psychology, 42(23), 19503–19517.
- Aiello, E. N., Rimoldi, S., Bolognini, N., Appollonio, I., & Arcara, G. (2022). Psychometrics and diagnostics of Italian cognitive screening tests: A systematic review. Neurological Sciences, 1–25.
Cognitive Neuroscience
- Vicentin, S., Cona, G., Marino, M., Bisiacchi, P., Mantini, D., & Arcara, G. (2025). Prestimulus functional connectivity reflects attention orientation in a prospective memory task: A magnetoencephalographic (MEG) study. PloS one, 20(2), e0319213.
- Lago, S., Pezzetta, R., Gastaldon, S., Peressotti, F., & Arcara, G. (2023). Trial-by-trial fluctuations of pre-stimulus alpha power predict language ERPs. Psychophysiology, 60(12), e14388.
- Masina, F., Pezzetta, R., Lago, S., Mantini, D., Scarpazza, C., & Arcara, G. (2022). Disconnection from prediction: A systematic review on the role of right temporoparietal junction in aberrant predictive processing. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 138, 104713.
Books and book chapters
- Mondini, S., Cappelletti, M., & Arcara, G. (2022). Methodology in Neuropsychological Assessment: An Interpretative Approach to Guide Clinical Practice. Routledge
- Arcara, G., Pellegrino, G., Pascarella, A., Mantini, D., Kobayashi, E., & Jerbi, K. (2023). MEG. In Psychophysiology Methods (pp. 157–180). Springer US New York, NY.
Research Area
My research activity has a strong methodological focus and is centered on two main areas: Clinical Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience.\n\nIn the field of Clinical Neuropsychology, my goal is to define a clearer methodological framework for neuropsychological assessment. Specifically, I address various aspects such as the appropriate use of neuropsychological tests, the definition of thresholds for identifying deficits, the study of changes over time, and the analysis of how psychometric properties (such as reliability and validity) influence assessment and should be integrated into diagnostic reasoning.\n\nIn the area of Cognitive Neuroscience, my research employs advanced analytical methods (e.g., time-frequency analysis, connectivity, network analysis) with a dual aim: developing tools for data analysis and improving existing analytical approaches, with the broader goal of better understanding how brain activity relates to the mind and behavior, and identifying biomarkers for cognitive recovery in neurorehabilitation. An additional line of interest concerns the role of scientific language and its impact on the definition and conceptualization of relevant cognitive constructs.\n\n\n\n
Thesis proposals
IMPORTANT: At least 6 months are required for thesis supervision.
BACHELOR’S DEGREES
For bachelor’s degrees, mainly literature-based theses are accepted on the following topics:
- Methodology of neuropsychological assessment (clinical and/or forensic)
- Limitations in current practices of clinical neuropsychology
- Constructs in cognitive neuroscience
- Use of scientific language in neuroscience and neuropsychology
Students are encouraged to propose topics of personal interest, as long as they emphasize methodological aspects.
MASTER’S DEGREES
For master’s degrees, both literature-based and experimental theses are accepted. For experimental theses, at least 12 months are required. Thesis topics may include those of the bachelor's theses, plus the following:
- Ideation and development of neuropsychological tests
- Experimental studies (e.g., via questionnaires) on practices and limitations in neuropsychological assessment (clinical and/or forensic)
- Participation in cognitive neuroscience studies (especially EEG/MEG) in the field of neurorehabilitation
- Studies using data simulations to verify properties of neuropsychological tests (basic R programming skills required)
