Publications by authors named "Eleni A Kortianou"

Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to evaluate how consistently the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), the 1-min Sit to Stand test (1-MSTS), and the Chester Step Test (CST) can be assessed remotely in patients who have recovered from COVID-19.
  • Twenty-five post-COVID-19 patients took these tests both online at home and in-person at a rehabilitation center, completing a preparatory session before their assessments.
  • Results showed that the remote assessments had moderate to excellent reliability, indicating these methods can be trusted for evaluating physical performance in recovering patients.
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Purpose: To synthesize the technical factors influencing adherence to nonpharmacological treatment (NPhT) in children with chronic pulmonary diseases (CPDs), using mobile health (mHealth) technology.

Methods: Five electronic databases were searched from inception to October 12, 2022, with terms related to pediatrics, CPDs, adherence, NPhT, and mHealth. The methodological quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool checklist.

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Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) and voluntary muscle contraction (VMC) are both acceptable rehabilitative modalities to preserve muscle strength loss. The study aimed to compare respiratory, metabolic, and cardiac parameters during quadriceps muscle contraction (QMC) using either EMS or VMC with comparable generated low intensity muscle force. Thirty healthy non-smoker males, age 20-58 years with normal BMI and low to moderate physical activity, underwent two 20-min sessions of comparable QMC using EMS vs VMC at the same day.

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Introduction: Abnormalities of autonomic function have been reported in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our objectives were to identify determinants of abnormal heart rate recovery at 1 min (HRR) following completion of the 6-min walk test (6MWT) in COPD and to establish whether abnormal HRR predicts acute exacerbations (AECOPD).

Methods: Hundred one COPD patients (FEV (SD) 53 (19)  % predicted) were prospectively recruited in a multi-center study.

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In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), reduced levels of daily physical activity are associated with the degree of impairment in lung, peripheral muscle, and central hemodynamic function. There is, however, limited evidence as to whether limitations in tidal volume expansion also, importantly, determine daily physical activity levels in COPD. Eighteen consecutive patients with COPD [9 active (forced expiratory volume in 1 s, FEV1: 1.

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In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), daily physical activity is reported to be adversely associated with the magnitude of exercise-induced dynamic hyperinflation and peripheral muscle weakness. There is limited evidence whether central hemodynamic, oxygen transport, and peripheral muscle oxygenation capacities also contribute to reduced daily physical activity. Nineteen patients with COPD (FEV1, 48 ± 14% predicted) underwent a treadmill walking test at a speed corresponding to the individual patient's mean walking intensity, captured by a triaxial accelerometer during a preceding 7-day period.

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Locomotor muscle dysfunction and weakness are frequently observed in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). In addition to intolerable sensations of dyspnoea which importantly contribute to exercise limitation, intrinsic muscle abnormalities have also been implicated in inducing leg muscle fatigue/discomfort during exercise in these patients. It is, however, uncertain whether these intrinsic muscle abnormalities are linked to a specific 'myopathy' or they constitute a consequence of the disease.

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Physical training is beneficial and should be included in the comprehensive management of all patients with COPD independently of disease severity. Different rehabilitative strategies and training modalities have been proposed to optimize exercise tolerance. Interval exercise training has been used as an effective alternative modality to continuous exercise in patients with moderate and severe COPD.

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