Dimitrios A . Patikas | Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (original) (raw)

Papers by Dimitrios A . Patikas

Autism and child psychopathology series, 2015

Springer eBooks, 2015

This chapter introduces issues regarding motor deficits in people with intellectual disability (I... more This chapter introduces issues regarding motor deficits in people with intellectual disability (ID), focusing on two motor skills that are essential for life, namely, gait and balance. As the average age of the general population increases and people with ID live longer the ability to achieve static and dynamic balance and an increased risk of falling are becoming increasingly important issues. A better understanding of the nature of gait and balance problems, and identification of the causes of falling in persons with ID may help to develop intervention strategies and techniques preventing falls and injuries in the future. There are several important features of the neuromuscular system that affect the efficiency of gait and balance. These include the level of general physical fitness, coordination, and muscle strength and power, which are commonly reduced in populations with ID. Bearing in mind the limitations of these deficits, the attributes of gait and balance are affected and compensatory mechanisms may be engaged. In this chapter, the literature regarding gait and balance in people with ID compared with nonsymptomatic populations is reviewed, helping to identify the causes and mechanisms of deficits in motor performance. Furthermore, apart from intrinsic causes due to the pathophysiology of the disease, there are environmental conditions, such as the level of physical activity that could reverse negative attitudes for the benefit of people with ID in terms of quality of life. It is concluded, that gait and balance can be improved with interventions involving more physical activities, although further randomized clinical trials are required to establish solid training protocols and treatments.

Gait & Posture, Mar 1, 2020

Shoulder strength is essential for gymnasts in order to succeed in their sport, but little resear... more Shoulder strength is essential for gymnasts in order to succeed in their sport, but little research has examined isometric and isokinetic shoulder moment and flexion/extension ratios. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative and absolute reliability of isometric and isokinetic shoulder moment and shoulder flexion/extension ratios. Fifteen international level male gymnasts (age: 19.3 ± 2.3 years) participated in the study. Two identical measurements with one week interval were applied using the isokinetic Humac Norm 770 dynamometer at three angles (45o, 90o, and 135o) for isometric and at three angular velocities (60o/s, 180o/s, and 300o/s) for concentric and eccentric action modes. All measurements were conducted in a range of motion of 10o to 180o, in supine position, bilaterally, with the elbows fully extended. Notwithstanding a small systematic bias (due to testing/learning) from measurement 1 to measurement 2 significant in four parameters, the results supported th...

Hellenic Journal of Nursing Science, 2019

Introduction: Polyneuromyopathy constitutes a common complication in critically ill patients of t... more Introduction: Polyneuromyopathy constitutes a common complication in critically ill patients of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and in the last few years it appears to be identified as a syndrome detectable in the limbs and respiratory muscles. It is associated with the difficulties during weaning from mechanical ventilation. Aim: The present study investigates the reflective reaction of the soleus muscle following an electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve in intubated critically ill patients hospitalized in ICU with no medical history prior to their admission. Methods: Thirteen (13) patients who had been hospitalized for more than five (5) days and had a high APACHE II score (>15) and 13 age-matched control subjects were asked to participate in the present study on a volunteer basis. During the study, as reflective response parameters the range of the H-reflex and M-wave of the soleus muscle, as well as the conduction velocity of the tibial nerve, after electro-stimulation of ...

Pediatric Exercise Science, 2013

Pediatric Exercise Science, 2019

Purpose: To examine the effect of drop height on vertical jumping performance in children with re... more Purpose: To examine the effect of drop height on vertical jumping performance in children with respect to sex and maturity status. Methods: Thirty-seven pre-pubertal, 71 circa-pubertal, and 69 post-pubertal boys and girls performed, in a randomized order, 2 squat jumps, 2 countermovement jumps, and 2 drop jumps (DJ) from heights of 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 cm. The trial with the best jump height in each test was used for analysis. Results: No significant sex × maturity status × jump type interaction for jump height was observed. However, on average, the children jumped higher in the countermovement jump than in squat jump and DJs (+1.2 and +1.6 cm, P < .001, respectively), with no significant differences between DJs and squat jumps or between DJs when increasing drop heights. Regarding DJs, 59.3% of the participants jumped higher from drop heights of 20 to 40 cm. Conclusions: Children, independent of sex and maturity status, performed best in the countermovement jump, and no pe...

Journal of Human Movement Studies, 2003

Gait & Posture, Sep 1, 2015

Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, Feb 1, 2017

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Dec 27, 2022

International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance

Purpose: This study examined the underlying mechanisms of postactivation potentiation and the tim... more Purpose: This study examined the underlying mechanisms of postactivation potentiation and the time course of muscular- and neural-related variables. Methods: Fourteen trained males executed 4 sets of six 6-second maximum isometric conditioning plantar flexions, with 15 seconds and 2 minutes of interval between the contractions and sets, respectively. Peak twitch torque (TT), rate of torque development, time to peak torque, half relaxation time, and the neural-related variables of H-reflex and electromyogram, normalized to the maximum M-wave (H/M and RMS/M, respectively), were evaluated, as well as the level of the voluntary activation, assessed by the twitch interpolation technique. All neural-related variables were analyzed for the trial within each set when TT was maximal and for the trial within each set when the neural-related variable itself was maximal. Results: Compared with the baseline measures, TT and rate of torque development significantly increased in all sets (P < ....

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of training on the throwing velo... more ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of training on the throwing velocity using loads on the upper limb. Forty-one untrained students were divided in two groups: the experimental group (n=21) performed training with additional load on the arm and forearm. The control group (n=20) performed the same training program without external load. The performance of the throwing velocity was evaluated using a radar gun, before, during and after the end of the 10-week training program. The score of throwing for each measurement was the average throwing velocity of 7 shots against a fixed target, placed 6 m in front of the examinees. The statistical analysis revealed a significant improvement in the throwing performance of both groups, but with more profound and statistically significant benefit for the experimental group at the end of the program. The results of the current study suggest that training with load on the upper limbs can be advantageous to the throwing velocity of the handball games. However, further research is required to determine the specific effects that the segment loading induces.

Sensors

This systematic review documents the protocol characteristics of studies that used neuromuscular ... more This systematic review documents the protocol characteristics of studies that used neuromuscular electrical stimulation protocols (NMES) on the plantar flexors [through triceps surae (TS) or tibial nerve (TN) stimulation] to stimulate afferent pathways. The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement, was registered to PROSPERO (ID: CRD42022345194) and was funded by the Greek General Secretariat for Research and Technology (ERA-NET NEURON JTC 2020). Included were original research articles on healthy adults, with NMES interventions applied on TN or TS or both. Four databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were systematically searched, in addition to a manual search using the citations of included studies. Quality assessment was conducted on 32 eligible studies by estimating the risk of bias with the checklist of the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool....

Sports

Drop jump (DJ) performance gain with increasing drop height is well documented in adults, but the... more Drop jump (DJ) performance gain with increasing drop height is well documented in adults, but there is still no clear evidence of such gain in children. This study aimed to examine the differences in DJ performance gain in male adults and prepubescent boys by comparing drop heights tailored to each individual’s performance and expressed as a percentage of their squat jump (SJ) performance. Fifteen boys (9–11 y) and 15 men (19–27 y) executed DJs from drop heights that were set at 75%, 100%, 125%, and 150% of their best performance in SJ (DJ75, DJ100, DJ125, and DJ150, respectively). Vertical ground reaction force (vGRF), contact time and kinematics of the lower extremities were captured. The results showed that boys jumped significantly lower than adults in DJs, and both age groups presented jumping gain with increasing drop height, up to DJ125. Boys demonstrated longer total contact time, lower angular velocity and vGRF during the propulsive phase, as well as smaller knee flexion at...