Post-graduate Researcher

Department: Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation

Nikolaos Studied for his BSc at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Science, specializing in Fitness and Health between the years of 2006-2012. He then continued to study for an MSc in Exercise Physiology between 2012-2016, before taking up a PhD position at Northumbria University. During his study in Greece, Nikolaos was part of the research projects ‘PROactive’ and ‘Synergisa’ both funded by the EU directorate. Additionally, Nikoloas has attended many training courses and has a great interest into approaches for cardiopulmonary rehabilitation.

Email

Qualifications

MSc
BSc (hons)

Overview of Doctoral Research

Influence of the VitaBreath device on exercise tolerance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Initially, Nikolaos’s PhD thesis will investigate the influence of positive airway pressure, provided by a device namely the VitaBreath, on exercise tolerance in patients with COPD using two different exercise modalities (continuous or interval). The second research study will investigate the implementation of the VitaBreath device during pulmonary rehabilitation sessions in order to identify its potential benefit on exercise capacity and associated physiological adaptations. The exercise modality that will be used during pulmonary rehabilitation will be defined by the results of the first study. Assessment of participants at baseline and after completion of the rehabilitation study will include cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), daily physical activity levels using an accelerometer and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT).

Publications/Outputs

Kaltsakas, G., Papaioannou, A.I., Vasilopoulou, M., Spetsioti, S., Gennimata, S., Palamidas, A.F., Chynkiamis, N., Kortianou, E.A., Vasilogiannakopoulou, T., Vogiatzis, I. & Koulouris, N.G. (2016). Tele-monitoring intervention on COPD exacerbations. European Respiratory Journal, 48:OA3045, DOI: 10.1183/13993003.

Kortianou, E., Louvaris, Z., Spetsioti, S., Vasilopoulou, M., Chynkiamis, N., Anastasopoulos, N., Kaltsakas, G., Koulouris, N.G. & Vogiatzis, I. (2015). Physiological determinants of rehabilitative-induced improvement in daily physical activity in patients with COPD, European Respiratory Journal, 46: PA3561, DOI: 10.1183/13993003.

Vasilopoulou, M., Papaioannou, A.I., Kaltsakas, G., Gennimata, S.A., Palamidas, A.F., Feridou, C., Chynkiamis, N., Vasilogiannakopoulou, T., Spetsioti, S., Louvaris, Z., Kocsis, O., Pantelopoulos, S., Koulouris, N.G. & Vogiatzis, I. (2015). Evidence of benefit from home tele-rehabilitation on chronic dyspnea and quality of life in patients with COPD. European Respiratory Journal, 46: PA3721, DOI: 10.1183/13993003.

Assimakopoulou, A., Louvaris, Z., Balomenaki, M., Chynkiamis, N., Tzanela, M., Vogiatzis, I. & Tsagarakis, S. (2015). Functional muscle capacity and daily physical activity deficits in patients with endogenous Cushing's syndrome. (2015). Endocrine Abstracts, 37:EP79, DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.37.EP79.

Vasilopoulou, M., Papaioannou, A.I., Chynkiamis, N., Vasilogiannakopoulou, T., Spetsioti, S., Louvaris, Z., Kortianou, E., Kocsis, O., Tsopanoglou, A., Feridou, C., Plataniti, E., Thomopoulou, A., Kaltsakas, G., Koulouris, N.G. & Vogiatzis, I. (2015). Effectiveness of home tele-rehabilitation on functional capacity and daily physical activity in COPD patients. European Respiratory Journal, 46:OA273, DOI: 10.1183/13993003

Kortianou, E., Louvaris, Z., Spetsioti, S., Vasilopoulou, M., Chynkiamis, N., Nasis, I., Kaltsakas, G., Koulouris, N.G. & Vogiatzis, I. (2014). High-intensity interval exercise training improves daily physical activity levels in COPD, European Respiratory Journal, 44, 1709.