Yves Vanlandewijck

• KU Leuven

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of age and intellectual impairment (II) in decision-making in basketball. The current study investigated differences in decision making between equally well-trained adult basketball male players with intellectual impairment (players with II) (n = 93), adults without II (senior) (n = 44) and youth ba...

Dual-task paradigms can provide insights on the structures and mechanisms underlying information processing and hold diagnostic, prognostic, and rehabilitative value for populations with cognitive deficits such as in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). In this paradigm, two tasks are performed separately (single-task context) and concurr...

The evaluation of motion abilities is crucial to rate human movement control performance in several contexts. In the medical field, for example, smoothness, a feature related to the regularity of movement, is assessed through objective metrics during the execution of free movements in order to support the decision based on clinical scales about the...

Background: Athletes with intellectual disability represent a unique population who experiences the contrasting effects of cognitive deficits and benefits of sports on balance. This study investigated the combined impact of intellectual disability and sport practice on balance. Method: Center-of-pressure excursion in bipedal stance of 2 disabili...

Purpose We investigated cognitive-motor multitasking in 29 top-athletes with intellectual impairment (II) recruited during the European Championship Games organized by Virtus (World Intellectual Impairment Sports) and 29 control (CT) athletes matched for age, sex, sports practiced and lifetime accumulated practice hours. Methods Participants perfo...

Real-life daily handcycling requires combined propulsion and steering to control the front wheel. Today, the handcycle cranks are mostly mounted synchronously unlike the early handcycle generations. Alternatively, arm cycle ergometers do not require steering and the cranks are mostly positioned asynchronously. The current study aims to evaluate the...

Purpose To biomechanically profile force generation connected to the complex role of the trunk in double poling in a representative sample of Para-Nordic sit-skiers. Methods Twelve male World Cup Para-Nordic sit-skiers (sport classes: LW10–12) were skiing on flat snow terrain at submaximal speed of 4.5 m/s (~ 73% maximum speed). 2D video (50 Hz) a...

In Paralympic cross-country sit skiing, athlete classification is performed by an expert panel, so it may be affected by subjectivity. An evidence-based classification is required, in which objective measures of impairment must be identified. The purposes of this study were: (i) to evaluate the reliability of 5 trunk strength measures and 18 trunk...

The present paper describes the conceptual basis of evidence-based classification of para-athletes with intellectual impairment (II). An extensive description of the theoretical and conceptual foundation of the system as currently conceived is provided, as are examples of its applications in the three sports included in the Paralympic programme for...

The high prevalence of postural instability in individuals with intellectual disability (ID) warrants the need for reliable and practical postural control assessments. Stabilometry is a postural control assessment that has been widely used for clinical populations. However, the scant systematic knowledge about the reliability of stabilometric proto...

The International Paralympic Committee mandates the development of an evidence-based classification system, which requires a measure of performance. Performance in cross-country sit-skiing is mainly dependent on force generated during the poling phase and is enhanced by trunk flexion–extension movements. Since all sit-skiers have neuromuscular impa...

Purpose: Ingestion of sildenafil citrate has performance-enhancing effects at high altitudes above 3800 m in able-bodied individuals. It is unknown whether it can improve the performance of athletes with spinal cord injury (SCI) at moderate altitudes (<2200 m), relevant to Paralympic competitions. As most men with SCI suffer from erectile dysfunct...

In cross-country sit-skiing, the trunk plays a crucial role in propulsion generation and balance maintenance. Trunk stability is evaluated by automatic responses to unpredictable perturbations; however, electromyography is challenging. The aim of this study was to identify a measure to group sit-skiers according to their ability to control the trun...

Cross-country skiing is a fast-paced, a cognitively demanding, and a popular sport within international organizations including athletes with intellectual impairment (II); however, research on how the level of II affects skiing performance is limited. The aim of this exploratory study was to compare differences in the overall performance (segment t...

Background: A reliable evaluation of the balance control in persons with intellectual impairment is important for varied reasons, ranging from clinical purposes to eligibility determination for sport participation. The use of force platforms to measure center of pressure (COP) excursion is one of the most common means of measuring balance. There ar...

In cross-country sit-skiing all athletes compete in a sitting position, but some of them have the ability to control their trunk more than others. The trunk plays an essential role in two performance determinants: propulsion generation and balance maintenance. The aim of the study is to design a new testing device assessing athletes’ responses to t...

Background: To investigate the effects of a three month active cycling program followed by coaching on physical activity in subacute stroke patients. Methods: Patients (n = 59; mean age =65.4 ± 10.3) aged ≤80 years with first stroke and able to cycle at 50 revolutions/minute enrolled 3–10 weeks post stroke. Patients were randomly allocated to three...

Purpose: To understand how athletes invest their energy over a race, differences in pacing ability between athletes with and without intellectual impairment (II) were explored using a novel field test. Methods: Well-trained runners (n=67) participated in this study, including 34 runners with II (age = 24.4 ± 4.5 years; IQ = 63.1 ± 7.7) and 33 ru...

Objective: To examine the effects of 3-month aerobic training (AT) followed by coaching on aerobic capacity, strength and gait speed after subacute stroke. Design: Randomized controlled trial SETTING: Inpatient rehabilitation center PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N=59; mean age= 65.4±10.3; 21 women (36%); Barthel Index≤50= 64%) with first stroke and ab...

The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of intellectual impairment (II) on game-related statistics which best contribute to success in basketball. Official game-related statistics were gathered from 6 male teams (n = 63 players) during the 13 games played in the World II-Basketball Championships (Ankara 2013). Variables were normaliz...

Pacing has been defined as the goal-directed regulation of exercise intensity over an exercise bout, in which athletes need to decide how and when to invest their energy. The purpose of this study was to explore if the regulation of exercise intensity during competitive track races is different between runners with and without intellectual impairme...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the biomechanics of cross-country sit-skiing in simulated and natural skiing. Thirteen international level athletes participated in a ski ergometer test (simulated conditions) and a test on snow in a ski-tunnel (natural conditions) using their personal sit-ski. Tests in both conditions were performed at...

The purpose of classification in Paralympic sport is to promote participation in sport by people with disabilities by minimizing the impact of eligible types of impairment on the outcome of competition. This chapter provides detail on key elements of research design and measurement methods required for the development of evidence-based classificati...

In 1994, wheelchair rugby was officially recognized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) as a Paralympic sport. This chapter digs into the scientific literature on wheelchair rugby and each aspect of the sport scientific counseling process. Athletes compete in manual wheelchairs that are specifically built for the sport. Wheelchair rugby...

Part of the esteemed IOC Handbook of Sports Medicine and Science series, this new volume on Training and Coaching the Paralympic Athlete will be athlete-centred with each chapter written for the practical use of medical doctors and allied health personnel. The chapters also consider the role of medical science in the athlete's sporting career and s...

ABSTRACT Basketball for athletes with intellectual impairment (II) requires the development of evidence-based eligibility systems in order to guarantee equal opportunities to success in this sport and also to have the possibility to be re-included in the Paralympic Program. To do this, it is required to investigate the influence of II on those fund...

Since trunk function plays a major role in propulsion in sit-skiers and athletes belonging to distinct classes have different abilities to control trunk muscles, the aim of this study is to evaluate how athletes personalized their skiing strategy to compensate their impairment and improve skiing effectiveness. Sixteen Paralympic sit-skiers belongin...

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) may result in tetraplegia (motor, sensory and/or autonomic nervous system impairment of the arms, trunk and legs) or paraplegia (impairment of the trunk and/or legs only). The adverse effects of SCI on health, fitness and functioning are frequently compounded by profoundly sedentary behaviour. People with parapleg...

Background: Previous research has shown that cognitive and motor skills are related. The precise impact of cognitive impairment on sport proficiency, however, is unknown. Aims: This study investigated group and individual differences in cognitive profiles in a large cohort of track and field athletes, basketball players, swimmers and table tenni...

Background: Despite confirmed reduced physical activity (PA) after stroke in various stages of recovery, the type of activities stroke patients executed and the time spent at different activity levels have not been sufficiently verified with stroke-validated assessment tools. Design: Observational study. Objective: To determine PA of sub-acute...

The aim of the present study was to identify performance variability in basketball for players with intellectual impairment (II) and to compare it with able-bodied (AB) players. Official game statistics from the 13 games played in the Ankara World II-Basketball Championships (2013) were gathered and descriptive data, variability coefficient (VC), m...

Objective: To determine the validity of the Trunk Impairment Classification system (TIC) with four possible scores (0, most impaired, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, least impaired) in relation to objective instrumented measures of impairment. Design: TIC scores were compared to objective measures of neuromusculoskeletal trunk impairment in a cross sectional des...

Introduction: In the development of eligibility systems in basketball for athletes with Intellectual Impairment (II), previous studies have described how II-athletes perform in high level basketball. These results were compared with the literature in Able-bodied (AB) competitions. However, data from AB and II- competitions have not been previously...

Laboratory Tunnel flat Tunnel uphill Female 3.72 ± 0.38 6.29 ± 0.33 4.93 ± 0.54 Male 4.64 ± 0.42 7.05 ± 0.45 5.88 ± 0.52 All 4.35 ± 0.59 6.81 ± 0.55 5.58 ± 0.68 INTRODUCTION: Conducting tests during competition can be extremely hard related to technological difficulties (Gastaldi et al. 2012). To evaluate if laboratory trials can be used as an alte...

Background: Trunk impairment seems to impact significantly on performance in wheelchair court sports, but evidence to support this impression has never been systematically assessed. The objective of this study is to systematically review, describe and synthesise the literature investigating the impact of trunk impairment on wheelchair activities i...

This study aims to characterize the individual performance profile of basketball players with intellectual impairment (II) and to distinguish winning and losing teams. For this, in the line of the scientific literature in conventional basketball, the official game related statistics of the World Basketball Championship for players with II (Ankara,...

A representative sample (N = 302) of the wheelchair rugby population responded to a survey about the classification system based on prioritized items by International Wheelchair Rugby Federation members. Respondents stated, "The classification system is accurate but needs adjustments" (56%), "Any athlete with tetraequivalent impairment should be al...

The effect of intellectual impairment on sports performance has received limited attention by researchers. As a contribution to closing this gap, the purpose of the present investigation was to examine the differences in tactical proficiency between table tennis players with and without intellectual disabilities (ID). These groups were matched for...

Objectives to determine the concurrent validity of a physical activity diary for measuring physical activity level and total energy expenditure in hospitalized stroke patients. Method Sixteen stroke patients kept coded activity diaries and wore SenseWear Pro2 multi-sensor activity monitors during daytime hours for one day. A researcher observed th...

Ordinal-scale strength assessment methods currently used in Paralympic athletics classification prevent the development of evidence-based classification systems. This study evaluated a battery of 7, ratio-scale, isometric tests with the aim of facilitating the development of evidence-based methods of classification. This study aimed to report sex-s...

Technical skill proficiency among elite table tennis players with intellectual disabilities (ID) was investigated in this study using two approaches: an off-court simulation testing protocol and an on-court, standardized observational framework during game play. Participants included 24 players with ID (M age = 25 yr., SD = 6; M IQ = 61, SD = 9), t...

Purpose: Determine validity and reliability of SenseWear Pro2 Armband (SWP2A) and Yamax Digi-Walker SW-200 Pedometer (YDWP) in stroke and healthy adults. Methods: Fifteen stroke patients and 15 healthy participants wore SWP2A on upper arm and YDWP at hip/knee. Different activities were performed: treadmill walking, walking up/down a step, cyclin...

Study design: Observational, cross-sectional. Objectives: A new classification system for trunk impairment in wheelchair rugby was introduced in 2010. It consists of 10 tests, arranged in an algorithm, to assign four different trunk scores (0, 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5) to athletes. The purpose of this study was to assess the inter-rater reliability of th...

Between May 1 and 4 of this year, scientists, athletes, coaches and sport administrators came together in Bonn, Germany for the VISTA2013 Conference. VISTA is held every 2 years in an attempt to have substantial conversations about a topic chosen by the organisers, the Sports Science Committee of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Previo...

Objective: To study possible changes in wheelchair skills in participants with spinal cord injury between discharge and 1 year after rehabilitation, and to determine whether changes in wheelchair skills performance are related to lesion and personal characteristics, self-efficacy, and wheelchair satisfaction. Study design: Prospective cohort study....

Objective To assess the feasibility and validity of both the Test of Wheeled Mobility (TOWM) and a wheelie test. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting KU Leuven gymnasium. Subjects Thirty male manual wheelchair users (age range 23–53 years) with spinal cord injury. Interventions Participants preformed both tests after completing a personal info...

Objective: To assess the reliability of the Test of Wheeled Mobility (TOWM) and the Wheelie test. Design: Cohort study. Setting: Gymnasium. Participants: Manual wheelchair users (N=30, age 23-53y) with a spinal cord injury. Intervention: Participants performed the 30 skills of the TOWM and the 8 skills of the Wheelie test twice. Ability, t...

A relatively small body of research addresses the effect of intellectual impairment on proficiency in sport. The aim in the present study was to determine whether the technical proficiency of table tennis players (TTP) with and without intellectual disability (ID), matched for years of training experience, are different. The sample consisted of 71...

Purpose: To study the reliability and validity of the perceived self-efficacy in wheeled mobility scale among elite athletes with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Method: During the Beijing Paralympics, 79 participants with SCI completed the SCI Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (ESES), the revised Self-Efficacy in Wheeled Mobility scale (SEWM) and the pe...

This study aimed to quantify physical activity one year post-stroke--by means of a multifaceted approach combining absolute, relative, and self-reported measures of physical activity (PA)--and to investigate their mutual associations. The determinants of PA were explored. Daily PA was measured in 16 mildly disabled stroke patients (median RMA-GF sc...

To better delineate intervention programs, knowledge of the factors that are associated with physical fitness in stroke survivors is crucial. This study aimed to predict cardiorespiratory fitness based on standardized measures along the several dimensions of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model at sever...

PURPOSE: To better delineate intervention programs, knowledge of the factors that are associated with physical fitness in stroke survivors is crucial. This study aimed to predict cardiorespiratory fitness based on standardized measures along the several dimensions of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model...

To create a hierarchical list of the most essential wheeled mobility (WM) skills for everyday life of wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury (SCI), and to compare perceptions of WM gained during and after clinical rehabilitation. Cross-sectional study using survey questionnaires. The Beijing Paralympic games, at the international zone of the Ol...

To examine changes in cardiorespiratory fitness over the first year poststroke and explore the effect of prestroke patients' characteristics and stroke-related factors on this evolution. Descriptive, longitudinal study with repeated measures of exercise capacity at 3, 6, and 12 months poststroke. Rehabilitation center and exercise testing laborator...

International Paralympic Committee Athletics classification aims to place athletes who throw from a seated position into classes according to how much their neuromusculoskeletal impairments affect that activity, so that impairment severity does not influence competition outcome. Current classification methods are not evidence based and their develo...

OBJECTIVES: To examine changes in cardiorespiratory fitness over the first year poststroke and explore the effect of prestroke patients' characteristics and stroke-related factors on this evolution. DESIGN: Descriptive, longitudinal study with repeated measures of exercise capacity at 3, 6, and 12 months poststroke. SETTING: Rehabilitation center a...

The majority of investigations in hand cycling thus far were carried out in little realistic conditions, particularly with regard to ergonomics and mechanical characteristics such as steering and stabilization mechanisms. In addition, integrated investigations studying both the physiological and biomechanical responses during realistic maximal and...

PURPOSE: This study aimed to quantify physical activity one year post-stroke--by means of a multifaceted approach combining absolute, relative, and self-reported measures of physical activity (PA)--and to investigate their mutual associations. The determinants of PA were explored. METHOD: Daily PA was measured in 16 mildly disabled stroke patients...

In most Paralympic wheelchair sports, active trunk range of movement is assessed by observing shoulder girdle excursion during active trunk movements and is a key determinant of an athlete's class. However, to date research evaluating the impact of reduced trunk range of movement on wheelchair sports performance has not been conducted. In the prese...

The purpose of this study was to compare the peak and submaximal metabolic and cardiorespiratory responses during steady-state arm-powered (AP) and arm-trunk-powered (ATP) handbike ergometry. Twelve male able-bodied participants with no prior experience in handcycling completed a maximal progressive incremental test and a series of 6-minute submaxi...

To study the psychometric qualities of a perceived self-efficacy in wheeled mobility scale. Questionnaires. Forty-seven wheelchair basketball players with spinal cord injury (elite n=25, recreational n=22, from 6 different countries). Based on the literature, and expert's and wheelchair user's comments, a new Self-Efficacy in Wheeled Mobility Scale...

The T54 wheelchair racing class comprises athletes with normal arm muscle strength and trunk strength ranging from partial to normal. Paralympic sports classes should comprise athletes who have impairments that cause a comparable degree of activity limitation. On the basis of this criterion, the purpose of this study was to determine whether the T5...

The aim of this study is to investigate athletic identity, self-esteem and physical self-perceptions in Flemish athletes with a disability, to investigate the mutual relationships between those variables, and to evaluate their stability over time. Flemish athletes (Paralympic level, n = 23; Non-Paralympic Elite level, n = 37) filled out questionnai...

This brand new Handbook addresses Paralympic sports and athletes, providing practical information on the medical issues, biological factors in the performance of the sports and physical conditioning. The book begins with a comprehensive introduction of the Paralympic athlete, followed by discipline-specific reviews from leading authorities in disab...

Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is unique to individuals with spinal injuries (SCI) at T6 or above and can be voluntarily induced. Although AD improves wheelchair racing performance in some athletes, it also elicits exaggerated blood pressure, which could be dangerous. The International Paralympic Committee considers AD doping and banned its use. The pu...

Objective: To review, analyse, evaluate and critically appraise available wheelchair skill tests in the international literature and to determine the need for a standardized measurement tool of manual wheeled mobility in those with spinal cord injury. Data sources: A systematic review of literature (databases PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Lib...

In this study the ability of elite table tennis players with intellectual disability (ID) to adapt their service/return to specific ball spin characteristics was investigated. This was done by examining the performance of 39 players with ID and a reference group of 8 players without ID on a standardized table tennis specific test battery. The batte...

Introduction: Current methods for classifying impairments in disability sports are based largely on experience and expert opinion, and are therefore of questionable validity. The International Paralympic Committee's Sports Science Committee aims to develop a new evidence based classification system based on the relative strength of association betw...

Wheelchair Sport provides coaches, teachers, and athletes with the information they need to compete and succeed in wheelchair sports. Written by top coaches, athletes, sport scientists, and specialists in sports medicine and physical therapy who work with Paralympic athletes, this resource offers an explanation of the physiological differences betw...

The Classification Code of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), inter alia, mandates the development of evidence-based systems of classification. This paper provides a scientific background for classification in Paralympic sport, defines evidence-based classification and provides guidelines for how evidence-based classification may be achi...

Functional loss of respiratory muscles in persons with spinal cord injury leads to impaired pulmonary function and respiratory complications. In addition, respiratory complications are responsible for 50-67% of the morbidity in this population. To investigate the effects of normocapnic hyperpnoea training in acute spinal cord injury. Fourteen patie...

This investigation studied the consistency of the within-cycle torque pattern in hand cycling (1) in subsequent cycles, (2) between different individuals, (3) between different power output levels, and (4) with respect to fatigue. Ten nondisabled male participants performed a progressive peak arm crank ergometry test; a number of 5-minute submaxima...

Swimming competition for persons with a loco-motor disability is organised according to a functional classification system. However, until the Atlanta Paralympic Games, these swimmers had never been the subject of a more extensive race analysis. Information from this analysis, which could be of interest to coaches of able bodied as well as disabled...

The purpose of this study was to compare peak functional aerobic power (VO2 peak) across four different types of exercise: arm crank ergometry (ACE), functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling, and two hybrid exercise conditions: FES cycling combined with ACE and FES rowing using a newly developed rowing device (ROWSTIM). Five participants (C7...

V průběhu několika posledních let vzrostly možnosti jedinců s tělesným postiženým zapojit se do fyzických činností. Z tohoto důvodu je uznáván význam zvládnutí sportovních dovedností ještě před samotnou účastí v soutěžích. O stále oblíbenějším sledge hokeji bylo dosud provedeno málo výzkumů. Hlavní složkou výkonu je analýza dovedností. Vzhledem k j...

The aim of this study was to investigate the physical fitness profile of high-performance athletes with intellectual disability (ID) in comparison with able-bodied individuals. Participants were 231 male and 82 female athletes. All evaluations were done using the EUROFIT physical fitness test. In comparison with population data, both male and femal...

The purpose of this paper was to review the effectiveness of respiratory muscle training (RMT) on respiratory muscle strength and endurance, pulmonary function, quality of life, respiratory complications and exercise performance in persons with spinal cord injury. A MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA) database was used for sel...

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of ergonomic and environmental variations on indoor shuttle run (SR) performance in wheelchair sportsmen. Eleven experienced male wheelchair sportsmen performed three 25-m SRs in random order with varying turning capacity (TC) and mechanical resistance (MR): condition NN where participants used...

Background: To assess the outcome of systematic physical activity in water for stroke survivors on endurance, gait speed, mobility in water, spasticity, anxiety and quality of life. Methods: 11 stroke survivors (greater than 12 months poststroke) followed a program of water activities 3 to 4 times a week during a 5-week period. The activities were...

The purposes of this study were to compare the anaerobic performance of 19 active and 12 sedentary individuals with quadriplegia on the Wingate arm ergometric test and to investigate the relationship between participants’ demographic information (lesion level, time since injury, age, body mass) and their anaerobic performance variables. The followi...

The purpose of this study was to determine gross mechanical efficiency (ME) at different power output (PO) levels of synchronous hand cycling and to evaluate the influence of increasing PO by changing crank rate or resistance in wheelchair users with experience in hand cycling. Nine male participants with spinal cord injury randomly performed three...

The functional classification system for wheelchair basketball is based on an analysis of the players' functional resources through field-testing and game observation. Under this system, players are assigned a score of 1 to 4.5. The aim of this study was to determine if the wheelchair basketball player classification system reflects the existing di...

Isocapnic hyperpnoea has been shown to reliably produce fatigue of the diaphragm. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether incremental isocapnic hyperpnoea (IH(incr)) impairs the arm exercise performance and alters the breathing pattern during subsequent maximal incremental arm cranking. Nine healthy volunteers performed an arm crank...