Líneas de investigación

• First and second episodes of schizophrenia

  Multicenter, naturalistic, prospective, longitudinal research designed to evaluate clinical, neuropsychological, neuroimaging, biochemical, environmental and pharmacogenetic variables in a sample of first episode of psychosis patients (FEPs) and healthy controls. The PEPs project is conducted in Spain since January 2009. This research line is now testing the validity of predictive models of a second episode of schizophrenia. 

• Molecular biology and translational research in schizophrenia

  This line of research focuses on brain apoptosis mechanism in FEPs of schizophrenia and the role of antiapoptotic and glutamate inhibitors as a new therapeutic targets for negative symptoms and cognitive deficits. We also evaluate glutamate biomarkers in CSF in early psychotic episodes as a predictors of antipsychotic response as well as biomarkers of synaptic loss and neuronal damage in CSF and blood in FEPs. We are now studying the pharmacological modulation of apoptosis in primary culture and iPSCs derived neurons from patients, and in a postnatal ketamine animal model of schizophrenia. 

• Neuropsychopharmacology and neuromodulation techniques

  This line of research focuses on the efficacy and safety of available antipsychotic drugs, identification of pharmacogenetic variables involved in response and safety, and augmentation strategies in resistant forms. We participate in several multicenter clinical trials designed to test new molecules. It also includes projects to study the application of neuromodulation techniques in schizophrenia such electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and deep brain stimulation (DBS). 

• Neuropsychology, assessment and psychological interventions

  Cognitive remediation therapy positively affects cognition and daily functioning in patients with schizophrenia. However, studies on the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of this treatment are scarce. From this line we have defined three objectives for the next  years: a) to expand the study of cognition in elderly patients, b) to define cognitive phenotypes based on biomarkers, and c) to expand the indications for neurocognitive intervention techniques. 

• Pharmacogenetics and schizophrenia

  This line focuses on the implementation of pharmacogenetics in clinical practice that allows personalise the therapeutic regimen and establish criteria for the adjustment of clinical doses and/or selection of antipsychotic drugs based on the pharmacogenomic information. We have also started a national multicenter study with the aim of recruiting 1000 patients with a first psychotic episode to develop, validate and replicate algorithms that predict response to antipsychotic drugs. 

• Physical health and morbimortality

  Along with other national and international cohorts, we try to consolidate the concept of foetal programming as a physiopathological basis that explains part of the increase in morbidity and reduction of life expectancy in the severe mental disorder. To highlight the impact of morbimortality as of the early stages of psychotic disorders and the need to establish therapeutic decisions based on perinatal environmental risk.