Research Group on Psychiatry and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Metabolism and Organic Damage Area
Our group aims to better understand the alterations that occur in brains of patients to find new avenues for diagnosis and treatment. To this end, we develop research projects aimed at understanding how the nervous system changes in severe mental illnesses and the influence that genetic load and the environment, particularly adverse experiences in childhood/adolescence, have on the development of these psychiatric disorders. To achieve this, we have a large group of researchers and experimental approaches that cover genetics, cell biology, neuroimaging and neuropsychological evaluation.
Main lines:
– Study of the influence of adverse experiences during the first stages of life on the development of severe mental disorders.
– Study of structural and functional alterations in the brain of patients with chronic schizophrenia, in first episodes of psychosis and in depression.
– Identification of Gene-Environment interactions in first episodes of psychosis.
– Development of new techniques for the diagnosis of psychosis using MRI, gene expression and machine learning.
– Development of animal models of severe mental disorders and pharmacological response to these diseases. Role of inhibitory neural networks.
– Response prediction models in first psychotic episodes
– Identification of genetic risk factors and biomarkers of response to medication in schizophrenia.
– Analysis of risk factors for suicide in people with severe mental disorders.
– Identification of modifying genes, new targets, and molecules with therapeutic potential in Friedreich’s ataxia.
Coordinator
RESEARCHERS
Established, R3
Eduardo Jesús Aguilar García-IturrospeMª Dolores Moltó Ruiz
First Stage, R1
Gabriel Daniel Flores GómezJavier David LluesmaJulia Alcaide PozoMarc Beltrán MartínezPatrycja KlimczakYaiza Gramuntell Roch
STAFF
Collaborating Researchers
Alba Postiguillo Giraldos
Nurse
Technicians
Cristina Uzunova
Administrative assistant
Virginia Gómez Soriano
Publications
Early chronic fasudil treatment rescues hippocampal alterations in the Ts65Dn model for down syndrome. Lopez-Hidalgo R, Ballestin R, Lorenzo L, Sanchez-Marti S, Blasco-Ibanez J, Crespo C, Nacher J, Varea E. Neurochemistry International. 2024 Feb 2:174:105679. doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2024.105679. PMID: 38309665
Processing speed mediates the relationship between DDR1 and psychosocial functioning in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder presenting psychotic symptoms. Aranda S, Jimenez E, Canales-Rodriguez E, Verdolini N, Alonso S, Sepulveda E, Julia A, Marsal S, Bobes J, Saiz P, Garcia-Portilla P, Menchon J, Crespo J, Gonzalez-Pinto A, Perez V, Arango C, Sierra P, Sanjuan J, Pomarol-Clotet E, Vieta E, Vilella E. Molecular Psychiatry. 2024 Feb 19. doi: 10.1038/s41380-024-02480-1. PMID: 38374360
The influence of gender in cognitive insight and cognitive bias in people with first-episode psychosis: an uncontrolled exploratory analysis. Espinosa V, Naides N, López-Carrilero R, Vila-Badia R, Colomer-Salvans A, Barajas A, Barrigón M, Birulés I, Butjosa A, Díaz-Cutraro L, Del Cacho N, Frigola-Capell E, González-Higueras F, Grasa E, Gutiérrez-Zotes A, Lorente-Rovira E, Moreno-Kustner B, Pélaez T, Pousa E, Ruiz-Delgado I, Serra-Arumí C, Verdaguer-Rodríguez M, Grp Profep Spanish Metacognition Grp, Usall J, Ochoa S. Archives of Womens Mental Health. 2024 Feb 14. doi: 10.1007/s00737-024-01425-5. PMID: 38353751
The role of microRNAs in understanding sex-based differences in Alzheimer’s disease. Llera-Oyola J, Carceller H, Andreu Z, Hidalgo M, Soler-Sáez I, Gordillo F, Gómez-Cabañes B, Roson B, de la Iglesia-vayá M, Mancuso R, Guerini F, Mizokami A, García-García F. Biology of Sex Differences. 2024 Jan 31;15(1):13. doi: 10.1186/s13293-024-00588-1. PMID: 38297404
Cannabis use as a potential mediator between childhood adversity and first-episode psychosis: results from the EU-GEI case-control study. Trotta G, Rodriguez V, Quattrone D, Spinazzola E, Tripoli G, Gayer-Anderson C, Freeman T, Jongsma H, Sideli L, Aas M, Stilo S, La Cascia C, Ferraro L, La Barbera D, Lasalvia A, Tosato S, Tarricone I, D’Andrea G, Tortelli A, Schürhoff F, Szöke A, Pignon B, Selten J, Velthorst E, de Haan L, Llorca P, Menezes P, Del Ben C, Santos J, Arrojo M, Bobes J, Sanjuán J, Bernardo M, Arango C, Kirkbride J, Jones P, Richards A, Rutten B, Van Os J, Austin-Zimmerman I, Li Z, Morgan C, Sham P, Vassos E, Wong C, Bentall R, Fisher H, Murray R, Alameda L, Di Forti M. Psychological Medicine. 2023 Nov;53(15):7375-7384. doi: 10.1017/S0033291723000995. PMID: 38078747
Child maltreatment, migration and risk of first-episode psychosis: results from the multinational EU-GEI study. D’Andrea G, Lal J, Tosato S, Gayer-Anderson C, Jongsma H, Stilo S, van der Ven E, Quattrone D, Velthorst E, Berardi D, Menezes P, Arango C, Parellada M, Lasalvia A, La Cascia C, Ferraro L, La Barbera D, Sideli L, Bobes J, Bernardo M, Sanjuan J, Santos J, Arrojo M, Del-Ben C, Tripoli G, Llorca P, de Haan L, Selten J, Tortelli A, Szoke A, Muratori R, Rutten B, van Os J, Jones P, Kirkbride J, Murray R, di Forti M, Tarricone I, Morgan C. Psychological Medicine. 2023 Oct;53(13):6150-6160. doi: 10.1017/S003329172200335X. PMID: 36305570
Clustering schizophrenia genes by their temporal expression patterns aids functional interpretation. van der Meer D, Cheng W, Rokicki J, Fernandez-Cabello S, Shadrin A, Smeland O, Ehrhart F, Gülöksüz S, Pries L, Lin B, Rutten B, van Os J, O’Donovan M, Richards A, Steen N, Djurovic S, Westlye L, Andreassen O, Kaufmann T. Schizophrenia Bulletin. 2023 Oct 12:sbad140. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbad140. PMID: 37824720
Cognition and social functioning in first episode psychosis: a systematic review of longitudinal studies. Montaner-Ferrer M, Gadea M, Sanjuan J. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2023 Mar 6;14:1055012. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1055012. PMID: 36950257
A replication study of JTC bias, genetic liability for psychosis and delusional ideation. Henquet C, van Os J, Pries L, Rauschenberg C, Delespaul P, Kenis G, Luykx J, Lin B, Richards A, Akdede B, Binbay T, Altinyazar V, Yalincetin B, Gumus-Akay G, Cihan B, Soygur H, Ulas H, Cankurtaran E, Kaymak S, Mihaljevic M, Petrovic S, Mirjanic T, Bernardo M, Mezquida G, Amoretti S, Bobes J, Saiz P, Garcia-Portilla M, Sanjuan Arias J, Aguilar Garcia Iturrospe E, Santos J, Jimenez-Lopez E, Arrojo M, Carracedo A, Lopez G, Gonzalez-Penas J, Parellada M, Maric N, Atbasoglu C, Ucok A, Alptekin K, Saka M, Arango C, O’Donovan M, Rutten B, Guloksuz S. Psychological Medicine. 2022 Jul;52(9):1777-1783. doi: 10.1017/S0033291720003578. PMID: 33046166
Alterations in the volume of thalamic nuclei in patients with schizophrenia and persistent auditory hallucinations. Perez-Rando M, Elvira U, Garcia-Marti G, Gadea M, Aguilar E, Escarti M, Ahullo-Fuster M, Grasa E, Corripio I, Sanjuan J, Nacher J. NeuroImage Clinical. 2022 Jun 1;35:103070. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103070. PMID: 35667173
Altered expression of vesicular glutamate transporter-2 and cleaved caspase-3 in the locus coeruleus of nerve-injured rats. Bravo L, Mariscal P, Llorca-Torralba M, Lopez-Cepero J, Nacher J, Berrocoso E. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. 2022 Jul 27;15:918321. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.918321. PMID: 35966012
Author Correction: Persons with first episode psychosis have distinct profiles of social cognition and metacognition. Ferrer-Quintero M, Fernandez D, Lopez-Carrilero R, Birules I, Barajas A, Lorente-Rovira E, Diaz-Cutraro L, Verdaguer M, Garcia-Mieres H, Sevilla-Llewellyn-Jones J, Gutierrez-Zotes A, Grasa E, Pousa E, Huerta-Ramos E, Pelaez T, Barrigon M, Gonzalez-Higueras F, Ruiz-Delgado I, Cid J, Moritz S, Ochoa S, Spanish Metacognition Grp. NPJ schizophrenia. 2022 Feb 24;8(1):3. doi: 10.1038/s41537-021-00199-4. PMID: 35210466
A multicentre, randomised, controlled trial of a combined clinical treatment for first-episode psychosis. Gonzalez-Ortega I, Vega P, Echeburua E, Alberich S, Fernandez-Sevillano J, Barbeito S, Balanza-Martinez V, Vieta E, Lorente-Rovira E, Luengo A, Cerrillo E, Crespo J, Matute C, Gonzalez-Pinto A. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021 Jul 6;18(14):7239. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18147239. PMID: 34299697
Brain erythropoietin fine-tunes a counterbalance between neurodifferentiation and microglia in the adult hippocampus. Fernandez Garcia-Agudo L, Steixner-Kumar AA, Curto Y, Barnkothe N, Hassouna I, Jahne S, Butt UJ, Grewe K, Weber MS, Green K, Rizzoli S, Nacher J, Nave KA, Ehrenreich H. Cell Reports. 2021 Aug 24;36(8):109548. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109548. PMID: 34433021
Cognitive functioning throughout adulthood and illness stages in individuals with psychotic disorders and their unaffected siblings. Velthorst E, Mollon J, Murray R, de Haan L, Germeys I, Glahn D, Arango C, van der Ven E, Di Forti M, Bernardo M, Guloksuz S, Delespaul P, Mezquida G, Amoretti S, Bobes J, Saiz P, Garcia-Portilla M, Santos J, Jimenez-Lopez E, Sanjuan J, Aguilar E, Arrojo M, Carracedo A, Lopez G, Gonzalez-Penas J, Parellada M, Atbasoglu C, Saka M, Ucok A, Alptekin K, Akdede B, Binbay T, Altinyazar V, Ulas H, Yalincetin B, Gumus-AkaY G, Beyaz B, Soygur H, Cankurtaran E, Kaymak S, Maric N, Mihaljevic M, Petrovic S, Mirjanic T, Del-Ben C, Ferraro L, Gayer-Anderson C, Jones P, Jongsma H, Kirkbride J, La Cascia C, Lasalvia A, Tosato S, Llorca P, Menezes P, Morgan C, Quattrone D, Menchetti M, Selten J, Szoke A, Tarricone I, Tortelli A, McGuire P, Valmaggia L, Kempton M, van der Gaag M, Riecher-Rossler A, Bressan R, Barrantes-Vidal N, Nelson B, McGorry P, Pantelis C, Krebs M, Ruhrmann S, Sachs G, Rutten B, van Os J, Alizadeh B, van Amelsvoort T, Bartels-Velthuis A, Bruggeman R, van Beveren N, Luykx J, Cahn W, Simons C, Kahn R, Schirmbeck F, van Winkel R, Reichenberg A, EU-GEI High Risk Study. Molecular Psychiatry. 2021 Aug;26(8):4529-4543. doi: 10.1038/s41380-020-00969-z. PMID: 33414498
COVID-19 lockdown influence in the psychiatric emergencies: Drastic reduction and increase in severe mental disorders. Carrasco JP, Herraiz B, Sanchez LO, Luengo A, Fusalba OR, Aguilar EJ. Revista de Psiquiatria y Salud Mental. 2021;14(2):117-118. doi: 10.1016/j.rpsm.2020.11.003. PMID: 33248289
Projects
Title: Reposicionamiento de fármacos como tratamiento para la enfermedad de Huntington y la ataxia espinocerebelosa de tipo 3. Estudios en cultivos primarios de pacientes y en modelos animales transgénicos.
Funding body: Instituto de Salud Carlos III – Cofinanciado FEDER
Principal Investigator: Federico V. Pallardó Calatayud, Juan Antonio Navarro Langa
Duration: 2023 – 2025
Total budget: 147.620,00 €
Title: Desarrollo y caracterización de nuevos modelos preclínicos celulares de medicina personalizada en psicosis
Funding body: Instituto de Salud Carlos III – Cofinanciado FEDER
Principal Investigator: Olga María Rivero Martín, Mª José Escartí Fabra
Duration: 2023 – 2025
Total budget: 117.370,00 €
Title: Programa de formación y ocupabilidad de especialista en análisis de imagen de sistema nervioso
Funding body: Conselleria de Innovación, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital
Principal Investigator: Juan Nácher Roselló
Duration: 2022 – 2024
Total budget: 66.218 €
Title: Programa de formación y ocupabilidad de psicologo/a en evaluaciones clínicas y uso seguimiento del aplicativo remindcare en proyectos de investigación
Funding body: Conselleria de Innovación, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital
Principal Investigator: Julio Sanjuán Arias
Duration: 2022 – 2024
Total budget: 66.218 €
Title: Intracellular iron deposits in a Drosophila Model of Friedreich´s Ataxia
Funding body: Center of Excellence ALBA synchrotron
Principal Investigator: Juan Navarro Langa
Duration: 2022 – 2022
Total budget: 51.471 €
Title: Estudio longitudinal de una cohorte representativa: superando la heterogeneidad clínica y biológica en primeros episodios psicóticos
Funding body: Instituto de Salud Carlos III – Cofinanciado FEDER
Principal Investigator: Julio Sanjuán Arias
Duration: 2021 – 2025
Total budget: 68.970 €
Title: Estudio longitudinal de una cohorte representativa: superando la heterogeneidad clínica y biológica en primeros episodios psicóticos
Funding body: Conselleria de Innovación, Universidades, Ciencia y Sociedad Digital
Principal Investigator: Julio Sanjuán Arias
Duration: 2020 – 2023
Total budget: 174.588 €
Title: La matriz extracelular cerebral en la depresión: de modelos animales a pacientes
Funding body: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
Principal Investigator: Juan Salvador Nácher Roselló
Duration: 2019 – 2021
Total budget: 217.800 €
Title: Resonancia magnética funcional y expresión génica como predictores en primeros episodios psicóticos
Funding body: Instituto de Salud Carlos III – Cofinanciado FEDER
Principal Investigator: Julio Sanjuán Arias
Duration: 2018 – 2020
Total budget: 110.231 €
Title: Identification of genetic factors involved on FXN transcriptional silencing mediated by the GAA repeat expasion
Funding body: Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA)
Principal Investigator: Mª Dolores Moltó Ruiz
Duration: 2016 – 2019
Total budget: 154.576 €
Title: Investigación de marcadores biológicos y nuevas estrategias terapéuticas en la Psicosis
Funding body: Conselleria de Educación, Cultura y Deporte
Principal Investigator: Julio Sanjuán Arias
Duration: 2016 – 2019
Total budget: 179.940 €
Title: Plasticity of perisomatic inhibition on pyramidal neurons of the prefrontal cortex: impact of peripubertal stress and implication in psychiatric disorder
Funding body: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad
Principal Investigator: Juan Salvador Nácher Roselló
Duration: 2016 – 2019
Total budget: 193.600 €
Title: CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM)
Funding body: Instituto de Salud Carlos III – Cofinanciado FEDER
Principal Investigator: Juan Salvador Nácher Roselló
Duration: 2008 –
Total budget:
+ Info
Starting year: 2019
Researchers: Artero Allepuz, Rubén; Llamusí Troisi, Beatriz
Web: https://arthexbiotech.com/
Doctoral candidate: González Vivas, Carlos
Director(s): Sanjuán Arias, Julio
Date of the defense: 03/07/2023
University: University de Valencia
Title: La formación del residente de psiquiatría: intervenciones educativas para un mejor dominio y manejo clínico en psicofarmacología y salud mental
Doctoral candidate: Martínez Uribe, Daniel Fernando
Director(s): Aguilar García Iturrospe, Eduardo Jesús; González Piqueras, José Carlos
Date of the defense: 25/05/2023
University: University de Valencia
Title: La enseñanza de la psicopatología descriptiva: estrategias educativas para la mejora de la formación de residentes de psiquiatría
Doctoral candidate: Etxeandia Pradera, Jon Iñaki
Director(s): Aguilar Garcia Iturrospe, Eduardo Jesus
Date of the defense: 04/05/2023
University: Universitat de València
Title: REMINDCARE: una aplicación para primeros episodios psicóticos integrada en la práctica clínica diaria
Doctoral candidate: Bonet Mora, Lucía
Director(s): Sanjuán Arias, Julio
Date of the defense: 16/07/2021
University: Universitat de València
Title: Tears as powerful visual communication signals: a sociobiological approach
Doctoral candidate: Picó Peris, Alfonso Ignacio
Director(s): Gadea Domènech, Maria Engracia
Date of the defense: 13/07/2021
University: Universitat de València
Title: Hospitalización Domiciliaria en Salud Mental: eficacia y viabilidad
Doctoral candidate: Ferrando Aparicio, Elvira
Director(s): Aguilar García Iturrospe, Eduardo Jesús; Silvestre Pascual, Francisca
Date of the defense: 07/07/2021
University: Universitat de València
Title: Eficacia de un programa de rehabilitación de las funciones atencionales mediante tareas competitivas multijugador. Estudio clínico, neurofisiológico y neuroanatómico en pacientes con ictus
Doctoral candidate: Navarro Pérez, Mª Dolores
Director(s): Lloréns Rodríguez, Roberto; Gadea Domènech, Maria Engracia; Noe Sebastián, Enrique
Date of the defense: 25/05/2021
University: Universitat de València
Title: Continuous Neuronal Integration in the Cerebral Cortex of Rodents and Humans
Doctoral candidate: Coviello, Simona
Director(s): Nácher Roselló, Juan Salvador; Castillo Gómez, Esther
Date of the defense: 30/03/2021
University: Universitat de València
Title: Papel de núcleo incertus en el reconocimiento social a través de sus conexiones en el cerebro de rata
Doctoral candidate: García Díaz, Cristina
Director(s): Olucha Bordonau, Francisco
Date of the defense: 29/03/2021
University: University Jaume I de Castellón
Title: Estudio de la plasticidad estructural en enfermedades psiquiátricas con modelos animales
Doctoral candidate: Bueno Fernández, Clara
Director(s): Nácher Rosello, Juan Salvador; Castillo Gómez, Esther
Date of the defense: 09/03/2021
University: Universitat de València
Title: Induction of neuronal plasticity during adulthood. Role of cortical interneurons and plasticity-related molecules
Doctoral candidate: Carceller Cerdá, Héctor
Director(s): Guirado Guillén, Ramón; Nácher Roselló, Juan Salvador
Date of the defense: 28/02/2020
University: Universitat de València
Title: El impacto de la fibromialgia en el núcleo familiar en un departamento de la Comunidad Valenciana
Doctoral candidate: Vázquez Canales, Luz de Myotanh
Director(s): Aguilar García Iturrospe, Eduardo Jesús; Pereiró Berenguer, Inmaculada
Date of the defense: 10/01/2020
University: Universitat de València
Title: Resonancia magnética funcional con paradigma emocional en pacientes con un primer episodio psicótico
Doctoral candidate: Soldevila Matías, Pablo
Director(s): Sanjuan Arias, Julio; Espert Tortajada, Raúl; García Martí, Gracián
Date of the defense: 28/11/2019
University: Universitat de València
Title: Analysis of structural plasticity in the adult and adolescent mouse brain. Effects of erythropoietin
Doctoral candidate: Curto Sastre, Yasmina
Director(s): Nácher Roselló, Juan Salvador
Date of the defense: 08/07/2019
University: Universitat de València
Title: Study of the population of immature neurons in the adult piriform cortex layer ii
Doctoral candidate: Belles Esteller, María
Director(s): Nácher Roselló, Juan Salvador; Castillo Gómez, Esther
Date of the defense: 18/01/2019
University: Universitat de València