Studying the effects of a physical exercise programme on people with schizophrenia or autism spectrum disorder has been the main objective of the VITACTIVA’T project, promoted by the Institut Pere Mata University Hospital (HUIPM) and the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud (IRB CatSud), in collaboration with Rovira i Virgili University (URV). The project results were presented this Thursday.
The findings were shared during an event held at Reus Deportiu, the venue where the VITACTIVA’T sports sessions took place. The event brought together more than twenty participants, family members and mental health professionals.
Regarding the study results, the research team explained that regular physical exercise can help improve several health indicators in this population. Some of the main findings include:
A significant improvement in cognitive performance, with positive progress in areas such as attention, memory, learning, reasoning and processing speed.
A significant improvement in physical fitness, particularly in aerobic capacity and muscle strength in both the upper and lower limbs.
An increase in the number of mitochondrial DNA copies, a biomarker linked to the cells’ ability to produce energy.
A significant improvement in psychosocial functioning, meaning a greater ability to manage everyday activities and social interactions.
The research team also found that participants consume a high proportion of ultra-processed foods. “This habit is associated with poorer metabolic health indicators and less favourable psychosocial factors, which reinforces the need to work on reducing its consumption in this population,” explains Bernat Ballvé, nutritionist and researcher in the project.
Overall, these results confirm the role of physical exercise, together with nutrition and other lifestyle factors, as a complementary tool with the potential to improve the physical and mental health of people with severe mental disorders. This has encouraged the team to continue this line of research through the launch of VITACTIVA’T 2.
A new phase focused on physical exercise
During the event, the team also presented the new edition of the project, VITACTIVA’T 2, which will begin a new exercise programme next October. This new phase will focus exclusively on physical activity and will be aimed at people with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders.
Alba Valiente, psychiatrist and researcher involved in the project, explained that “the physical exercise programme will now last six months and will include three sessions per week, increasing both the duration of the intervention and the frequency of the sessions to meet the recommendations of the World Health Organization.”
Regarding the expected outcomes, Lourdes Martorell, principal investigator of the project, said: “The researchers involved believe that this more intensive exercise programme will provide new evidence of its role as a complementary therapy to standard treatment for people with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders. The study will examine cognition, quality of life and several biomarkers. The project will also seek to identify specific genetic, clinical and metabolic factors that can help provide personalised recommendations.”
The event marked the end of the first edition of the project in a positive atmosphere of reunion and enthusiasm. The research team expressed their gratitude for the trust and commitment shown by all participants, as well as by their families and the professionals who helped make this initiative possible.
The team also expressed optimism about VITACTIVA’T 2 and highlighted their commitment to continuing to generate scientific evidence that supports physical exercise as a complementary strategy to improve the health, well-being and quality of life of people living with severe mental disorders.
Mamapop continues to strengthen its commitment to breast cancer research in Tarragona and this Tuesday donated a total of €30,150 to the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud (IRB CatSud). This amount comes from the profits generated by the concert held last November at the Palau Firal i de Congressos de Tarragona, plus €3,000 raised by Rotary Tarragona through the sale of the Cartes de Tarragona and the Tarratea activity.
Overall, Mamapop’s contribution to IRB CatSud throughout the three editions held in Tarragona has reached €84,725, an amount entirely dedicated to breast cancer research. Manel Simon, director and founder of Mamapop, thanked the public for their support and stated that “this new donation once again demonstrates the ability of music to become research and future opportunities”. He also highlighted that “this contribution strengthens the network of support that makes the project possible”.
Dr Joan Vendrell, director of IRB CatSud, expressed his gratitude for the commitment and efforts of the entire team behind Mamapop and stressed that research advances when society and institutions work together. In this regard, he explained that “the history of this charity project is a clear example of collective commitment to health, biomedical research and the Catalunya Sud territory, a commitment that has enabled us to launch a breast cancer research line that, unfortunately, addresses a disease with a high incidence in our society”.
The donation ceremony took place this Tuesday at Tarragona City Hall and was attended by the city’s mayor, Rubén Viñuales, who stated that “Tarragona is very proud to host and support a project that brings together so many people, organisations and companies around such an important cause. The public response once again shows that we are a supportive and committed city, capable of facing society’s major challenges together”.
He added: “Research is essential to make progress in prevention, treatments and the quality of life of patients. For this reason, Tarragona City Council will continue to support Mamapop, IRB CatSud and all initiatives that help make our region a benchmark in research, innovation and health.”
The event also served to present the theme of the next edition of the charity concert, which will premiere on 14 November 2026 at 8:00 p.m. at the Palau Firal i de Congressos de Tarragona. Mamapop will take another step forward with its eleventh show: Mamapop Disco Remember!, a spectacular journey through the greatest disco and dance hits that have marked several generations. The new production will feature a selection of iconic songs that will turn the theatre into a huge dance floor. Audiences will be able to relive hits by Boney M, Kool & The Gang, Earth, Wind & Fire, Chic, Madonna, The Jacksons, Wham!, Cyndi Lauper, George Michael, A-ha, Kylie Minogue, Lionel Richie & Diana Ross and Jennifer Rush, among many other artists who are part of our shared musical memory.
The new production will maintain the artistic and quality standards that have made Mamapop one of the leading charity initiatives, combining live music, stage design, audiovisual elements and a renewed production in support of a cause that continues to mobilise thousands of people. Tickets are already on sale through www.mamapop.cat and at FarmaTarraco Pharmacy.
Since its creation, Mamapop has contributed a total of €492,695 to research at IRB Lleida and IRB CatSud, becoming the leading source of private funding for breast cancer research in Catalonia. In this regard, Manel Simon reaffirmed his commitment to bringing the show to the Tarragona area and highlighted the importance of “continuing to support scientific research”.
Mamapop Tarragona is made possible thanks to the support of Fundación Repsol, Factor Energia, Tarragona City Council, the Palau Firal i de Congressos de Tarragona, the Diputació de Tarragona, the Port of Tarragona and Fundació La Caixa. It has also received support from several companies and organisations, including Club Rotary Tarragona, Club Bàsquet Tarragona and Nàstic de Tarragona.
An international study finds epigenetic signals — chemical modifications that regulate gene activity without altering DNA, often influenced by environmental factors such as pollution or stress — associated with bipolar disorder, a mental illness characterised by extreme mood changes, alternating depression and euphoria, which could help to develop more accurate clinical prediction tools.
The study, published in the scientific journal EBioMedicine under the title DNA methylation signatures associated with bipolar disorder in peripheral blood improve prediction models, represents the largest meta-analysis on epigenetics in bipolar disorder carried out so far at an international level. The participation of researchers linked to the Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata (HUIPM) and the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud (IRB CatSud, formerly IISPV) has been especially relevant, as they have provided their own sample of participants, one of the 12 that have contributed to the study. The research has also included the participation of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) and the team from the Consorci Sanitari del Maresme — both integrated into the national network Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM) — and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).
The research analysed a sample of 3,476 people in total — of whom 1,729 had the disorder and 1,747 were healthy — aged between 16 and 53 years, with 56% women, coming from 12 international samples from different countries. The objective was to identify epigenetic changes associated with bipolar disorder.
Among the most important results, the research team identified 47 regions with epigenetic modification associated with the diagnosis of bipolar disorder and, among these, several are genetic regions involved in processes related to neurotransmission, immune response and cell regulation. In addition, the study also shows that polymethylation scores, which are epigenetic indicators that integrate multiple chemical marks in DNA that can activate or deactivate genes, combined with current genetic models, can improve the predictive ability for bipolar disorder, especially in bipolar disorder type I.
“These results reinforce the idea that epigenetic factors, which are more influenced by environmental factors, can provide additional information to genetics (which is more stable) and contribute, in the future, to the development of useful biological indicators for diagnosis, as well as for clinical decision-making in mental health,” says Elisabet Vilella, one of the researchers involved in the study.
The study has also involved research centres and universities from Europe, North America and Australia, within a large international collaboration under the framework of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium Bipolar Disorder Working Group.
The publication represents a new recognition of research driven from the region in the field of psychiatry and mental health, and consolidates the position of the participating centres as references in translational research and biomedical innovation.
Bibliographic reference
Tesfaye, M., Stavrum, A. K., Höffler, K. D., O’Connell, K. S., David, F. S., Garrett, M. E., Hesam-Shariati, S., Overs, B. J., Pisanu, C., Spano, L., Watkeys, O. J., Weihs, A., Ardau, R., Ashley-Koch, A. E., Athanasiu, L., Beckham, J. C., Bourassa, K. J., Chillotti, C., Djurovic, S., Drange, O. K., … Le Hellard, S. (2026). DNA methylation signatures associated with bipolar disorder in peripheral blood improve prediction models. EBioMedicine, 128, 106284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2026.106284
Around sixty researchers from all over the country, from both basic and clinical research fields, have participated in the first national conference on genetics in psychiatry, held in Reus this Wednesday and organized by the Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata (HUIPM) and the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud (IRB CatSud), with the participation of the CIBERSAM network (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental). One of the main achievements of the meeting, held at the HUIPM facilities, has been the promotion of a shared proposal to create a stable network or working group in genetics in psychiatry, with a long-term vision and with the aim that it may evolve into a future scientific society.
During the conference, strategic lines were discussed, such as promoting collaborative work, sharing data and knowledge, or creating a repository of genetic data, as well as the need to strengthen the transfer of results to clinical practice and society.
The meeting has represented a turning point in the field of genetics in psychiatry, since until now researchers specialised in the genetics of psychiatric disorders in the country had never met in a specific forum. In recent years, the growth of research in this field and the emergence of results with potential clinical application have favoured the consolidation of a critical mass that has made it possible to promote this initiative.
“It is the first conference held by specialist researchers in genetics of psychiatric diseases, and the reason is that it is a relatively innovative field. Over the years, the researchers we met at conferences said we had to do something together and, at the end of last October, at an international psychiatric genetics conference in Mexico, we decided to do it and chose to hold the first conference in Reus,” said the research director of HUIPM and deputy director of IRB CatSud, Elisabet Vilella.
At the conference, the different participating teams also shared their lines of work and presented the latest advances in genetics in psychiatry, with the aim of generating synergies and exploring new ways of collaboration. “Our group presented work related to the development and characterisation of neuronal lines from patients with first psychotic episodes, where we look for biological signals to help find the best diagnosis so that there can be the most personalised treatment possible, for example in the development of schizophrenia,” explained the researcher from the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Valencia (INCLIVA), Ricardo Ruiz Miguel, one of the speakers at the conference.
The organisers also highlighted that initiatives like this help to accelerate the transfer of scientific knowledge into real applications and to promote collaboration between research groups, also incorporating work with patient associations as one of the key axes for the future.
With this first edition, the conference has laid the foundations to become a regular reference meeting at the national level, with the intention of continuing to strengthen scientific cooperation and to increase the impact of research in mental health for the benefit of society.
A study identifies a key mechanism in the way that the liver processes the acute and fat, which has direct implications in diseases such as diabetes, obesity and metabolic liver disease. Understanding the role of this mechanism, which exercises as a key “sensor” during the transition from aid to food, and doing it from a physiologic point of view, could open new therapeutic pathways to improve the control of glucose and body capacity to adapt to changes between aid and food. This is especially relevant in diseases such as those described above, since the horse loses precisely this capacity. The study promoted by the IRB CatSud, formerly IISPV) and led by researchers from the area of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM), has been published in the scientific journal Science Advances with the title SUCNR1 coordinates metabolic flux, mitochondrial function, and nutrient-dependent adaptation in hepatocytes. Researchers from various areas of the Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red) (CIBER) of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) and the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), have participated in the study.
The Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (DIAMET) research group at IRB CatSud is responsible for the study that provides relevant knowledge to advance in the prevention and treatment of high-impact metabolic disorders in public health in the long term. The research team has focused on succinate, which apart from serving to obtain energy, also acts as a signal in other cells through a receptor called SUCNR1. This receptor is especially abundant in a specific area of the hygro and increases during the development of this organ, which suggests an important role in liver function.
In addition, the research staff has discovered that both the levels of succino and the expression of the SUCNR1 receptor in the liver varied depending on whether the organism is in aid or fed. To better understand their role, the researchers involved studied mice that lack this receptor in the main cells of the hygda (the hepatocytes). In the absence of this receptor, the liver “is active in excess” and ends up producing more glucose than necessary in conditions of aid. This is accompanied by a lower capacity of the organism to adapt correctly to the changes that derive from the nutritional state, that is, in aid or after eating. At the cellular level, the lack of this receptor alters the way in which the water cells use glucose to produce energy, which causes the dependence of other nutrients and alters their functionality. Consequently, in response to the intake, an incomplete recovery of the energy reserves of the cells is observed.
Together, these results identify the SUCNR1 regulator as essential in the metabolic adaptation of the water, connecting energy signals with the capacity of cells to adjust to nutritional changes.
The study involved the participation of other research centres and universities, such as the Centro Singular de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas (CIMUS), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Barcelona (IRB Barcelona), the Universitat de Barcelona (UB), the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), the Institut de Recerca Sant Pau, the Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), the University of Bern and the Bern University Hospital. Also have participated reseachers of the CIBER de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN) and CIBER de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD).
Bibliographic reference
Marsal-Beltran, A., Salmerón-Pelado, L., Ribas-Latre, A., Repollés-de-Dalmau, M., Rodríguez-Peña, M. M., Núñez-Roa, C., Badia, J., Madeira, A., Novoa, E., Beltrà, M., Plata-Gómez, A. B., Capellades, J., Escolà-Gil, J. C., Zorzano, A., Yanes, Ó., Efeyan, A., Nogueiras, R., Gracia-Sancho, J., Vendrell, J., Ceperuelo-Mallafré, V., … Fernández-Veledo, S. (2026). SUCNR1 coordinates metabolic flux, mitochondrial function, and nutrient-dependent adaptation in hepatocytes. Science advances, 12(24), eaec8873. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aec8873
▪ This is the first event of this kind in Spain and it will be held on 17 June at the Pere Mata University Hospital
▪ The national mental health research network, CIBERSAM, is also involved in organising the event
Sharing knowledge, exchanging research lines and promoting new scientific collaborations are the main goals of the first national workshop on genetics in psychiatry. The event will take place at the Pere Mata University Hospital and will bring together research groups from across Spain specialised in the genetics of psychiatric disorders.
The meeting, which will be held on 17 June, will gather highly competitive research groups at an international level. Most of them are part of the CIBERSAM network (Biomedical Research Networking Center in Mental Health), funded by the Carlos III Health Institute, and of the international consortium Psychiatric Genomics Consortium.
The workshop has been designed with a dynamic and participatory format. It will combine short presentations from the different teams, where they will present their structure, objectives and research lines. In addition, there will be workshops aimed at identifying common priorities and opportunities for joint work. The latest advances in genetics in psychiatry achieved by national groups will also be presented.
One of the key elements of the workshop will be the collective development of future proposals, including the possible creation of a stable network or working group on genetics in psychiatry. It will also promote shared initiatives in areas such as translational research and knowledge transfer to clinical practice and society.
Genetics in psychiatry is a field that has experienced a real expansion of knowledge in recent years, driven by advances in genomic technologies and the analysis of large data sets. These developments have made it possible to identify genetic variants associated with disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or autism, improving the understanding of their biological basis and opening the door to more precise and personalised strategies for prevention and treatment.
With this first edition, the organisers aim to establish the basis for a regular reference meeting that will help strengthen collaboration between research groups and increase the impact of mental health research. Here, the programme.
New evidence highlights the importance of diet in adolescent brain health, a key life stage in which cognition is influenced not only by nutritional factors but also by lifestyle habits and psychological wellbeing. Two studies conducted by the Southern Catalonia Biomedical Research Institute – IRBCatSud (formerly IISPV), in collaboration with the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) —a centre supported by the “la Caixa” Foundation— and published in the journal Nutrients, explore how the Mediterranean diet and blood fatty acids are associated with different cognitive functions in adolescents from Catalonia. Nearly 630 young people took part in both studies.
The study The Association Between the Mediterranean Diet and Fatty Acids in Red Blood Cells of Spanish Adolescents examines the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet -based on fruit, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, nuts and fish- and the types of fats found in adolescents’ blood, which are an objective indicator of dietary habits. The results show that following this diet helps the body absorb essential nutrients needed for balance and proper brain function. From a biological perspective, because the diet is rich in omega‑3 fatty acids, it contributes to neuronal balance and helps prevent oxidative damage. According to the NeuroÈpia research group at IRB CatSud, this type of diet may support a healthier fat composition from early stages of life.
Omega‑3 linked to better cognitive function
A second study, entitled Red Blood Cell Fatty Acid Patterns and Cognitive Functions in Adolescents, focuses on the relationship between blood fats and different cognitive abilities, such as reasoning, memory and decision‑making. The results show that adolescents with higher omega‑3 levels achieve better results in reasoning tasks and in some aspects of decision‑making. These abilities, which develop rapidly during adolescence, are essential for cognitive functioning and can be influenced by both biological factors and lifestyle. The findings support the idea that omega‑3 fatty acids -mainly found in oily fish, nuts and some vegetable oils- may play an important role in cognitive development during this stage of life.
Emotional wellbeing, lifestyle and cognitive function
Beyond nutrition, brain development during adolescence is also influenced by psychological wellbeing and lifestyle habits. A third IRB CatSud‑ISGlobal study published in Frontiers in Psychology –Exploring the interplay of neuropsychological functions, psychological wellbeing, and lifestyle through principal component analysis: a comprehensive study– reports that lower emotional wellbeing and alcohol or tobacco use are associated with more ADHD symptoms, while physical activity is positively linked to executive functions related to decision‑making and emotional regulation. This study included a sample of 523 adolescents from Catalonia.
According to the study author, Nicolas Ayala‑Aldana, and the principal investigator of the NeuroÈpia group, Jordi Julvez, these findings highlight the importance of promoting healthy dietary habits and lifestyles during adolescence in order to support cognitive development. Although these are observational studies, the results provide useful evidence for designing health promotion strategies that combine nutrition with other key lifestyle factors.
References
Ayala-Aldana N, Pinar-Martí A, Ruiz-Rivera M, Lázaro I, Sala-Vila A, Healy DR, Contreras-Rodriguez O, Casanova J, Sola-Valls N, Vrijheid M, Julvez J. Red Blood Cell Fatty Acid Patterns and Cognitive Functions in Adolescents: A Pooled Analyses with Two Cohort Study Data Sets. Nutrients. 2025 Nov 5;17(21):3483. doi: 10.3390/nu17213483. PMID: 41228554; PMCID: PMC12609364.
Ayala-Aldana N, Lafuente D, Lázaro I, Pinar-Martí A, Manidis A, Bernardo-Castro S, Fernandez-Barres S, Healy DR, Vrijheid M, Contreras-Rodríguez O, Sala-Vila A, Julvez J. The Association Between the Mediterranean Diet and Fatty Acids in Red Blood Cells of Spanish Adolescents. Nutrients. 2025 Sep 6;17(17):2888. doi: 10.3390/nu17172888. PMID: 40944276; PMCID: PMC12430225.
Ayala-Aldana, N., Ruiz-Rivera, M., Pinar-Martí, A., López-Vicente, M., Contreras-Rodríguez, O., & Julvez, J. (2025). Exploring the interplay of neuropsychological functions, psychological wellbeing, and lifestyle through principal component analysis: a comprehensive study. Frontiers in psychology, 16, 1692251. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1692251. PMID: 41488935; PMCID: PMC12756113.
A research study based on the analysis of genetic data from hundreds of thousands of people has identified previously hidden genetic links between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and several cardiometabolic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. These findings, published in the prestigious scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry, help explain why people with autism have a higher risk of developing physical health problems throughout their lives.
D’esquerra a dreta, Elisabet Vilella, Maria Guardiola-Ripoll i Gerard Muntané
The study was carried out by researchers from the Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata (HUIPM) and the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica Catalunya Sud (IRB CatSud, formerly IISPV), in collaboration with the University of Oslo, and with the participation of the Rovira i Virgili University (URV).
The results show that some of the same genetic factors that influence autism are also involved in metabolic disorders, such as weight gain and diabetes, and in the same direction. This suggests that there are shared biological mechanisms linking mental health and physical health. However, when cardiovascular health factors such as blood pressure are analysed, the relationship is more complex. In these cases, the same genetic factors may have opposite effects, suggesting that different and still poorly understood mechanisms are involved.
Researchers have also identified more than one hundred regions of the genome involved in these connections, opening up new ways to better understand how the brain and the body interact.
“More and more evidence shows that mental health and physical health cannot be understood separately, and this type of study brings us closer to more personalised medicine that takes into account all the factors influencing people’s health,” says Gerard Muntané, first author of the article.
Experts highlight that these results could help, in the future, to detect physical health risks in people with autism earlier and to design more effective prevention strategies.
Article reference
Muntané, G., Shadrin, A., Guardiola-Ripoll, M., O’Connell, K. S., Frei, O., Naerland, T., Vilella, E., & Andreassen, O. A. (2026). Genetic overlap and shared risk loci between autism spectrum disorder and cardiometabolic traits. Molecular Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-026-03563-x
The biomedical research carried out at Southern Catalonia Biomedical Research Institute – IRBCatSud (formerly IISPV) is reaching classrooms through a series of educational escape rooms that are already being offered in several schools in Reus and Tarragona. This initiative, which reflects the Institute’s commitment to Southern Catalonia, aims to bring the biomedical research developed by its researchers closer to young students through an innovative and interactive format.
The escape rooms have been designed as a teaching tool to explain the work carried out by IRB CatSud at the institutions where it is present — Hospital Universitari Joan XXIII in Tarragona, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Reus, Hospital Universitari de Tortosa Verge de la Cinta, Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata in Reus, and Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Through this activity, students also learn about the role of researchers and how health research has a direct impact on people’s lives. By taking part in the game, students become the protagonists of a mission that encourages teamwork, problem-solving and following clues related to how laboratories work and to current scientific challenges.
The proposal has been adapted to the school context and is offered to nearly fifteen educational centres in Reus and Tarragona as a scientific outreach activity that promotes experiential learning. Initially, it was mainly aimed at students in the first year of the scientific baccalaureate, but it has also been opened to Year 10 students (4th year of compulsory secondary education) at the request of the participating schools. This format makes it possible to explain scientific concepts, which are often complex, in an accessible way, while sparking interest in science and fostering critical thinking, cooperation and curiosity.
The activity is supported by the Agency for the Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) through a funding programme to promote scientific outreach in Catalan.
