Projects

1) Project: “Brain neuroimaging markers associated with cognitive rehabilitation and physical exercise in schizophrenia” / Funding:

Health Research Projects. Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness / Reference: PI16/01022

This longitudinal study aims to analyse the efficacy of two types of interventions in people with schizophrenia: cognitive rehabilitation with the Rehacop Programme and a physical exercise intervention. This study will analyse changes at the clinical, cognitive, functional, physical and brain levels, both structural and functional, comparing the two experimental groups (cognitive rehabilitation and physical exercise) with an active control group that will receive the usual treatment. A second objective is to detect brain neuroimaging biomarkers that are associated with improvement after the two interventions.

In relation to this project, a study has been published that analyses the role of executive functions and theory of mind in the performance of creativity in people with schizophrenia (Sampedro, A., Peña, J., Ibarretxe-bilbao, N., Sánchez, P., Iriarte-yoller, N., Ledesma-González, S., Tous-Espelosin, M., Ojeda, N. (2019).
Mediating role of cognition and social cognition on creativity among patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls: Revisiting the Shared Vulnerability Model. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 1-7).

2) Project: «Tratamiento combinado de rehabilitación cognitiva en pacientes con enfermedad de parkinson y psicoeducación en sus familiares cuidadores: eficacia a corto y largo plazo». Funding: BBK social work

The aim of this project is to study the effectiveness of the Rehacop programme in improving the cognition and quality of life of people with Parkinson’s disease and their family carers. This is a randomised controlled trial in which a cognitive rehabilitation programme with the Rehacop programme is applied to patients with Parkinson’s disease and, in parallel, a psychoeducation programme for their family carers with 3 evaluation moments (baseline, post-treatment and longitudinal follow-up) to assess the efficacy of the intervention.

The cognitive, functional and mood performance of the participants at the beginning of the study and at the end of the intervention were also assessed.

3) Project: “Cambios cerebrales estructurales y funcionales asociados a la rehabilitación cognitiva en enfermedades neurodegenerativas (Parkinson)” / Funding: Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness / Reference:  PSI2012-32441

This project evaluates the effectiveness of a comprehensive cognitive rehabilitation programme (Rehacop) in improving cognition, clinical symptoms and functional disability in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Associated brain changes are assessed and a longitudinal follow-up is carried out at 18 months. Forty-four patients with Parkinson’s disease were assessed using a neuropsychological battery and structural and functional MRI at pre-treatment, post-treatment and long-term.

The results show that the Rehacop group significantly improves various cognitive functions, decreases functional disability and increases brain connectivity and activity. Longitudinal follow-up shows that cognitive improvement, reduced functional disability and brain changes at the functional level are maintained after 18 months. This is the first study to show that, despite being a neurodegenerative disease, changes are maintained after 18 months. These results have been collected in various scientific contributions resulting from the project. These include numerous scientific articles published in international impact journals (see references) and two PhD theses: “Cerebral correlates of mild cognitive impairment and brain changes related to cognitive rehabilitation in Parkinson’s disease” (Dr. María Díez- Cirarda, international mention), and “Structural and functional brain changes of cognitive and other non-motor dysfunctions in idiopathic and genetic Parkinson’s disease” (Dr. Olaia Lucas-Jiménez, international and transfer mention).

In addition, presentations have been made at national and international congresses, being highlighted as one of the two most important works of the Pan-American Congress of Movement Disorders, stellar oral communication and prize for the best poster.

References:

  1. Peña, J., Ibarretxe-Bilbao, N., García-Gorostiaga, I., Gomez-Beldarrain, M. A., Díez-Cirarda, M., & Ojeda, N. (2014). Improving functional disability and cognition in Parkinson disease: randomized controlled trial. Neurology, 83(23), 2167-2174.
  2. Díez-Cirarda, M., Ojeda, N., Peña, J., Cabrera-Zubizarreta, A., Lucas-Jiménez, O., Gómez-Esteban, J. C., … & Ibarretxe-Bilbao, N. (2017). Increased brain connectivity and activation after cognitive rehabilitation in Parkinson’s disease: a randomized controlled trial. Brain imaging and behavior, 11(6), 1640-1651.
  3. Díez‐Cirarda, M., Ojeda, N., Peña, J., Cabrera‐Zubizarreta, A., Lucas‐Jiménez, O., Gómez‐Esteban, J. C., … & Ibarretxe‐Bilbao, N. (2018). Long‐term effects of cognitive rehabilitation on brain, functional outcome and cognition in Parkinson’s disease. European journal of neurology, 25(1), 5-12.
  4. Chiaravalloti, N. D., Ibarretxe‐Bilbao, N., DeLuca, J., Rusu, O., Pena, J., García‐Gorostiaga, I., & Ojeda, N. (2014). The source of the memory impairment in Parkinson’s disease: acquisition versus retrieval. Movement Disorders, 29(6), 765-771.
  5. Diez-Cirarda, M., Ojeda, N., Pena, J., Cabrera-Zubizarreta, A., Gómez-Beldarrain, M. Á., Gómez-Esteban, J. C., & Ibarretxe-Bilbao, N. (2015). Neuroanatomical correlates of theory of mind deficit in Parkinson’s disease: a multimodal imaging study. PloS one, 10(11).
  6. Lucas-Jiménez, O., Ojeda, N., Peña, J., Díez-Cirarda, M., Cabrera-Zubizarreta, A., Gómez-Esteban, J. C., … & Ibarretxe-Bilbao, N. (2016). Altered functional connectivity in the default mode network is associated with cognitive impairment and brain anatomical changes in Parkinson’s disease. Parkinsonism & related disorders, 33, 58-64.
  7. Lucas‐Jiménez, O., Ojeda, N., Peña, J., Cabrera‐Zubizarreta, A., Díez‐Cirarda, M., Gómez‐Esteban, J. C., … & Ibarretxe‐Bilbao, N. (2018). Apathy and brain alterations in Parkinson’s disease: a multimodal imaging study. Annals of clinical and translational neurology, 5(7), 803-814.
  8. Lucas-Jiménez, O., Díez-Cirarda, M., Ojeda, N., Peña, J., Cabrera-Zubizarreta, A., & Ibarretxe-Bilbao, N. (2015). Verbal memory in parkinson’s disease: a combined DTI and fMRI study. Journal of Parkinson’s disease, 5(4), 793-804.

4) Project: “Cambios cerebrales estructurales y funcionales asociados a la rehabilitación cognitiva en enfermedades neurodegenerativas (Esclerosis múl- tiple)” / Funding: Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness / Reference:  PSI2012-32441

The aim of this project is to study the effectiveness of the Rehacop programme in a sample of patients with Multiple Sclerosis in generating cognitive, functional and brain changes at both a structural and functional level. The patients are assessed by means of a neuropsychological battery and a structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, in pre-treatment, post-treatment and receive an intervention through the Rehacop programme for three months, after which the changes produced by the intervention are investigated.

As a result of this project, we found a publication in an international journal that presented the main results in relation to the cognitive changes observed in patients with Multiple Sclerosis after the intervention with Rehacop. It showed improvements in different cognitive functions compared to the group that did not receive the intervention (Rilo, O., Peña, J., Ojeda, N., Rodríguez-Antigüedad, A., Mendibe- Bilbao, M., Gómez-Gastiasoro, A. & Ibarretxe-Bilbao, N. (2018). Integrative group- based cognitive rehabilitation efficacy in multiple sclerosis: a randomized clinical trial. Disability and Rehabilitation, 40(2), 208-216). In the context of the same project, the thesis entitled “Effects of an integrative group based cognitive rehabilitation on cognition and brain connectivity in multiple sclerosis” was developed and defended (Dr. Oiane Rilo), which presents the cognitive, functional and brain changes after the implementation of the Rehacop programme in these patients.

5) Project: “Evaluación de la eficacia de la rehabilitación cognitiva en prime- ros episodios psicóticos y esquizofrenia con el programa rehacop” / Funding: EITB-Maratoia / Reference: BIO09/EM/023 and Project: “Rehabilitación Neuropsicológica de pacientes con primer episodio psicótico” / Funding:  Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs and the Carlos III Institute / Reference: PIO70245

This study examines the efficacy of the Rehacop programme in patients with schizophrenia and first psychotic episodes in generating cognitive, clinical and functional improvements. All patients participated in a neuropsychological, clinical and functional assessment before and after the intervention. The intervention lasted three months, during which the experimental group receives cognitive rehabilitation sessions through the Rehacop programme.  The group receiving the intervention with the Rehacop programme showed improvements at the global cognitive level as well as at the functional level and, to a lesser extent, at the clinical level.

As a result of this project, several important scientific publications have been produced to present the cognitive, functional and clinical results (see references). In addition, three doctoral theses have been carried out on the findings of this project: “Evaluación multidimensional de la cognición social en psicosis: un estudio longitudinal” (Dr. Clara González), “Rehabilitación neuropsicológica de primeros episodios psicóticos y esquizofrenia con el programa REHACOP” (Dr. Eneritz Bengoetxea), “Insight in First Episode Psychosis: Role of Time and Cognitive Reserve” (Dr. Acebo García).

References:

  1. Ojeda N., Peña J., Sánchez P., Bengoetxea E (2010). La Rehabilitación Neuropsicológica en Psicosis II: El programa Rehacop. En Ezcurra J, Gutiérrez M y González-Pinto A, Esquizofrenia: Sociogenésis, psicogenésis y condicionamiento biológico. Capt 32, pg 471-495. Ed Aula Médica. ISBN 13:978-84-7885-509-4.
  2. Bengoetxea,E., Ojeda N., Segarra R., Sánchez P.M., García J., Peña J., García A., Eguíluz J.I y Elizagárate, E. (2011). Evidencias de eficacia de la rehabilitación cognitiva en psicosis y esquizofrenia con el programa REHACOP. En Quevedo-Blasco R y Quevedo Blasco VJ, Situación actual de la psicología clínica. (pp. 192-194). Ed Asociación Española de Psicología Conductual. ISBN: 978-84-694-3972-2.
  3. Ojeda N., Peña J., Bengoetxea E, García A., Sánchez P., Segarra R. C, Ezcurra J., Gutiérrez Fraile M., Eguíluz J.I. C. (2012). REHACOP: Programa de Rehabilitación Cognitiva en Psicosis. Revista de Neurología, 54 (6): 337-342.
  4. Ojeda N., Peña J., Segarra R., Sanchez P., Bengoetxea E., Eguiluz JI., Gutierrez M. (2012). Efficiency of cognitive rehabilitation in chronic treatment resistant Hispanic patients with schizophrenia with the Rehacop. Neurorehabilitation, vol 30, 65-74.
  5. Ojeda N., Peña J., Bengoetxea E., García A, Sánchez P, Segarra R, Ezcurra J. Gutiérrez Fraile M, Eguíluz JI. (2012). Evidencias de eficacia de la Rehabilitación Cognitiva en Psicosis y esquizofrenia con el programa Rehacop. Revista de Neurología, 54(10): 577-86.
  6. Sánchez, P., Peña, J., Bengoetxea, E., Ojeda, N., Elizagárate, E., Ezcurra, J., Gutiérrez, M. (2013). Improvement in negative symptoms and functional outcome after new generation cognitive remediation program (REHACOP): A randomized controlled trial. Schizophrenia Bulletin. May 18. [Epub ahead of print].
  7. Peña, J., Ibarretxe-Bilbao, N., Sánchez, P., Iriarte, M. B., Elizagarate, E., Garay, M. A., … & Ojeda, N. (2016). Combining social cognitive treatment, cognitive remediation, and functional skills training in schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial. NPJ schizophrenia, 2, 16037.
  8. Peña, J., Ibarretxe-Bilbao, N., Sánchez, P., Uriarte, J. J., Elizagarate, E., Gutierrez, M., & Ojeda, N. (2018). Mechanisms of functional improvement through cognitive rehabilitation in schizophrenia. Journal of psychiatric research, 101, 21-27.