31/07/2025 - Press release
This is indicated by the results of the PENSA study, a clinical trial conducted jointly by the Research Institute of Hospital del Mar and the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center, the research center of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation. The study concludes that combining a healthy lifestyle program with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a natural compound found in green tea, could offer sustained cognitive benefits in people at high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Over the course of one year, around one hundred cognitively healthy volunteers, but in stages potentially prior to the onset of dementia, were monitored. They were divided into three groups. One group received only healthy lifestyle advice. The other two groups underwent a lifestyle improvement intervention program combined with either EGCG or placebo.
25/07/2025 - Press release
Researchers from the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and Yale University, in the United States, have demonstrated how the action of certain genes on precursor cells of brain formation can cause alterations linked to cortical malformations but also to the origin of neuropsychiatric diseases such as autism or bipolar disorder. The study, published in Nature Communications, is the first of its kind. It has been able to simulate the function of a list of nearly 3,000 genes linked to these pathologies during human brain development.
27/06/2025 - Press release
A study by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, recently published in the journal PNAS, advances our understanding of how the brain makes decisions by participating in the storage of associations between different stimuli. The research has identified the importance of specific brain areas in these processes, particularly the amygdala and its relationship with parts of the cerebral cortex. This finding could lead to new therapeutic approaches for treating mental disorders such as psychosis or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study was conducted on mice, but the researchers believe that the mechanisms involved may be similar in humans.
Més informació "Understanding How the Brain Makes Decisions"
27/05/2025 - Press release
A joint project between the three research institutions has been selected for funding by the XPRIZE Foundation of the United States. It will receive $250,000 to demonstrate that it is possible to extend human healthy lifespan. The VITA project proposes combining two existing molecules and a multimodal lifestyle intervention to extend quality of life during aging. The team formed by the three institutions now has one year to provide the first preliminary results and move on to a new stage of the awards, where the efficacy of the proposed new therapy will be assessed.
09/04/2025 - Press release
A study involving more than 1,700 people from five hospitals in Barcelona, Sweden and Italy has validated the usefulness of a biomarker in blood to detect Alzheimer's disease in the clinical setting. The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, demonstrates that this test can be a useful and applicable tool in routine medical practice. The automated analysis of this biomarker is more than 90% effective in identifying patients with Alzheimer's disease. It is an easy-to-use tool that can partly replace other, more complex diagnostic tests, such as lumbar puncture or positron emission tomography (PET). The study has established cut-off points from which the patient's symptoms can be considered to be caused by Alzheimer's, if Alzheimer's disease can be ruled out, or if further tests are needed to determine the cause of the disease.
Més informació "A blood test for early detection of Alzheimer's disease"
21/03/2025 - Press release
Coinciding with the celebration of World Down Syndrome Day, the results of the GODS21 study, a pioneering initiative on the relationship between obesity and people with Down syndrome, have been presented. A healthy diet is associated with higher IQ scores in this population. The GODS21 study (Gene Overdosage and Comorbidities During the Early Lifetime in Down Syndrome) has revealed the importance of nutrition in cognitive development for individuals with Down syndrome. These findings were presented on March 21, marking World Down Syndrome Day. The study has analyzed the link between obesity and Down syndrome, highlighting the need to consider nutrition as a key factor in improving health.
Més informació "The Importance of Nutrition in People with Down Syndrome"
06/03/2025 - Press release
A study led by Dr. Rodrigo Quian Quiroga has demonstrated how neurons in the human brain generate memories and establish narratives. The research is published in the journal Cell Reports. For the first time, it has been confirmed that, contrary to previous beliefs, individual neurons represent the concepts we learn, regardless of the context in which we encounter them. This allows humans, unlike other animals, to establish higher and more abstract relationships, which lays the foundation of human intelligence.
Més informació "Possible Foundations of Human Intelligence Observed for the First Time"
13/02/2025 - Press release
Specifically, for every year of increase in the difference between chronological age (based on birthdate) and biological age (determined by lifestyle habits and exposure to external factors), the risk of developing cancer after any type of stroke increases by 6.6%. This is the first time a clear relationship has been established between biological age and cancer risk in these patients. Biological age can be modified by changing lifestyle habits, which could reduce the chances of developing cancer after recovering from a stroke.
17/12/2024 - Press release
Phase 1/2 of the clinical trial shows that the administration of the AEF0217 molecule developed by the biotech Aelis Farma, is safe and can improve key skills such as communication, social interactions and daily living for people with Down syndrome These results reinforce the start of the phase 2 clinical trial, through an international multicenter study with people with Down syndrome, focused on the dose necessary to achieve the treatment goal
13/11/2024 - Press release
Conversely, women tolerate it better than men, according to a multicenter study led by Hospital del Mar and its research institute, published in the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. The study analyzed the outcomes of more than 200 people who underwent a thoracotomy, a type of open surgery that requires separating the ribs to reach the lungs. The differences between men and women are not due to physiological or genetic factors but to a worse initial situation for women regarding their quality of life prior to surgery. The researchers highlight the need to consider this and introduce the idea of addressing psychological components before surgery as part of a personalized approach to pain management.
Més informació "They demonstrate that women suffer more chronic postoperative pain than men"
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