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STUDY PROTOCOL article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Psychopathology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1360004

Efficacy of the Combination of Water Aerobics and Metacognitive Training on Psychological and Physical Health Variables and their Relationship with SP1 and SP4 Biomarkers in People with Psychosis: a Study Protocol

Provisionally accepted
Susana Ochoa Susana Ochoa 1,2,3*Marina Verdaguer-Rodríguez Marina Verdaguer-Rodríguez 1,2,4*Núria Batlle Núria Batlle 1,2Francesc Garreta Francesc Garreta 2Berta Garcia Berta Garcia 2Josep M. Haro Josep M. Haro 2,3,5Èlia Vila-Andreu Èlia Vila-Andreu 1,2Maria J. Hernández Maria J. Hernández 2Maria J. Escandell Maria J. Escandell 1,2Ana Muñoz Ana Muñoz 1,2Sònia Vilamala Sònia Vilamala 1,2Sandra Marcos Sandra Marcos 2Laura Bassolas Laura Bassolas 2María Pascua María Pascua 2Belén Ramos Belén Ramos 1,2,3,6,7
  • 1 Etiopathogenesis and Treatment of Serious Mental Disorders, Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute (IRSJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
  • 2 Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, España, Spain
  • 3 Center for Biomedical Research in Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
  • 4 Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
  • 5 Epidemiologia dels trastorns mentals i de l'envelliment, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
  • 6 Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
  • 7 Faculty of Medicine, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia, Vic, Spain

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Metacognitive Training (MCT) is widely used and effective in reducing positive symptoms in psychosis. Physical exercise, such as Water Aerobics (WA), improves general health, quality of life and symptoms as a low impact activity that allows social interactions. Preliminary results suggest a relationship between dopamine and psychotic symptoms, through SP transcription factors, SP1 and SP4 biomarkers. The aims of the project are to evaluate the efficacy of a combined intervention (WA and MCT) for psychosis to improve psychotic symptoms, physical health, and transcription levels of SP biomarkers.Material and methods: This is a unicentric randomized controlled trial of three parallel intervention groups: MCT, WA and combined intervention. The estimated sample will be 48 patients with a psychotic spectrum disorder diagnosis. The assessment will be performed at baseline and at 3-months' follow-up. Instruments used in the assessment will include clinical, cognitive, metacognitive, social cognitive and psychosocial variables.Discussion: This will be the first study investigating the impact of the combination of MCT and WA in psychosis. Moreover, it will be the first study analyzing changes in the transcriptional biomarkers SP1 and SP4 after interventions. The results of this study may have clinical implications contributing to the improvement of treatment selection. Clinical trials registration: [https://clinicaltrials.gov/], identifier [NCT05455593].

    Keywords: Schizophrenia, physical exercise, metacognition, Specificity protein, psychological interventions

    Received: 22 Dec 2023; Accepted: 16 May 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Ochoa, Verdaguer-Rodríguez, Batlle, Garreta, Garcia, Haro, Vila-Andreu, Hernández, Escandell, Muñoz, Vilamala, Marcos, Bassolas, Pascua and Ramos. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Susana Ochoa, Etiopathogenesis and Treatment of Serious Mental Disorders, Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute (IRSJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
    Marina Verdaguer-Rodríguez, Etiopathogenesis and Treatment of Serious Mental Disorders, Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute (IRSJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain

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