Groups of scientific citations

Group 1

Working group name: Multimodal musculoskeletal physiotherapy

Research topic

This research line integrates manual therapy, individualised exercise prescription and structured patient education into a systematic, active, person-centred model based on advanced clinical reasoning. It evaluates manual and instrument-assisted techniques, including invasive physiotherapy procedures, and incorporates various therapeutic education strategies, such as virtual reality. The aim is to design and validate safe, objective assessment and intervention models that can be applied in clinical practice to address musculoskeletal dysfunctions associated with traumatic, rheumatological and inflammatory conditions, as well as chronic pain.

Recent research

In recent years, the group has made progress in technological innovation, clinical interventions and teaching methodologies, with the following contributions:

  • Technological innovation: development, patenting and evaluation of the “System for the Evaluation and Treatment of the Cervical Spine” device, with favourable results in muscle recruitment and pain reduction in patients with neck pain and headache.
  • Invasive physiotherapy and ultrasound: integration of musculoskeletal ultrasound to guide interventions and accurately and reproducibly assess their effects on tissues.
  • Virtual reality and industry collaboration: exploration of applications in education and clinical training, and collaboration with the Swiss company Wintecare in the development of healthcare technologies.
  • Chronic pain: evaluation of a web-based intervention to improve pain and sleep management in women with fibromyalgia.
  • Teaching innovation: incorporation of methodologies such as flipped learning to promote active learning in physiotherapy.

Ongoing research

The group is working on validating multimodal interventions for neuromusculoskeletal disorders and has incorporated actigraphy and quantitative sensory assessment resources to further investigate chronic pain. The main studies are:

  • Whiplash: randomised clinical trial on promoting exercise through telehealth.
  • Fibromyalgia and exercise: international realist evaluation to identify how, for whom and under what circumstances exercise-based interventions are effective.
  • Online therapeutic education: usability study and randomised clinical trial of a web-based intervention addressing pain and sleep in women with fibromyalgia.
  • Invasive physiotherapy: validation of procedures in cadaver studies, assessment of in vitro biological effects and clinical studies of symptomatic, functional and structural effects, as well as patent development in collaboration with companies.

Key publications

  • Cabanillas-Barea S, Pérez-Guillén S, López-de-Celis C, Rodríguez-Sanz J, Fanlo-Mazas P, Carrasco-Uribarren A. Effects of diacutaneous fibrolysis in patients with tension-type headache: a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2023;18(3):e0273877. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0273877.
  • Carrasco-Uribarren A, Ceballos-Laita L, Marimon-Serra X, Cabanillas-Barea S, Jiménez-Del-Barrio S, Jull G, et al. The efficiency of training the craniocervical flexors using the Spinertial device and pressure biofeedback unit: a cross-sectional mechanistic study. J Man Manip Ther. 2026;34(4):369-376. doi:10.1080/10669817.2025.2604076.
  • Dantony F, Romero-Rodríguez D, Blanco D, Zárate-Tejero CA, Climent-Sanz C, Pérez-Mánen C, et al. Effects of aerobic exercise and strength training on nociplastic pain and clinical features in temporomandibular disorders with myalgia: a randomized-controlled trial. J Oral Rehabil. 2026;1-19. doi:10.1111/joor.70278. 
  • Pérez-Guillén S, Carrasco-Uribarren A, Yeung E, Serra-Llobet P, Pardos-Aguilella P, Cabanillas-Barea S. Implementing team-based learning in physiotherapy education: students' perceptions and preferences compared to the traditional lecture. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2025;16:1019-1027. doi:10.2147/AMEP.S519244. 
  • Rodríguez-Sanz J, Borrella-Andrés S, Pérez-Bellmunt A, Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Albarova-Corral I, López-de-Celis C, Arias-Buría JL, González-Rueda V, Malo-Urriés M. Accuracy of Ultrasound-Guided Needle Placement on the L5 Lumbar Nerve Root: A Cadaveric Study. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2023 Dec 1;102(12):1091-1096. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002288. Epub 2023 May 16. PMID: 37205741.

Members

 

Group 2

Working group name: Neuromotor rehabilitation and movement control

Research topic

This research line includes the assessment of motor function through detailed movement analysis and investigates how interventions targeting motor control can contribute to the rehabilitation of dysfunctions associated with neurological, paediatric, oncological, women's health and sports-related conditions. The aim is to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved in rehabilitation, movement control and motor performance.

Recent research

  • Therapeutic exercise in oncology: pilot study involving oncology patients, in collaboration with three local councils and three sports organisations in the Barcelona area, to implement group therapeutic exercise programmes outside the hospital setting.
  • Paediatric rehabilitation: assessment of interventions to improve motor control and participation in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly unilateral spastic cerebral palsy or at risk of motor delay, promoting family-centred care and individualised rehabilitation.
  • Movement analysis in neurorehabilitation: use of motion capture systems to identify optimal acceleration and deceleration distances in the 4- and 6-metre walking tests in people who have had a stroke, with the aim of improving the accuracy and standardisation of gait assessment.
  • Iso-inertial strength training: study of the application of strength training using iso-inertial devices to improve functional performance in different populations, including older adults.

Ongoing research

The work plan focuses on the study of movement-based interventions and lifestyle-related factors to improve health and functionality in different populations.

  • Paediatric physiotherapy: study of motor development in preterm infants, taking parental factors and family stimulation into account within a family-centred early intervention model. Two studies are also underway on home-based interventions to improve functional use of the affected upper limb in children with hemiparesis.
  • Neurorehabilitation: randomised clinical trial in people who have had a stroke, investigating intermittent moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity combined with health education. Ultrasound-guided percutaneous neuromodulation is also being studied.
  • Oncology physiotherapy: study of the effects of neurodynamic techniques on neural mechanosensitivity in women with breast cancer.
  • Iso-inertial strength training and women's health: study of risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injuries in adolescent female football players, and study of pelvic floor muscle activation during strength training using iso-inertial devices.

Key publications

  • Cabanas-Valdés R, Zárate-Tejero CA, Zárate-Lozano V, Salgueiro C, Blanco de Tena-Davila D. Optimal acceleration and deceleration distance in the 4-meter and 6-meter walk tests assessed with motion capture system in people with chronic stroke: cross-sectional study. Disabil Rehabil. 2026 Mar;48(6):1808-1820. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2025.2540507. Epub 2025 Aug 6. PMID: 40765524.
  • Cadellans Arroniz A, Romero Rodríguez D, Zárate V, Dantony F, Madruga Parera M, Ortega Cebrian S, Blanco D. Effectiveness of Iso-Inertial Resistance Training on Muscle Power in Middle-Older Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Aging. 2025 Aug 21;8:e66414. doi: 10.2196/66414. PMID: 40840466; PMCID: PMC12370268.

Members

 

Group 3

Working group name: Cardiorespiratory rehabilitation and health promotion

Research topic

This research line focuses on the assessment of functional and exercise capacity, as well as the design and evaluation of exercise-based rehabilitation programmes and multicomponent interventions for children, adolescents and adults with conditions such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiolitis obliterans and cardiovascular diseases, and for people who have undergone lung transplantation.

Recent research

  • Therapeutic exercise in bronchiolitis obliterans: completion of the first multicentre randomised clinical trial of physical training in patients with bronchiolitis obliterans, in collaboration with four leading public hospitals in Spain. The results help strengthen the evidence for high-intensity interval training and support the development of home-based programmes with real-time online supervision.
  • Cardiorespiratory fitness and heart rate variability in adolescents with asthma (FITSTEEN Study): study of cardiorespiratory fitness and heart rate variability in adolescents with mild asthma, and their association with the main clinical markers of the disease. The results contribute to a better understanding of how asthma, even when mild and controlled, may be associated with impaired physical fitness.
  • Assessment of functional and exercise capacity: development of normative values for field tests and cardiopulmonary exercise tests to improve the accuracy of assessments in people with chronic diseases.

Ongoing research

The work plan focuses on multicomponent exercise-based interventions and lifestyle modification, incorporating behavioural, psychosocial and digital strategies to improve functional capacity, quality of life and health self-management in people with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Two studies stand out:

  • CLiQ-Asthma (Changing Lifestyle to Improve Quality of Life in Adolescents with Asthma): a cross-sectional study followed by a clinical trial in adolescents with asthma to analyse the influence of disease control and severity, movement-related behaviours, psychosocial factors and sex differences.
  • ReLung: study of the impact of a telehealth rehabilitation programme on the functional capacity of lung transplant recipients.

Key publications

  • Salazar-Pérez F, Sanz-Santiago V, de Mir-Messa I, Sardón Prado O, Rezola Arcelus E, Corcuera Elosegui P, de Manuel Gómez C, Díez Izquierdo A, Ferrer Barberá A, Blanco D, Amor-Barbosa M, Iturriaga Ramírez T, López-Neyra A, Pérez Ruiz M, Donadio MVF. Home-based, remotely supervised, high-intensity interval training and cardiorespiratory fitness in children and adolescents with post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans: a randomised controlled trial. Eur Respir J. 2026 Oct 9;68(4):2600265. doi: 10.1183/13993003.00265-2026. PMID: 42242758; PMCID: PMC13650447.
  • Salazar-Pérez F, Sanz-Santiago V, de Mir-Messa I, Sardón Prado O, Rezola Arcelus E, Corcuera Elosegui P, de Manuel Gómez C, Díez Izquierdo A, Ferrer Barberá A, Blanco de Tena-Dávila D, Amor-Barbosa M, Iturriaga Ramírez T, López-Neyra A, Pérez Ruiz M, Donadio MVF. Cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans: a cross-sectional study. ERJ Open Res. 2025 Dec 1;11(6):00181-2025. doi: 10.1183/23120541.00181-2025. PMID: 41333985; PMCID: PMC12666649.

Members

 

Cross-cutting research line

Working group name: Metaresearch for transparency and scientific integrity

Research topic

This research line focuses on the systematic study and improvement of research practices throughout the entire research cycle, from protocol development and study registration to statistical modelling and communication of results. Its aim is to promote transparency, reproducibility, methodological rigour and the reliability of scientific evidence in physiotherapy and other biomedical sciences.

Recent research

  • Improving the quality of clinical trial protocols: publications in The BMJ and Research Integrity and Peer Review showing that the use of structured templates in accordance with the SPIRIT guidelines improves the quality of clinical trial protocols.
  • Clinical trial registration and associated factors: publication in The BMJ of a study identifying variables associated with the lack of prospective registration of clinical trials and proposing measures to improve its accuracy and transparency.
  • Use of scientific reporting guidelines (reporting guidelines): publication of an editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine on the importance of using reporting guidelines and strategies for scientific journals, authors and reviewers to integrate their use throughout the research process.

Ongoing research

The work plan focuses on improving peer review, the quality of scientific manuscripts and the transparency of clinical trials through initiatives such as:

  • Integrating artificial intelligence into peer review: conducting a randomised clinical trial in collaboration with BMJ Group journals to evaluate an intervention based on AI-assisted feedback, aimed at improving review quality and the transparency and reproducibility of scientific manuscripts.
  • Transparency in clinical trial registration: implementation and evaluation of measures to improve the transparency and quality of published information on clinical trial registration in BMJ Group journals.

Key publications

  • Blanco D, Chen D, Cadellans-Arróniz A, Donadio MVF, Edouard P, Iatropoulos S, Dandrieux PE, Casals M, Cortés J, Struthers C, Harwood J, Collins GS, Kirkham JJ, Raman S, Rethlefsen ML, Aldcroft A, Schroter S. Effectiveness of a structured template to improve completeness of reporting randomised trial protocols: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2026 Oct 20;395:e100917. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2026-100917. PMID: 42901609.
  • Blanco D, Loder E, Cook S, Casals M, Cortés J, Cadellans-Arróniz A, Zárate V, Hubbard E, Schroter S. Analysis of non-prospective trial registration in clinical trials submitted to The BMJ: observational study. BMJ. 2026 Feb 18;392:e086467. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2025-086467. PMID: 41708134; PMCID: PMC12914382.
  • Blanco D, Cadellans-Arróniz A, Donadio MVF, Sharp MK, Casals M, Edouard P. Using reporting guidelines in sports and exercise medicine research: why and how to raise the bar? Br J Sports Med. 2024 Jul 31;58(16):891-893. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2024-108101. PMID: 38844077.
  • Blanco D, Donadio MVF, Cadellans-Arróniz A. Enhancing reporting through structure: a before and after study on the effectiveness of SPIRIT-based templates to improve the completeness of reporting of randomized controlled trial protocols. Res Integr Peer Rev. 2024 May 31;9(1):6. doi: 10.1186/s41073-024-00147-7. PMID: 38816752; PMCID: PMC11140857.

Members