"My goal is to contribute to changing the way depression is perceived and treated"

Ana Hernández Sauret, the author of ongoing research on the improvement of cognitive control in depression through brain stimulation and a student of the doctoral programme in Health and Psychology at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), has received the second UOC-Santander Award for Best Open Science Doctoral Contribution. It comes in recognition of her commitment to transparency and the accessibility of scientific knowledge, and her efforts to publish the results of her research as open access. Hernández Sauret has used tools such as the CORA.RDR repository and the UOC's O2 institutional repository, which ensure that data are reusable and accessible to the academic community, in accordance with the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles.

Her research, supervised by Dr Diego Redolar Ripoll, from the Cognitive NeuroLab, focuses on the use of transcranial direct current stimulation to study cognitive control in people with major depressive disorder. In this interview, Hernández Sauret shares the progress made in her research and the impact she expects from her work, and reflects on how open science fosters inclusive and effective collaboration between academia and society.

What does this award mean to you?

This award is an endorsement of my work in open science, a fundamental aspect of my research. It validates my efforts and shows that I'm on the right track in terms of accessibility of knowledge. In the long term, I hope that this award will make it easier to establish new professional connections and opportunities for collaboration on projects that place a high value on this approach. It also reminds me of the importance of continuing to work to ensure that research results are accessible to all.

What are the goals of your study and how did your interest in this topic arise?

I'm studying how transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) can influence cognitive control in patients with depression. One of the main goals is to better understand the function of key brain areas, such as the dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, in cognitive control processes. Using tDCS and functional neuroimaging, we seek to establish whether it's possible to improve certain cognitive functions in people with depression, such as decision-making and attention, and evaluate how these changes are sustained over time.

My interest arose when I realized that cognitive deficit in people with depression is an under-explored area, since most of the research on depression focuses on emotional symptoms, such as sadness or anhedonia. This gap motivated me to investigate how we can help improve cognitive functioning in these patients, since it affects crucial aspects of their daily lives. In addition, I was intrigued by the potential of tDCS in combination with neuroimaging to safely modulate specific areas of the brain.

What relevant findings have you made about the effects of brain stimulation on major depressive disorder?

Although I currently use tDCS in my research, in the systematic review I published in May I focused on transcranial magnetic stimulation, a more widely used and studied technique. In the review, I analysed 21 articles on how this type of stimulation can improve cognitive function in people with major depressive disorder. One of my findings is that it has shown benefits in cognitive processing, particularly in functions such as working memory, inhibition, and attention, especially when applied to areas such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Where are you now in your research and what are your next steps?

I'm in the third year of my PhD and I'm finishing the experimental phase. I'll focus on the analysis of neuroimaging data and the cognitive tasks that I've carried out with the participants. I'm also very excited because I'll be doing a three-month stay at the UNSW in Sydney, Australia. While there I'll have the opportunity to learn about how other laboratories work and the research being carried out on my topic.

Managing sensitive data is crucial to your research. What have the main challenges been and how have you tackled them?

To ensure maximum protection for participants' personal data, I've designed an informed consent protocol that's clear and transparent, in which they are informed about how their data will be used, what measures will be taken to protect their information and their right to privacy. In addition, I use data anonymization methods, ensuring that any identifiable information is encrypted prior to its analysis. Private data are stored on a computer to which only I have access, which adds a layer of security. I also keep physical documents related to these data in a locked cabinet at the university.

What impact do you expect your research to have?

I'd like my research to have a significant impact in the clinical field and in society. On a clinical level, I hope that the findings in my study will contribute to a better understanding of how non-invasive brain stimulation can be used as a complementary tool in the treatment of depression. I want the results to help health professionals personalize their interventions, which could lead to more effective and accessible treatments. On a wider level, I hope my research will promote greater awareness of depression and its effects, especially in terms of the cognitive deficits that many people experience. Ultimately, my goal is to contribute to changing the way depression is perceived and treated, promoting greater access to innovative and effective treatments.

What role are the UOC and the Cognitive NeuroLab playing in the development of your thesis?

They are vital to my thesis and for the implementation of open science practices. The UOC has provided me with an academic environment that values transparency and collaboration, offering me access to resources and training on research methodologies. In turn, the Cognitive NeuroLab has supported the experimental part of my work, allowing me to collaborate with other researchers and foster a culture of sharing data and results.

What advice would you give to researchers who are not yet practising open science?

My message to other trainee researchers is to encourage them to explore open science. Sharing data and results not only raises the profile of your work, but also aids collaboration with other professionals. Adopting open science practices can be beneficial to both your research and the broader scientific community. In the end, it's about making knowledge more accessible and useful to everyone.

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Over 500 researchers and more than 50 research groups work in the UOC's seven faculties, its eLearning Research programme and its two research centres: the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) and the eHealth Center (eHC).

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