Associations between digital media use and brain surface structural measures in preschool-aged children

Adherence to 24-hour activity cycle and a whole brain volumetric approach in adolescence: A cross-sectional study - The Cogni-Action project

BACKGROUND

While adherence to the WHO 24-hour movement guidelines has been linked to improved health outcomes, its relationship with brain morphology remains underexplored, particularly in understudied populations such as Latin American adolescents.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study examined brain morphology in 58 Chilean adolescents using structural T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Brain volumes, including total gray matter, cortical, subcortical, hippocampal, and amygdala regions, were analyzed. Adherence to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sleep guidelines was assessed via accelerometry, while screen time was self-reported. Linear regression models were used to explore associations between guideline adherence and brain volumes, with p-values corrected using the FDR method.

RESULTS

Independently, most adolescents met only the screen time guideline (55 %), while fewer met sleep duration (12 %) or MVPA based on the sample-specific cutoff (27 %), with none meeting the international MVPA criterion. In combination, only 9 % adhered to both sleep and screen time recommendations, and no participants met all three guidelines. Notably, only adherence to screen time recommendations showed a trend-level association with lower total gray matter, cortical, subcortical, hippocampal, and amygdala volumes (FDR p-value < 0.100).

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that adolescents' daily habits-screen time, physical activity, and sleep-have complex relationships with brain development, which may sometimes diverge from expected patterns, as seen in the case of meeting screen time guidelines. As the first study conducted in Latin American adolescents, these suggests proposes that the relationship between these behaviors and brain development may differ from what has been reported in high-income countries, highlighting the need for further research in diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts.

Effect of Screen Time and Sugar Consumption Reduction on Sleep Bruxism in Children: A Randomised Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE

Sleep bruxism (SB) is associated with alterations in dopamine and serotonin, which are related to increased consumption of added sugar and overuse of screens. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of the interventions 'Food, Fun and Family' (FFF) and Counselling and Education (CE) on the frequency of SB in children.

METHODS

A randomised clinical trial was conducted. Forty-eight participants aged between 4 and 8 years, attending the paediatric clinics of Universidad CES (Colombia) and Hospital Elina de la Serna (Argentina) participated in the study. Subjects were randomised into the FFF (experimental) and CE (regular intervention) groups. The frequency of SB was reported with the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), the consumption of added sugar from items with the HBSC-FFQ and the time of use of screens through a diary in baseline (before starting the intervention), at Week 6 and Week 12. Data were analysed with Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's post hoc, Mann-Whitney test, a linear mixed model and logistic ordinal regression analyses.

RESULTS

The FFF group had a more significant reduction in consumption of added sugar and screen time compared to the CE group (p < 0.05), especially from Week 6 to baseline. Regression analysis showed that reducing TV watching and consumption of added sugar were associated with a decrease in SB frequency, especially in the FFF group (OR < 1, p < 0.05), and the results were consistent across different study environments.

CONCLUSION

The FFF intervention was more effective in reducing the screen time and sugar consumption and thus decreased the frequency of SB, when compared with the CE intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05310162.

Screen use in children - two sides of the coin: a critical narrative review

Like a coin, the impacts of screens on children's development have two sides, as reflected in current scientific knowledge. This narrative review aimed to explore the dual-faceted state of the art regarding screen use, highlighting both positive and negative aspects on neurodevelopment, intervention proposals, and future perspectives for appropriate screen use. Recent scientific findings emphasize two central points: on the one hand, the benefits of appropriate use, such as co-viewing and the use of educational content; on the other hand, the negative impacts of excessive screen use, passive, and non-educational use on the development of neural networks. In this sense, with the advent of the digital age and in light of current scientific results, it is clear that eliminating screens from daily life is unrealistic. Therefore, implementing strategies to ensure a healthy balance between screen time and other activities important for child development is essential.

Interconnections of screen time with neuroinflammation

The increasing prevalence of screen time among modern citizens has raised concerns regarding its potential impact on neuroinflammation and overall brain health. This review examines the complex interconnections between screen time and neuroinflammatory processes, particularly in children and adolescents. We analyze existing literature that explores how excessive digital media use can lead to alterations in neurobiological pathways, potentially exacerbating inflammatory responses in the brain. Key findings suggest that prolonged exposure to screens may contribute to neuroinflammation through mechanisms such as disrupted sleep patterns, diminished cognitive engagement, and increased stress levels. Similarly, we discuss the implications of these findings for mental health and cognitive development, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to screen time. This review highlights the necessity for further research to elucidate the causal relationships and underlying mechanisms linking screen time and neuroinflammation, thereby informing guidelines for healthy media consumption.

Decreased frontal theta frequency during the presence of smartphone among children: an EEG study

BACKGROUND

Smart devices have become an integral part of our lives. However, research has highlighted the potential implications of smartphone presence on task performance, particularly in young children. This study aimed to determine the effect of a smartphone presence on brainwaves associated with cognitive interruption in children.

METHODS

EEG data were collected from 5.3 to 8.5-year-old children performing a simple reaction time task with and without the presence of a smartphone. Theta and alpha bands were calculated, and repeated measure analysis of variance was performed to assess the impact of two conditions on alpha and theta bands: 1) with the presence and; 2) without the presence of a smartphone. EEG waveforms were also correlated with standardized cognitive measures evaluating attention abilities using Pearson correlation.

RESULTS

Theta and alpha activity values were higher in the absence vs the presence of a smartphone, with a significant difference between theta bands for the two study conditions. Moreover, the difference between theta bands in the two conditions was significantly correlated with lower scores on an auditory attention test.

CONCLUSIONS

The existence of an interactive electronic device during cognitive tasks is associated with alterations in brain activity related to cognitive control.

IMPACT

The presence of a smartphone during a simple reaction time task in young children was associated with a significant decrease in frontal theta frequency. A trend of a decreased alpha band in the presence of a smartphone. The differences in theta and alpha frequencies between conditions were significantly correlated with lower scores in auditory and visual attention and inhibition tests.

Literacy Promotion: An Essential Component of Primary Care Pediatric Practice: Technical Report

Early literacy promotion in pediatric primary care supports parents and caregivers in reading with their children from birth, offering counseling in interactive, developmentally appropriate strategies and providing developmentally and culturally appropriate and appealing children's books. This technical report reviews the evidence that reading with young children supports language, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Promoting early literacy in pediatric primary care offers a strengths-based strategy to support families in creating positive childhood experiences, which strengthen early relational health. An increasing body of evidence, reviewed in this report, shows that clinic-based literacy promotion, provided with fidelity to an evidence-based model, has benefits for children, for parents and caregivers, and for pediatric physicians and advanced care providers as well. Reading with young children supports early brain development and the neural "reading network," and improves school readiness. High-quality literacy promotion is especially essential for children who face disparities and inequities because of social factors, systemic racism, and socioeconomic risk. All families benefit from high-quality and diverse books and from developmentally appropriate guidance supporting interactions around books and stories. Thus, literacy promotion can be a universal primary prevention strategy to strengthen families and support healthy development. Partnerships at community, local, and state levels offer opportunities for integration with other programs, services, and platforms. Literacy promotion in primary care pediatric practice, recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics as an essential component since 2014, has become increasingly common. There are successful models for public funding at federal, state, county, and municipal levels, but sustainable funding, including payment to pediatric physicians and advanced care providers, remains a need so that the benefits of pediatric early literacy promotion and the joys of books and shared reading can truly be offered on a population level.

Cure for tantrums? Longitudinal associations between parental digital emotion regulation and children's self-regulatory skills

Introduction

Parents often use digital devices to regulate their children's negative emotions, e.g., to stop tantrums. However, this could hinder child development of self-regulatory skills. The objective of the study was to observe bidirectional longitudinal associations between parents' reliance on digital devices to regulate their child's emotions and self-regulatory tendencies (anger/frustration management, effortful control, impulsivity).

Methods

Parents (N = 265) filled out the Child Behavior Questionnaire-Short Form and the Media Assessment Questionnaire twice: the initial assessment (T1) took place in 2020 (mean child age = 3.5 years old), and follow-up (T2) occurred a year later in 2021 (mean child age = 4.5 years old).

Results

Higher occurrence of parental digital emotion regulation (PDER) in T1 predicts higher anger and lower effortful control in T2, but not impulsivity. Higher anger in T1, but not impulsivity and effortful control, predicts higher PDER in T2.

Discussion

Our results suggest that parents of children with greater temperament-based anger use digital devices to regulate the child's emotions (e.g., anger). However, this strategy hinders development of self-regulatory skills, leading to poorer effortful control and anger management in the child.

Executive dysfunction as a possible mediator for the association between excessive screen time and problematic behaviors in preschoolers

Excessive screen time in children is a growing concern for parents and healthcare providers worldwide because it frequently leads to behavioral problems. Although executive dysfunction is proposed to be one of the contributing factors to maladaptive behaviors, little is known about the link between screen time and behaviors. This study aimed to identify whether executive dysfunction contributes to the negative behaviors of children exposed to excessive screen time. A cross-sectional study was conducted on preschool-aged children from public and private schools in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The parents/guardians of each child completed the questionnaires regarding clinical characteristics and screen time use, the Behavior Rating Inventory for Executive Function-Preschool (BRIEF-P), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Children with more than one hour of media exposure per day were considered to have excessive screen time. Multivariable Gaussian regression was analyzed to compare the BRIEF-P and SDQ scores between the excessive and appropriate screen time groups. Causal mediation analysis was performed to examine the effects of total screen time on increasing behavioral problems with executive functioning as a mediator. A total of 1,126 preschoolers were included in the analyses. After controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and maternal education, the excessive screen time group had significantly higher BRIEF-P global executive composite score than the appropriate screen time group (mean difference of global executive composite score = 1.49, 95% CI [0.12, 2.86], and p = 0.033). Concurrently, there were significant differences in externalizing behavior subscales and SDQ total difficulties scores between the excessive and appropriate screen time groups (mean difference of total difficulties score = 0.90, 95% CI [0.29, 1.50], and p = 0.004). A significant average causal mediation effect (ACME) of screen time on behavioral problems mediated through executive functioning was β = 0.28, 95% CI [0.13-0.44], which was more than half of the total effect (54.9%, 95% CI [37.4-100%]). The current study suggests that the increase in behavioral issues in preschoolers might be partly explained by the direct effect of excessive screen time and the mediating effect of impaired executive functioning. Our results may raise concerns about the necessity to limit screen time and monitor for executive function deficits and behavioral problems in young children with high screen time.

Digital Media and Developing Brains: Concerns and Opportunities

Purpose of Review

The incorporation of digital technologies and their use in youth's everyday lives has been increasing rapidly over the past several decades with possible impacts on youth development and mental health. This narrative review aimed to consider how the use of digital technologies may be influencing brain development underlying adaptive and maladaptive screen-related behaviors.

Recent Findings

To explore and provide direction for further scientific inquiry, an international group of experts considered what is known, important gaps in knowledge, and how a research agenda might be pursued regarding relationships between screen media activity and neurodevelopment from infancy through childhood and adolescence. While an understanding of brain-behavior relationships involving screen media activity has been emerging, significant gaps exist that have important implications for the health of developing youth.

Summary

Specific considerations regarding brain-behavior relationships involving screen media activity exist for infancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood; middle childhood; and adolescence. Transdiagnostic frameworks may provide a foundation for guiding future research efforts. Translating knowledge gained into better interventions and policy to promote healthy development is important in a rapidly changing digital technology environment.

Causal Relationships Between Screen Use, Reading, and Brain Development in Early Adolescents

The rise of new media has greatly changed the lifestyles, leading to increased time on these platforms and less time spent reading. This shift has particularly profound impacts on early adolescents, who are in a critical stage of brain development. Previous studies have found associations between screen use and mental health, but it remains unclear whether screen use is the direct cause of the outcomes. Here, the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) dataset is utlized to examine the causal relationships between screen use and brain development. The results revealed adverse causal effects of screen use on language ability and specific behaviors in early adolescents, while reading has positive causal effects on their language ability and brain volume in the frontal and temporal regions. Interestingly, increased screen use is identified as a result, rather than a cause, of certain behaviors such as rule-breaking and aggressive behaviors. Furthermore, the analysis uncovered an indirect influence of screen use, mediated by changes in reading habits, on brain development. These findings provide new evidence for the causal influences of screen use on brain development and highlight the importance of monitoring media use and related habit change in children.

Ground Rules for Preschooler Exposure to the Digital Environment: A Review of Studies

Background

The range of digital technologies that children use from an early age has expanded significantly. Most studies demonstrate that preschoolers now spend substantially longer on digital devices and start using them at a younger age. Finding a solution for this challenge has research merits and relevance, as the data on benefits and harm of early preschoolers' exposure to digital devices is contradictory. This poses a need to determine theoretically sound and practically validated criteria that could guide the duration and quality of children's exposure to the digital environment.

Objective

To review studies that contain recommendations on preschoolers' exposure to the digital environment, namely, exposure limits and evidence to justify the limitation of preschoolers' time on digital media.

Design

The analysis starts by identifying theoretical foundations that researchers use in their studies of children's behavior in the digital environment. This is followed by an overview of 40 studies that include research papers, official reports, and methodological recommendations made by healthcare and governmental organizations.

Results

The review identified the following ground rules for children's exposure to the digital environment: to provide for child's interaction with a digital device, to use educational applications that will develop skills appropriate to the child's age, to ensure mandatory supervision of children's engagement by an adult who limits the exposure according to child's age-related capabilities and creates conditions for active exploration of the real rather than a virtual world. Children's cognitive development suffers the most from passive intake of digital content.

Conclusion

The data herein can help to develop strategies to promote healthy and educational engagement of children with digital devices and media; however, the review highlights the insufficiency of psychophysiological research that would make it possible to practically validate the recommendations on the duration of preschoolers' exposure to the digital environment.