Altered resting-state functional connectivity of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex with intrinsic brain networks in male problematic smartphone users

Narrative Review of the Morphofunctional Underpinnings and Comprehensive Rehabilitation Strategies for Smartphone-addicted University Students

The widespread availability of mobile phones has contributed to a high prevalence of digital addiction worldwide. Smartphone addiction or problematic smartphone use (SA/PSU) has become a widespread issue, especially among university students. Due to concerns about SA/PSU and cyber addiction in young people, research has focused on the structural and functional effects on the brain and the behavioral consequences of spending too much time on mobile phones. This review investigates the impact of excessive smartphone use on this demographic group's physical and mental health. An advanced search on PubMed based on primary keywords, clustered in syntactic associations looked for academic work focusing on: ((((smartphone addiction) and (problematic smartphone use)) and (students) and (Physical exercises)) and (Physical Activity). The relationship (((smartphone addiction) and (problematic smartphone use) and (systematic review) identified 22 papers, published between 2016 and 2024, 16 of which were during the Covid era and post-pandemic periods (2020-2024). Smartphone overuse-induced alterations in cerebral gray matter were observed in four trials. The beneficial influence of physical activity on smartphone addiction was emphasized in 11 publications (selected 9) identified by the advanced search with the syntactic relationship. The narrative review offers a comprehensive overview of effective strategies for addressing SA/PSU. This includes utilizing exercise and psychological interventions to combat digital addiction. Furthermore, studies have looked into the potential benefits of physical exercise and specific strategies addressing these issues. Engaging in physical activity may help offset the negative effects of SA/PSU, and targeted strategies are necessary for preventing and treating these problems in young people. Political and educational decision factors must implement targeted strategies and integrated social education policies to prevent smartphone overuse and pejorative consequences in adolescents and young people.

Alterations in functional connectivity in the salience network shared by depressive symptoms and smartphone overuse

Globally, the age when children start using smartphones has decreased. Concurrently, the increased use of smartphones among children in developmental stages has caused serious effects, such as depression. While neuroimaging studies have predicted a significant overlap between the neurobiological changes caused by depression and smartphone overuse, few have simultaneously examined them. Therefore, we examined resting-state functional connectivity (FC) changes due to smartphone overuse and depressive symptoms in 69 children. We observed that FC in the salience network and regions involved in visual (e.g., the lateral occipital cortex) and motivational processing (e.g., the putamen) increased with smartphone overuse and depressive symptoms. Additionally, FC partially mediated the relationship between depressive symptoms and smartphone overuse, suggesting that changes in FC may be involved in the link between depressive symptoms and smartphone overuse. Our findings indicate that increased depressive symptoms could be associated with alterations in the salience network FC, which may influence visual attention or reward processing of salient stimuli, potentially contributing to smartphone overuse.

Leave the screen: The influence of everyday behaviors on self-reported interoception

The influence of physical activity on interoception is apparent, however little is known about within-person variability following physical activity and sedentary behavior in daily life. To test this, 70 healthy adults (Mage 21.67 ± 2.50) wore thigh-mounted accelerometers for 7-days, with self-reported interoception recorded on movement-triggered smartphones. Participants additionally reported the predominant activity type performed across the last 15 min. Investigating this timeframe, multi-level analyses revealed that each one-unit increase in physical activity was associated with an increase in self-reported interoception (B = 0.0025, p = .013), whereas contrastingly, each one-minute increase in sedentary behavior was associated with a decrease (B = -0.06. p = .009). Investigating the influence of different activity types in comparison to screen time behavior, both partaking in exercise (B = 4.48, p < .001) and daily-life physical activity (B = 1.21, p < .001) were associated with an increase in self-reported interoception. Regarding other behavior categories, non-screen time behavior both with (B = 1.13, p < .001) and without (B = 0.67, p = .004) social interaction were also associated with an increase in self-reported interoception compared to screen-time behavior. Extending from previous laboratory-based studies, these findings indicate that physical activity influences interoceptive processes in real-life, further supplemented by the novel and contrasting findings regarding sedentary behavior. Furthermore, associations with activity type reveal important mechanistic information, highlighting the importance of reducing screen-time behavior to preserve and support interoceptive perceptions. Findings can be used to inform health recommendations for reducing screen-time behavior and guiding evidence-based physical activity interventions to promote interoceptive processes.

Neuroimaging the effects of smartphone (over-)use on brain function and structure-a review on the current state of MRI-based findings and a roadmap for future research

The smartphone represents a transformative device that dramatically changed our daily lives, including how we communicate, work, entertain ourselves, and navigate through unknown territory. Given its ubiquitous availability and impact on nearly every aspect of our lives, debates on the potential impact of smartphone (over-)use on the brain and whether smartphone use can be "addictive" have increased over the last years. Several studies have used magnetic resonance imaging to characterize associations between individual differences in excessive smartphone use and variations in brain structure or function. Therefore, it is an opportune time to summarize and critically reflect on the available studies. Following this overview, we present a roadmap for future research to improve our understanding of how excessive smartphone use can affect the brain, mental health, and cognitive and affective functions.