Brain network alterations in mobile phone use problem severity: A multimodal neuroimaging analysis
Lichang Yao1,2, Keigo Hikida1, Yinping Lu2
11Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Journal of Behavioral Addictions
|March 21, 2025
Summary
Problematic mobile phone use is linked to altered brain network organization. Higher problem severity correlates with reduced functional integration and increased local connectivity, impacting cognitive processes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Problematic mobile phone use can negatively impact social interaction, well-being, and cognitive functions.
- Understanding the neural underpinnings of problematic mobile phone use is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between mobile phone use problem severity and the topological organization of brain networks.
- To explore how functional and structural brain connectivity is altered in individuals with higher problematic mobile phone use.
Main Methods:
- Collected resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from 81 healthy participants.
- Applied graph theory analyses to assess brain network topology.
- Utilized the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale-10 (MPPUS-10) to quantify problem severity and conducted correlation analyses with graph metrics.
Main Results:
- Higher MPPUS-10 scores correlated with reduced functional integration (longer shortest path length, lower global efficiency) and increased local connectivity (higher clustering coefficient, higher local efficiency).
- Problematic mobile phone use severity was associated with altered structural network properties, indicated by a higher sigma value from DTI.
- Significant correlations were observed between MPPUS-10 scores and connectivity in specific brain regions, including the precentral gyrus, supplementary motor area, and postcentral gyrus.
Conclusions:
- Increased mobile phone use problem severity is associated with decreased functional network integration and increased segregation.
- Findings suggest that problematic mobile phone use may lead to network dysfunction and altered brain connectivity, aligning with digital overload and addiction theories.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise impact on brain information processing modules and their integration.
