Functional gradient alterations and their transcriptomic correlates in short-video addiction: The mediating role of...

Short-video addiction (SVA) is a growing behavioral concern, yet its neurobiological and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study explored the role of large-scale functional connectivity gradients, negative affect (NA), fear of missing out (FoMO), and transcriptomic signatures in SVA.

We utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to analyze whole-brain functional connectivity gradients in 111 individuals with varying SVA symptoms. Mediation analyses examined the role of NA and FoMO, while transcriptomic profiling using the Allen Human Brain Atlas identified gene expression patterns that were linked to SVA-related neural alterations.

Higher SVA symptom severity was significantly associated with increased Gradient-1 values in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (r(111) = .358, p < .001) and insular cortex (r(111) = .369, p < .001), and decreased values in the bilateral superior parietal lobule (r(111) = -.382, p < .001). IS-RSA further revealed significant brain-behavior representational coupling in frontoparietal and salience-related regions (Bonferroni-corrected p < .001). Mediation analyses indicated that FoMO and NA partially mediated these neural-behavioral associations. Imaging-transcriptomic analysis identified 251 genes whose normative cortical expression patterns spatially covaried with SVA-related gradient alterations, enriched in synaptic transmission and inhibitory neuronal processes.

These findings provide a neurobiological framework for understanding SVA, emphasizing cognitive control, salience processing, emotional regulation, and transcriptomic influences. This study highlights potential pathways for intervention targeting compulsive short video consumption.