Lateral orbitofrontal gray matter abnormalities in subjects with problematic smartphone use
Lee D, Namkoong K, Lee J, Lee BO, Jung YC
Journal of behavioral addictions · 43 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Case-control study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
Based on full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2019-09-01 · J Behav Addict · vol. 8 · issue 3 · pp. 404–411
- Publisher
- Akadémiai Kiadó
- Cited
- 62 citations · more than 99% of similar papers · 13.6× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 60 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY-NC
- Research areas
- Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Digital Mental Health Interventions · Media Influence and Health
- Keywords
- smartphone addiction, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, gray matter volume, addiction proneness, behavioral addiction, behavioral regulation
- MeSH
- gyrus cinguli, prefrontal cortex, humans, magnetic resonance imaging, behavior, addictive, adolescent, adult, female, male, young adult, social networking, smartphone
5 authors
From KR
- Deokjong LeeYonsei University; National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital; Yonsei University Health System
- Kee NamkoongYonsei University; Yonsei University Health System
- Junghan LeeYonsei University; Yonsei University Health System
- Byung Ook LeeYonsei University; National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital; Yonsei University Health System
- Young‐Chul JungYonsei University; Yonsei University Health System
Abstract
Background and aims
Smartphone use is becoming commonplace and exerting adequate control over smartphone use has become an important mental health issue. Little is known about the neurobiology underlying problematic smartphone use. We hypothesized that structural abnormalities in the fronto-cingulate brain region could be implicated in problematic smartphone use, similar to that has been reported for Internet gaming disorder and Internet addiction. This study investigated fronto-cingulate gray matter abnormalities in problematic smartphone users, particularly those who spend time on social networking platforms.
Methods
The study included 39 problematic smartphone users with excessive use of social networking platforms via smartphone and 49 normal control male and female smartphone users. We conducted voxel-based morphometric analysis with diffeomorphic anatomical registration using an exponentiated Lie algebra algorithm. Region of interest analysis was performed on the fronto-cingulate region to identify whether gray matter volume (GMV) differed between the two groups.
Results
Problematic smartphone users had significantly smaller GMV in the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) than healthy controls, and there were significant negative correlations between GMV in the right lateral OFC and the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale (SAPS) score, including the SAPS tolerance subscale.
Conclusions
These results suggest that lateral orbitofrontal gray matter abnormalities are implicated in problematic smartphone use, especially in social networking platform overuse. Small GMV in the lateral OFC was correlated with an increasing tendency to be immersed in smartphone use. Our results suggest that orbitofrontal gray matter abnormalities affect regulatory control over previously reinforced behaviors and may underlie problematic smartphone use.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY-NC).
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