Anterior cingulate gyrus acts as a moderator of the relationship between problematic mobile phone use and depressive symptoms in college students

Anterior cingulate gyrus acts as a moderator of the relationship between problematic mobile phone use and depressive symptoms in college students

Highlight：本研究采用无创磁共振技术分析大脑结构与手机依赖的关联，进而探讨大脑结构在大学生手机依赖与抑郁症状关联中的作用。研究发现前扣带回和右侧梭状回的灰质体积及胼胝体区的部分各向异性值与手机依赖呈负相关关系，在调节效应中发现前扣带回灰质体积在手机依赖与抑郁症状关联中起负向调节作用。

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the brain grey matter volume (GMV) related to problematic mobile phone use (PMPU), and whether these regions of GMV play a potential moderating role in the relationship between PMPU and depressive symptoms. We recruited 266 students who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning. PMPU and depressive symptoms were assessed by a self-rating questionnaire for adolescent PMPU and patient health questionnaire-9, respectively. A multiple regression model was performed to detect GMV and white matter (WM) integrity associated with PMPU by voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) methods, and the moderating analysis was conducted by PROCESS using SPSS software. VBM analysis found an inverse correlation between the GMV of the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC) and right fusiform gyrus (FFG) with PMPU (PFDR < 0.05), and TBSS analysis revealed that fractional anisotropy (FA) in the body of the corpus callosum was negatively correlated with PMPU. The correlation between PMPU and depressive symptoms was moderated by the GMV of the ACC. These results suggest that the GMV of the ACC and right FFG, as well as FA in the body of the corpus callosum, was related to PMPU, and we further found that increased GMV of the ACC could reduce the relationship between PMPU and depressive symptoms in college students.

Zou L, Wu X, Tao S, Yang Y, Zhang Q, Hong X, Xie Y, Li T, Zheng S, Tao F. Anterior cingulate gyrus acts as a moderator of the relationship between problematic mobile phone use and depressive symptoms in college students. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2021;16(5):484-491.