Author(s): FRICKE, L., CARIUS, D., ZHOU, Q., RAGERT, P., Institution: FACULTY OF SPORTS SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY LEIPZIG, Country: GERMANY, Abstract-ID: 933

INTRODUCTION:
Excessive social media (SM) use is commonly associated with detrimental effects on cognition and brain structure and function (for review see Fricke et al., in press). Nevertheless, little is known about SM-induced effects on motor learning and associated brain activity. This is especially relevant given the growing concerns about the global rise in SM use and, in parallel, physical inactivity.
METHODS:
To address this gap, the present study investigated whether excessive SM use impacts motor sequence learning and associated functional brain alterations as assessed by the hemodynamic response via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). For this purpose, thirty-nine healthy participants completed a complex whole body serial reaction time task (CWB-SRTT) on two consecutive days. This task served as a model for sequential motor skill learning. Here, participants responded to visual target cues displayed on a monitor by stepping as quickly as possible on a corresponding contact plate. SM use was assessed via self-report and used to classify participants into two groups post-hoc. Participants were divided using median split into low (SMlow; 72.01 ± 25.51 min/day) and high (SMhigh; 214.96 ± 94.97 min/day) SM groups. During CWB-SRTT, hemodynamic response was measured using whole-brain fNIRS. fNIRS and CWB-SRTT data were analyzed to examine whether SM use has potential effects on sequential motor skill learning and associated functional brain alterations.
RESULTS:
On the behavioral level, there was no significant difference in sequence-specific learning between SMlow and SMhigh neither on day 1 (t(37) = 0.251, p = 0.803) nor on day 2 (t(37) = -0.442, p = 0.661). However, using cluster-free threshold analysis, we observed a significant TIME X GROUP interaction (day 1) for learning blocks on a cortical level in one cluster including left prefrontal cortex and superior temporal gyrus (peak significance at STGL: F(2,52)max = 11.81, pmax = 0.02) for oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO). Within this cluster, HbO increased for SMhigh and decreased for SMlow across learning blocks. No such effects could be observed on day 2.
CONCLUSION:
Our results provide first evidence that the amount of SM use did not affect sequential motor skill learning outcomes. However, differential effects on a functional level could be observed on day 1. Thus, we assume that excessive SM use might not necessarily interfere with motor learning processes, at least in early motor skill learning periods. The observed functional differences between SMlow and SMhigh do not interfere with the learning outcome between groups.

References: Fricke, L., Ragert, P., Wendeborn, T. (in press). Is social media use a blessing or cure for motor function and skill acquisition? An opinion paper. eNeuro.