Sex-specific neural responses to smartphone cues in young adults.

ABSTRACT: Problematic smartphone use has been associated with altered reward and executive control network activity, yet potential sex differences in the underlying neural mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. We investigated sex-specific neural correlates of smartphone cue reactivity (CR) in 69 healthy young adult smartphone users (age range 18-30 years, female/male n = 45/24). Participants completed the Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI) and underwent functional MRI during a smartphone CR paradigm. In addition, resting-state data were acquired to ensure that neural differences between female and male participants could be attributed to the CR paradigm rather than to sex differences in intrinsic neural activity. Whole-brain analyses revealed stronger activation in males compared to female

SUBMITTER: Wolf ND 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12930991 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature