Testing dopaminergic markers of problematic social media use using neuromelanin-sensitive MRI.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational neuroimaging study
PubMed 41579630 · doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2026.112144
What was done
Seventy-two young adults aged 18–35 years (half having a first-degree relative with a psychotic disorder) completed the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale to measure problematic social media use (PSMU) and underwent neuromelanin-sensitive MRI (NM-MRI). Researchers calculated the average contrast-to-noise ratio within the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area (SN-VTA) as a proxy measure of dopaminergic function. Linear regressions evaluated the association between NM-MRI signal intensity and PSMU scores, adjusting for age, sex, and family history status, along with voxelwise brain analyses.
What was found
Higher PSMU scores were not significantly associated with average NM-MRI signal intensity across the SN-VTA (p = 0.65). Voxelwise analysis identified 99 voxels with higher signal intensity, but this did not reach statistical significance after correction (corrected p > 0.05). No significant main effects or interaction effects were observed for age, sex, or family risk status.
Why it matters
This first study applying neuromelanin-sensitive MRI to problematic social media use found no evidence of altered midbrain dopaminergic proxy markers, indicating that neuroadaptations observed in substance use disorders may not directly generalize to digital behavioral patterns.
Limits
The study is limited by a modest sample size (n = 72), a cross-sectional design that cannot infer longitudinal neuroadaptation, potential selection bias from enriching the cohort with individuals having familial psychosis risk, and reliance on NM-MRI as an indirect proxy for dopamine function rather than direct dynamic measurement.
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