Neural Correlates of Personality Traits in Adolescents with Excessive Smartphone Use: A Resting-State fMRI Study

This study examined brain connectivity patterns in 31 adolescents with excessive smartphone use versus 31 healthy controls using resting-state fMRI, finding altered functional connectivity in the salience network (middle cingulate cortex and insula) associated with lower persistence personality traits. Adolescents with excessive smartphone use showed enhanced connectivity between key brain regions linked to attention and reward processing, correlating with reduced persistence and increased harm avoidance traits.