NCT07040267

Smartphone Addiction on the Biomechanical Properties of Thumb Muscles and Thumb Sensory Sensitivity

Investigation of the Effect of Smartphone Addiction on the Biomechanical Properties of Thumb Muscles and Thumb Sensory Sensitivity in University Students

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 36 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Saglik Bilimleri Universitesi · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 30 Years
• Healthy volunteers: —

Summary

This study will aim to assess the effects of smartphone addiction on thumb muscle biomechanics and sensory sensitivity among university students. The research will investigate whether excessive smartphone use leads to significant differences in muscle tone, stiffness, elasticity, and sensory discrimination capabilities.

Detailed description

This will be a prospective, non-randomized, controlled observational study designed to examine the impact of smartphone addiction on the neuromuscular and sensory function of the thumbs. A total of 36 university students aged 18 to 30 will be recruited and categorized into two groups based on their scores from the Smartphone Addiction Scale - Short Version (SAS-SV): addicted and non-addicted. Participants' weekly screen times will be recorded, and the smartphone applications used will be categorized. The MyotonPro™ device will be used to measure the biomechanical properties of three thumb muscles (abductor pollicis brevis, flexor pollicis brevis, and opponens pollicis) in both hands. Sensory function will be assessed bilaterally using the Baseline Aesthesiometer via two-point discrimination testing. This study will evaluate whether significant biomechanical or sensory changes are observable among addicted users compared to non-addicted users, and whether screen time is correlated with any muscular or sensory outcomes.

Conditions

• Smartphone Addiction
• Thumb Injury

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIAGNOSTIC_TEST	Thumb evaluations	There is no therapeutic or experimental intervention in this study. All procedures will be limited to diagnostic evaluations. The study will include non-invasive biomechanical and sensory assessments to compare the thumb muscle characteristics and sensory discrimination between smartphone-addicted and non-addicted university students. Specifically, muscle tone, stiffness, and elasticity will be measured using the MyotonPro™ device, and thumb sensory sensitivity will be evaluated using a Baseline Aesthesiometer with a two-point discrimination test. These assessments will be conducted during a single laboratory visit and will not involve any treatment, medication, or behavioral intervention. This is a purely observational study aimed at identifying potential associations between smartphone usage patterns and thumb neuromuscular or sensory changes.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-07-01
• Primary completion: 2026-07-01
• Completion: 2026-07-01
• First posted: 2025-06-27
• Last updated: 2025-07-02

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)