Social Media Usage in Adolescent Girls

NCT06426459 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: IRTG_P09
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 70
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The study aims to explore the effects of hormonal fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle on social media use, brain architecture, neural reward processing and reward behavior, and affective status in adolescent girls. Additionally, it strives to compare the effects of exogenous and endogenous hormones on the above-mentioned aspects. For this purpose, the investigators will compare two main groups in the study: 1. Naturally cycling adolescent girls, 2. Adolescent girls using combined oral contraceptives. This study will combine self-report data via questionnaires, ecological data via Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), endocrine data via blood collection, and neural data via fMRI assessment to enhance the understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying social media use in adolescent girls. Furthermore, it seeks to elucidate whether there are vulnerable periods throughout the menstrual cycle when adolescent girls are especially prone to dysfunctional social media use and help to design more specific interventions as well as therapy.

Conditions

Menstrual Cycle; Oral Contraceptive

Keywords

Social media use; Adolescent girls; Menstrual cycle; Oral contraceptive; Neuroimaging; Women's mental health

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Brain disparities: Contrasting naturally cycling adolescent girls with those using combined oral contraceptives

  Possible differences between naturally cycling adolescent girls and those taking combined oral contraceptives in brain structure

  Measured twice appr. 2-3 weeks apart; approximately 45 minutes each time

• Brain disparities: Contrasting naturally cycling adolescent girls with those using combined oral contraceptives

  Possible differences between naturally cycling adolescent girls and those taking combined oral contraceptives in brain function (functional activation based on BOLD effect)

  Measured twice appr. 2-3 weeks apart; approximately 45 minutes each time]

• Reward-processing disparities: Contrasting naturally cycling adolescent girls with those using combined oral contraceptives

  Possible differences between naturally cycling adolescent girls and those taking combined oral contraceptives on reward processing

  Measured twice appr. 2-3 weeks apart; approx. 17 minutes each time

• Social media use disparities: Contrasting naturally cycling adolescent girls and those using combined oral contraceptives

  Possible differences in social media use between the two groups

  Measured through ecological momentary assessment every day throughout one month

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Social media use disparities: Contrasting follicular and luteal phase in naturally cycling adolescent girls

  Measured through ecological momentary assessment every day throughout one month

• Brain Disparities: Contrasting follicular and luteal phase in naturally cycling adolescent girls

  Measured twice appr. 2-3 weeks apart; circa 45 minutes each time

• Reward-processing disparities: Contrasting follicular and luteal phase in naturally cycling adolescent girls

  Measured twice appr. 2-3 weeks apart; circa 45 minutes each time

• Associations between personality and brain function & structure

  Measured twice appr. 2-3 weeks apart; circa 45 minutes each time

• Associations between personality and reward processing & behavior

  Measured twice appr. 2-3 weeks apart; circa 17 minutes each time

Study Arms (2)

Natural menstrual cycle

Adolescent girls who have a natural menstrual cycle and have not used any kind of hormonal contraception for at least 6 months.

Oral contraceptive

Adolescent girls who use combined oral contraceptives for at least 4 months.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 15 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study participants will be primarily recruited from residents of Tübingen and surrounding areas.

You may qualify if:

• Between 15 and 18 years old adolescent girls
• Body mass index(18-25kg/m2)
• Natural menstrual cycle (between 25 to 31 days) OR use of combined oral contraceptives for at least 4 months
• Social media use (e.g., Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, X, BeReal)
• Non-smoking
• German language fluency
• Attending age-appropriate school

You may not qualify if:

• Any neurological or psychiatric disease based on the standardized diagnostic interview (Kinder-DIPS)
• Medical problems such as hormonal, metabolic, developmental or chronic diseases (e.g., congenital disorders, diabetes, dysfunctions of the thyroid, or congestive heart failure)
• Pregnancy
• Females who gave birth or were breastfeeding within the last year
• Use of any other kind of steroid hormonal treatment (except combined oral contraceptives) or psychotropic treatment in the last three months
• Females with premenstrual dysphoric disorder(PMDD)
• Not willing to be informed about incidental fMRI findings
• Individuals with non-removable metal objects on or in the body such as cardiac pacemaker, artificial heart valve, metal prostheses, metal implants, metal splinters, etc.
• Tattoos (if fMRI-incompatible according to expert guidelines)
• Claustrophobia
• Surgery less than three months ago
• Pathological hearing or increased sensitivity to loud noises
• Neurological disease or injury
• Moderate or severe head injury
• Restricted (corrected) vision

Sponsors & Collaborators

• International Research Training Group 2804: lead
• German Research Foundation: collaborator
• University Hospital Tuebingen: collaborator
• Uppsala University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University Clinic Tuebingen, Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy

Tübingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, 72076, Germany

Location

Biospecimen

Retention: SAMPLES WITH DNA

Blood collection for hormonal assessment

Study Officials

• Tobias Renner, Prof. Dr. med.

  Child Psychiatry, University Clinic Tübingen

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Tomas Furmark, Dr.

  Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Sweden

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Edita Karavidaj, MSc

CONTACT

+491746443856; edita.karavidaj@med.uni-tuebingen.de

Isabel Brandhorst, Dr. Dipl.-Psych.

CONTACT

isabel.brandhorst@med.uni-tuebingen.de

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE CONTROL
• Time Perspective: OTHER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 14, 2024
• First Posted: May 23, 2024
• Study Start: May 29, 2024
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2025
• Study Completion: March 1, 2026
• Last Updated: May 23, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-05

Locations

DE (1)