Investigating the Effects of Smartphone Use on the Masseter Muscle

June 3, 2025 updated by: Hazel Çelik Güzel, Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

Investigating the Short and Long-term Effects of Smartphone Use on the Masseter Muscle

The aim of this study was to determine the short- and long-term effects of smartphone use on the masseter muscle. In the short term, to investigate whether repetitive thumb movements during phone use will cause a spontaneous muscle activation and/or tenderness in the masseter muscle; in the long term, to investigate the relationship between strength change and tenderness of the tenar and masseter muscles depending on the intensity and duration of phone use.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

A total of 120 healthy university students aged 18-30 years at Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University will be included in our study. Descriptive data form, Smartphone Addiction Scale - Short Form, Edinburg Hand Preference Inventory, pressure pain threshold, muscle activity, lateral grip strength, hand grip strength will be evaluated in the participant students.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
105

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey
    • Bandirma
      • Balikesir, Bandirma, Turkey, 10200
        • Bandirma Onyedi Eylül University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

University students

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Smartphone users students between the ages of 18-30 years
  • Students whose voluntary informed consent was obtained

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals undergoing masseter botox application
  • Individuals diagnosed with TMJ disorder and/or bruxism
  • Individuals with musculoskeletal problems with evidence of a systemic, specific pathologic condition such as fracture of the hand, finger, upper extremity and/or TMJ, rheumatoid disease
  • Individuals who have undergone any surgical operation related to hand, finger, upper extremity and/or TMJ problem
  • Individuals with less than 6 months of physiotherapy and rehabilitation services related to hand, finger, upper extremity and/or TMJ
  • Individuals with facial paralysis
  • Individuals with diagnosed psychiatric illness.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Form
Time Frame: 4 months
In our study, the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Form will be filled out to evaluate the intensity of smartphone use of students, and the daily duration of smartphone use will be recorded. This scale consists of 10 6-point Likert-type items used to measure the risk of smartphone addiction. Scores on the scale range from 10-60, with an increase in score indicating an increased risk for smartphone addiction. The cut-off score of the scale was determined as 31 for men and 33 for women in the Korean sample.
4 months
Edinburg Hand Preference Inventory
Time Frame: 4 months
Edinburg Hand Preference Inventory will be used to determine the dominant hand in our study. This scale asks which hand is used while performing 10 activities such as "writing", "drawing", "brushing teeth", "holding a fork (while eating)". For each activity; left hand preference is -10 points, right hand preference is +10 points and both hand preference is 0 points. After hand preference for all activities, the highest score that individuals can get is +100 and the lowest score is -100. A "negative" score is in favor of "left-handedness" and a "positive" score is in favor of "right-handedness". According to this scoring, individuals with a score between "+40 and +100" are recorded as "right-handed", individuals with a score between "-30 and +30" as "two-handed", and individuals with a score between "-100 and -40" as "left-handed".
4 months
Pressure Pain Threshold Assessment
Time Frame: 4 months
In our study, pressure pain threshold measurement of the dominant and non-dominant side masseter and tenar muscles before and after the activity will be evaluated with Baseline manual algometer (2.5 kg-11 lb).
4 months
Muscle Activation Measurement
Time Frame: 4 months
In our study, a four-channel Neurotrac Myoplus Pro 4 EMG Biofeedback device will be used for superficial electromyographic (EMG) measurements of the masseter muscle. The results of electromyographic activity will be presented as both mean data (microvolts) and normalized mean data (%MVC- Maximum Voluntary Contraction). The mean, minimum and peak contraction values of the activation will be recorded, the variability of the activation produced will be evaluated with the Inter Quantile Range (IQR). The average muscle activations that will occur in the muscle will be used as %MVC.
4 months
Hand Grip Strength Assessment
Time Frame: 4 months
Hand grip strength will be measured with 'Saehan Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer'. A total of three measurements will be made for each hand with a 15 s break between each measurement of the extremity and the average of the three measurements will be taken. Test results will be recorded in kilograms.
4 months
Finger Lateral Grip Strength Assessment
Time Frame: 4 months
Hand grip strength will be measured with 'Saehan Hydraulic pinch gauge'. Three measurements will be made for each hand in total with a 30-second break between each measurement and the average of the three measurements will be recorded in kilograms.
4 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 7, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 7, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 10, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 6, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 3, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2024-26

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings