Effect of Problematic Smartphone Use

March 9, 2026 updated by: Ismail Okur, Kutahya Health Sciences University

Effect of Problematic Smartphone Use on Upper Extremity Functions and Cognitive Functions

There is no study that examines the effect of problematic use of smartphones, which has become a global problem today, on reaction time and cognitive functions together. This study was planned to examine the effect of problematic smartphone use on upper extremity functions and cognitive functions. Participants' problematic smartphone use will be evaluated with the Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Form. Within the scope of upper extremity functions, Quick Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder & Hand Questionnaire, reaction time and grip strength will be evaluated. Reaction time will be measured with BlazePod Trainer (Blazepod Trainer Device, Play Coyotta Ltd, Tel Aviv, Israel). Jamar dynamometer (Performance Health, Warrenville, IL) will be used to evaluate grip strength. Cognitive functions will be assessed using the Stroop Test ÇAPA Form, Trail Making Test and Cognitive Failures Questionnaire.

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.

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.
131

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Center
      • Kütahya, Center, Turkey (Türkiye), 43100
        • Kutahya Health Sciences 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

Healthy adults aged 18-25 years

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • To be between 18-25 years old
  • Using a smartphone for at least 1 hour a day
  • Volunteering to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Having undergone a surgical operation involving the upper extremity within the last 6 months
  • History of trauma to the shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist in the last 6 months
  • Presence of a diagnosed neurological, rheumatic or psychiatric disease

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Study group
Participants with problematic smartphone use were identified with the Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Form. Participants with a score above 31 for women and 33 for men were defined as individuals with problematic smartphone use.
Control group
Participants with problematic smartphone use were identified with the Smartphone Addiction Scale Short Form. Participants with a score below 31 for women and 33 for men were defined as the control group.

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: Baseline
It is a 10-item scale to assess problematic smartphone use. Each item in the scale is scored between 1 (strongly disagree) and 6 (strongly agree). The total score ranges from 10-60, with higher scores indicating an increased risk of smartphone addiction. The cut-off score of the scale was reported as 33 for women and 31 for men.
Baseline
Upper Extremity Functions-Quick Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder & Hand (Quick DASH)
Time Frame: Baseline
In the 11-question scale, difficulties encountered during activities of daily living (carrying shopping bags, opening jars, using a knife to cut food, etc.) due to problems in the shoulder, elbow and hand regions are scored from 1 (no difficulty) to 5 (no difficulty at all). A higher total score indicates an increased level of functional limitation in the upper limb.
Baseline
Upper Extremity Functions-Reaction Time
Time Frame: Baseline
The upper extremity reaction time will be assessed using the BlazePod Trainer (Blazepod Trainer Device, Play Coyotta Ltd, Tel Aviv, Israel). Participants will be asked to hit 5 LEDs on a table as quickly as possible using only one hand while in a seated position. The LEDs will be arranged in an arc on the table within the participant's reach without disturbing their seated posture. The right and left hands will be evaluated separately. The number of LEDs hit in 30 seconds, the unit hit time (ms), and the number of missed LEDs (those that automatically hit after a 5-second waiting period) will be recorded through the BlazePod app installed on the researchers' phones.
Baseline
Upper Extremity Functions-Grip Strength
Time Frame: Baseline
A calibrated digital Jamar dynamometer (Performance Health, Warrenville, IL) will be used for grip strength. Participants will be instructed to squeeze the dynamometer as hard as possible while sitting in an upright position as recommended by the American Society of Hand Therapists, with arms at their sides, elbows flexed 90° and forearms in a neutral position. For hand grip strength, 3 measurements will be made with one minute intervals between each measurement and the average value will be recorded.
Baseline
Cognitive Functions-Stroop Test ÇAPA Form
Time Frame: Baseline
It is used to assess executive functions such as attention, information processing speed and response inhibition. The Stroop Test ÇAPA Form consists of a total of 60 items. In the first part, there are small rectangles (0.5 x 1 cm) with colors such as yellow, blue and red. In the second part, there are color names written in different colors. The test is administered in 3 stages. In the first part (Stroop A), the person is asked to name the colors in the boxes from left to right. If a color blindness is detected, the test can be terminated. In the second part (Stroop B), the person is asked to read quickly the color names written in different colors (yellow, red, green). In the third part (Stroop C), participants are asked to say the colors of the words (blue, green, yellow) without reading the color names. In all three parts, the time is timed and recorded with a stopwatch.
Baseline
Cognitive Functions-Trail Making Test
Time Frame: Baseline
It is used to assess cognitive functions such as working memory, complex attention and cognitive flexibility. It requires visual scanning and hand-eye coordination. The Trail Making Test consists of 25 circles with numbers distributed on paper and has 2 sections (IST A-B). Section A contains numbers numbered between 1 and 25, and during the test, individuals are asked to connect the circles by drawing lines consecutively and in the correct order. In part B, the circles contain both numbers and letters. Participants are asked to quickly connect the circles in consecutive order in accordance with the order of numbers and letters (1-A, 2-B, 3-C, etc.) by drawing a line without lifting the pencil from the paper. The time to complete each trace is recorded in seconds (s), A and B.
Baseline
Cognitive Functions-Cognitive Failures Questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline
Errors in perception, memory and motor functions in daily life are assessed with 25 questions. Each question is scored from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). The total score ranges from 0-100, with a higher score indicating an increased level of cognitive error.
Baseline

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.
Kutahya Health Sciences University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Ismail Okur, PT, PhD, Kutahya Health Sciences 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.
October 20, 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.
June 30, 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.
December 31, 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).
October 8, 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.
October 10, 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.
October 15, 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.
March 10, 2026

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.
March 9, 2026

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.
March 1, 2026

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.
  • KSBU 2024/04-27

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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