Does Mental Fatigue Caused by Social Media Use Affect Biomechanical Properties of Muscles in Young Male Athletes?

November 21, 2025 updated by: Burçin Akçay, Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

The Effect of Text Neck Syndrome on the Muscle and Bone Architecture of the Cervical Region

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of mental fatigue (MF) induced by 30 minutes of social media use on neck kinematics and neck muscle biomechanical properties in young male athletes. Twenty-five participants are enrolled in a single-blind cross-sectional design. Baseline and post-MF assessments include cervical range of motion measured with a CROM device, forward head posture evaluated using craniovertebral angle analysis, and muscle tone, stiffness, and elasticity measured with MyotonPRO. MF is induced through 30 minutes of Instagram® use on a smartphone and quantified with a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). No results or conclusions are provided in this section.

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.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of mental fatigue (MF) induced by 30 minutes of social media use on neck kinematics and the biomechanical properties of the neck muscles [upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid (SCM), semispinalis (SS), and splenius capitis (SC)] in young male athletes. Twenty-five young male athletes are enrolled in a single-blind cross-sectional study. Participants undergo assessments at baseline and again following MF induction. These assessments include cervical range of motion (CROM) measured with a validated CROM device, forward head posture (FHP) evaluated via craniovertebral angle (CVA) photometric analysis, and muscle biomechanical properties (tone, stiffness, elasticity) measured using the MyotonPRO device. Mental fatigue is induced through 30 minutes of Instagram use on a smartphone. MF severity is assessed using a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). No results or conclusions are reported in this section.

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.
Interventional

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.
25

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

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 (Türkiye)
    • Balıkesir
      • Bandırma, Balıkesir, Turkey (Türkiye), 10200
        • Health Sciencies

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Amateur athletes aged 18-35
  • using social media via a smartphone
  • actively participating in competitions

Exclusion Criteria:

  • having a surgical operation or trauma related to the neck region, having any pathology in the neck region (neck cyst, tumours, haematoma, etc.), having a history of traumatic injury in the neck region, and having neurological and rheumatic diseases.

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

  • Primary Purpose: Screening
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Experimental Design
The study was conducted as a single-blind experimental study. Since it was thought that mental functions might be affected, all the procedures to be applied were explained to the participants, and written informed consent was obtained, but the purpose and hypotheses were not explained. After the final assessment of the participants was completed, the purpose and hypotheses of this study were explained. The study was conducted between June 2024 and February 2025.
Other: Metal Fatigue Protocols
Metal Fatigue Protocols Participants used Instagram® for 30 minutes by browsing their personal feed with one-handed tapping and swiping gestures. They were allowed to scroll and like posts but were restricted from viewing stories or reels and from sharing any content.

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
Range of Motion of the Neck
Time Frame: Baseline
The normal joint motion of the cervical region was evaluated with the Cervical Range of Motion (CROM-Perfomance Attainment Associates, St. Paul, MN, 55117, United States) device, which has clinical validity and reliability. The flexion, extension, right and left lateral flexion and rotation angles of the cervical region were measured three times and averaged with the CROM device.
Baseline
Forward Head Posture
Time Frame: Baseline
The craniovertebral angle (CVA) was measured using a photometric method with the participants in a standing position. Prior to imaging, the C7 process and tragus were marked. A camera was placed 1.5 m from the lateral surface of the body at the level of the acromial process.
Baseline
Biomechanical Properties of Muscles
Time Frame: Baseline
The biomechanical properties of cervical muscles were assessed using the MyotonPRO, which quantifies tissue oscillations following a brief mechanical impulse to determine tone, stiffness, and elasticity. This method provides reliable interrater and intrarater measurements for cervical musculature when applied perpendicularly in a standardized supine position, as demonstrated in previous research. For each muscle, three consecutive measurements were recorded following established protocols for the sternocleidomastoid and upper trapezius.The MyotonPro enables the assessment of various parameters, including the state of resting muscle tone (F), defined as the suppressed EMG signal, and dynamic stiffness (S). The basis of stiffness assessment using myotonometry is the theory of free oscillations, arising from the natural oscillations of tissues in response to brief mechanical exposure of the skin.
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.
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.
June 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.
December 20, 2024

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.
February 1, 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).
March 22, 2025

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.
November 21, 2025

First Posted (Estimated)

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.
December 4, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

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.
December 4, 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.
November 21, 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.
November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • 2024-110

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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.

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