Impact of social media use in static and dynamic functional network connectivity of social anxiety disorder

Abstract

Although social media use patterns are related to social anxiety disorder (SAD), their modulatory relationship with functional network connectivity (FNC) change remains unexplored. This study aims to address this question by utilizing static and dynamic FNC analyses. Using resting-state fMRI data from 45 SAD patients and 43 healthy controls (HC) across two acquisition timepoints (baseline, 2-month follow-up), we examined static and dynamic FNC. Standard region-of-interest (ROI)-to-ROI analysis was performed for static FNC. Dynamic FNC was analyzed using sliding-window and kmeans clustering approach. Social media usage was differentiated between messaging (MSG) and social platform (SP) across four time-of-day segments. Influences of digital social behavior were assessed through correlation analysis. Patients showed decreased static connectivity within cognitive control networks, particularly involving the default mode network. Dynamic FNC analysis identified four brain states, with SAD showing altered temporal dynamics. Specifically, patients exhibited abnormalities in the temporal properties of State 1, characterized as an internally focused state linked to self-referential processing. Lowered State 1 occurrence at follow-up was associated with higher social media use-MSG use in HC and SP use in SAD. Greater SP use was related to increased engagements of an externally vigilant state (State 3) in SAD. Aberrant temporal properties in SAD illustrate difficulties disengaging from maladaptive self-referential processing and a propensity toward heightened sensory vigilance. Furthermore, social media use, particularly content-based SP, may modulate brain dynamics related to introspection and external processing among patients. The findings underscore comprehensive neurobiological underpinnings of SAD and impacts of digital social behavior.