Tablet use affects preschoolers’ executive function: fNIRS evidence from the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task

Philip Li; Dandan Wu; Jinfeng Yang; Jiutong Luo; Sha Xie; Chunqi Chang

doi:10.3390/brainsci11050567

Tablet use affects preschoolers’ executive function: fNIRS evidence from the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task

Philip Li^*, Dandan Wu, Jinfeng Yang, Jiutong Luo, Sha Xie, Chunqi Chang^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

19 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impact of heavy use of tablets on preschoolers’ executive function during the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) task using the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Altogether, 38 Chinese preschoolers (Mage = 5.0 years, SD = 0.69 years, 17 girls) completed the tasks before the COVID-19 lockdown. Eight children never used tablets, while 16 children were diagnosed as the ‘heavy-user’. The results indicated that: (1) the ‘non-user’ outperformed the ‘heavy-user’ with a significantly higher correct rate in the DCCS task; (2) the two groups differed significantly in the activation of the prefrontal cortex (BA 9): the ‘non-user’ pattern is normal and healthy, whereas the ‘heavy-user’ pattern is not normal and needs further exploration.

Original language	English
Article number	567
Pages (from-to)	1-12
Number of pages	12
Journal	Brain Sciences
Volume	11
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11050567
Publication status	Published - May 2021

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2021. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

pad use
executive function
fNIRS evidence
Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) task
preschoolers

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10.3390/brainsci11050567Licence: CC BY

Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 2.65 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Tablet use affects preschoolers{\textquoteright} executive function: fNIRS evidence from the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task",

abstract = "This study aims to examine the impact of heavy use of tablets on preschoolers{\textquoteright} executive function during the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) task using the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Altogether, 38 Chinese preschoolers (Mage = 5.0 years, SD = 0.69 years, 17 girls) completed the tasks before the COVID-19 lockdown. Eight children never used tablets, while 16 children were diagnosed as the {\textquoteleft}heavy-user{\textquoteright}. The results indicated that: (1) the {\textquoteleft}non-user{\textquoteright} outperformed the {\textquoteleft}heavy-user{\textquoteright} with a significantly higher correct rate in the DCCS task; (2) the two groups differed significantly in the activation of the prefrontal cortex (BA 9): the {\textquoteleft}non-user{\textquoteright} pattern is normal and healthy, whereas the {\textquoteleft}heavy-user{\textquoteright} pattern is not normal and needs further exploration.",

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author = "Philip Li and Dandan Wu and Jinfeng Yang and Jiutong Luo and Sha Xie and Chunqi Chang",

note = "Copyright the Author(s) 2021. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.",

year = "2021",

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doi = "10.3390/brainsci11050567",

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AU - Li, Philip

AU - Wu, Dandan

AU - Yang, Jinfeng

AU - Luo, Jiutong

AU - Xie, Sha

AU - Chang, Chunqi

N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2021. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2021/5

Y1 - 2021/5

N2 - This study aims to examine the impact of heavy use of tablets on preschoolers’ executive function during the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) task using the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Altogether, 38 Chinese preschoolers (Mage = 5.0 years, SD = 0.69 years, 17 girls) completed the tasks before the COVID-19 lockdown. Eight children never used tablets, while 16 children were diagnosed as the ‘heavy-user’. The results indicated that: (1) the ‘non-user’ outperformed the ‘heavy-user’ with a significantly higher correct rate in the DCCS task; (2) the two groups differed significantly in the activation of the prefrontal cortex (BA 9): the ‘non-user’ pattern is normal and healthy, whereas the ‘heavy-user’ pattern is not normal and needs further exploration.

AB - This study aims to examine the impact of heavy use of tablets on preschoolers’ executive function during the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) task using the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Altogether, 38 Chinese preschoolers (Mage = 5.0 years, SD = 0.69 years, 17 girls) completed the tasks before the COVID-19 lockdown. Eight children never used tablets, while 16 children were diagnosed as the ‘heavy-user’. The results indicated that: (1) the ‘non-user’ outperformed the ‘heavy-user’ with a significantly higher correct rate in the DCCS task; (2) the two groups differed significantly in the activation of the prefrontal cortex (BA 9): the ‘non-user’ pattern is normal and healthy, whereas the ‘heavy-user’ pattern is not normal and needs further exploration.

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Tablet use affects preschoolers’ executive function: fNIRS evidence from the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task

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Keywords

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