Associations Between Screen-Based Media Use and Brain White Matter Integrity in Preschool-Aged Children

November 4, 2019

JAMA Pediatr. Published online November 4, 2019. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.3869

Question  Is screen-based media use associated with differences in the structural integrity of brain white matter tracts that support language and literacy skills in preschool-aged children?

Findings  In this cross-sectional study of 47 healthy prekindergarten children, screen use greater than that recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines was associated with (1) lower measures of microstructural organization and myelination of brain white matter tracts that support language and emergent literacy skills and (2) corresponding cognitive assessments.

Meaning  These findings suggest a need for further study into the association between screen-based media use and the developing brain, particularly during early childhood.

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