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Tactile sensitivity in Asperger syndrome.

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore1, Teresa Tavassoli, Susana Calò

  • 1Department of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK. s.blakemore@ucl.ac.uk

Brain and Cognition
|February 28, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Adults with Asperger syndrome exhibit tactile hypersensitivity, particularly to higher frequency stimuli. Self-produced touch is perceived as less intense, but overall tactile sensitivity remains heightened in this group.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Sensory Processing

Background:

  • Anecdotal evidence suggests individuals with autism and Asperger syndrome experience hypersensitivity to touch.
  • Understanding tactile processing differences is crucial for supporting individuals with Asperger syndrome.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To objectively measure tactile thresholds and suprathreshold tactile sensitivity in adults with Asperger syndrome.
  • To investigate the impact of self-produced movement on tactile perception in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted involving adults with Asperger syndrome and a control group.
  • Experiment 1: Measured vibrotactile perceptual thresholds at 30 Hz and 200 Hz.
  • Experiment 2: Assessed ratings of tactile stimulation intensity under self-produced versus externally-produced conditions.

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Main Results:

  • Significantly lower tactile perceptual thresholds were observed in the Asperger group at 200 Hz, but not 30 Hz.
  • Both groups perceived self-produced touch as less intense than externally-produced touch.
  • The Asperger group rated both self-produced and externally-produced tactile stimuli as significantly more intense than the control group.

Conclusions:

  • The study confirms tactile hypersensitivity in adults with Asperger syndrome, specifically for certain stimulus frequencies.
  • The perceptual attenuation of self-produced touch functions normally in individuals with Asperger syndrome.
  • Tactile hypersensitivity in Asperger syndrome is not explained by an abnormality in the self-produced touch attenuation process.