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Updated: Mar 26, 2026
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Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities
Published on: January 29, 2014
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White Matter Microstructure is Associated with Auditory and Tactile Processing in Children with and without Sensory
Yi-Shin Chang1, Mathilde Gratiot2, Julia P Owen1
1Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA, USA.
Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
|February 10, 2016
Summary
Children with sensory processing disorders (SPD) show altered white matter microstructure, particularly in posterior brain regions. This microstructural integrity directly correlates with tactile and auditory processing abilities in both affected and typically developing children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Sensory processing disorders (SPD) affect up to 16% of school-aged children, causing cognitive and behavioral deficits.
- While sensory processing differences are recognized in autism, children with SPD without autism criteria are understudied.
- Previous DTI studies showed altered white matter microstructure in boys with SPD, correlating with atypical sensory behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate white matter microstructure in relation to tactile and auditory function in a larger, mixed-gender cohort of children with SPD.
- To explore the neural correlates of sensory processing abilities using diffusion MRI.
- To identify potential biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment in children with SPD.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to assess white matter microstructure (fractional anisotropy - FA) in children aged 8-12.
- Children included those with SPD and typically developing children (TDC).
- Tactile and auditory processing were assessed using both parent reports and direct measurement methods.
Main Results:
- Robust alterations in posterior white matter microstructure were found in children with SPD compared to TDC.
- More spatially distributed white matter alterations were observed in children with SPD.
- Fractional anisotropy (FA) strongly correlated with both parent-reported and directly measured tactile and auditory processing abilities.
Conclusions:
- White matter microstructure is a neural correlate of sensory processing ability in children.
- Direct assessment measures showed a stronger correlation with white matter integrity than parent reports.
- Diffusion MRI shows promise as a tool for diagnosing and managing SPD.
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