Autism spectrum disorder in the scope of tactile processing

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Sensory processing abnormalities, particularly tactile dysfunction, are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Traditional assessments rely on subjective reports, while newer psychophysical methods offer more objective measures.
• The neurobiological underpinnings and links to core ASD symptoms remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review clinical and behavioral studies on tactile processing dysfunction in ASD.
• To explore the neurobiological mechanisms potentially underlying these tactile abnormalities.
• To identify challenges and future directions for research in this area.

Main Methods:

• Review of clinical studies using self-, parent-, and experimenter-reports for tactile sensitivity.
• Analysis of recent psychophysical investigations measuring individual tactile thresholds.
• Examination of neurobiological research, including studies on central nervous system excitation/inhibition balance.

Main Results:

• Findings on tactile abnormalities in ASD are inconsistent across studies.
• Subjectivity of assessments, cohort heterogeneity, and diverse measures contribute to variability.
• Some research suggests dysfunction in the central nervous system's excitation/inhibition balance.

Conclusions:

• Tactile processing differences are a significant feature of ASD, but current understanding is limited.
• Inconsistent findings highlight the need for more objective and hypothesis-driven research.
• Future studies should integrate clinical, behavioral, and neurobiological approaches for a comprehensive understanding.