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Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
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Quantitative Sensory Testing in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Odette Fründt1, Wiebke Grashorn2, Daniel Schöttle3
1Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. o.fruendt@uke.de.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
|February 5, 2017
Summary
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) adults showed no differences in basic sensory thresholds compared to controls. However, some ASD individuals experienced unusual heat sensations and pain, suggesting central processing differences.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Autism Research
Background:
- Altered sensory perception is a common characteristic in autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
- These sensory alterations may stem from abnormal sensory perception thresholds.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate somatosensory perception in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- To compare thermal and tactile detection and pain thresholds between ASD adults and neurotypical controls using Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST).
Main Methods:
- Utilized the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain's standardized Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) protocol.
- Assessed 13 somatosensory parameters in 13 adults with ASD and 13 matched healthy controls.
- Participants had normal IQ values.
Main Results:
- No significant group differences were found in somatosensory detection and pain thresholds.
- Two ASD patients reported paradoxical heat sensations.
- Two ASD subjects exhibited dynamic mechanical allodynia, which were not observed in controls.
Conclusions:
- Somatosensory alterations in ASD may not be due to peripheral nervous system dysfunction.
- Central nervous system mechanisms, particularly in complex stimulus integration, likely underlie altered sensory perception in autism spectrum disorder.
