Hazen Eric P, Stornelli Jennifer L, O'Rourke Julia A, Koesterer Karmen, McDougle Christopher J
From Harvard Medical School (Drs. Hazen, O'Rourke, and McDougle); Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Drs. Hazen and McDougle), Lurie Center for Autism (Ms. Stornelli, Drs. O'Rourke and McDougle, and Ms. Koesterer), and Laboratory of Computer Science (Dr. O'Rourke), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA; Spaulding Outpatient Center for Children, Lexington, MA (Ms. Stornelli).
Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2014 Mar-Apr;22(2):112-24. doi: 10.1097/01.HRP.0000445143.08773.58.
The aim of this review is to summarize the recent literature regarding abnormalities in sensory functioning in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including evidence regarding the neurobiological basis of these symptoms, their clinical correlates, and their treatment. Abnormalities in responses to sensory stimuli are highly prevalent in individuals with ASD. The underlying neurobiology of these symptoms is unclear, but several theories have been proposed linking possible etiologies of sensory dysfunction with known abnormalities in brain structure and function that are associated with ASD. In addition to the distress that sensory symptoms can cause patients and caregivers, these phenomena have been correlated with several other problematic symptoms and behaviors associated with ASD, including restrictive and repetitive behavior, self-injurious behavior, anxiety, inattention, and gastrointestinal complaints. It is unclear whether these correlations are causative in nature or whether they are due to shared underlying pathophysiology. The best-known treatments for sensory symptoms in ASD involve a program of occupational therapy that is specifically tailored to the needs of the individual and that may include sensory integration therapy, a sensory diet, and environmental modifications. While some empirical evidence supports these treatments, more research is needed to evaluate their efficacy, and other means of alleviating these symptoms, including possible psychopharmacological interventions, need to be explored. Additional research into the sensory symptoms associated with ASD has the potential to shed more light on the nature and pathophysiology of these disorders and to open new avenues of effective treatments.
本综述的目的是总结近期关于自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）个体感觉功能异常的文献，包括这些症状的神经生物学基础、临床相关性及其治疗的证据。对感觉刺激的反应异常在ASD个体中非常普遍。这些症状的潜在神经生物学机制尚不清楚，但已经提出了几种理论，将感觉功能障碍的可能病因与已知的与ASD相关的脑结构和功能异常联系起来。除了感觉症状会给患者和照顾者带来痛苦外，这些现象还与其他一些与ASD相关的问题症状和行为有关，包括限制性和重复性行为、自伤行为、焦虑、注意力不集中和胃肠道不适。尚不清楚这些相关性是因果关系还是由于共同的潜在病理生理学。ASD中感觉症状最著名的治疗方法包括一项专门针对个体需求的职业治疗计划，可能包括感觉统合治疗、感觉饮食和环境改造。虽然一些实证证据支持这些治疗方法，但需要更多研究来评估其疗效，并且需要探索其他缓解这些症状的方法，包括可能的心理药物干预。对与ASD相关的感觉症状的进一步研究有可能更深入地了解这些障碍的本质和病理生理学，并开辟有效的治疗新途径。
