Vanderbilt Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232-2050, USA.
Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
J Autism Dev Disord. 2019 Aug;49(8):3159-3172. doi: 10.1007/s10803-019-04043-8.
Atypical responses to tactile stimulation have been linked to core domains of dysfunction in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and phenotypic traits associated with ASD in neurotypical individuals. We investigated (a) the extent to which two psychophysically derived measures of tactile sensitivity-detection threshold and dynamic range-relate to traits associated with ASD and (b) whether those relations vary according to the presence of self-reported sensory hypersensitivities in neurotypical individuals. A narrow dynamic range was associated with increased autism-related traits in individuals who reported greater sensory hypersensitivity. In contrast, in individuals less prone to sensory hypersensitivity, a narrow dynamic range was associated with reduced autism-related traits. Findings highlight the potential importance of considering dynamic psychophysical metrics in future studies.
触觉刺激的非典型反应与自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)个体功能障碍的核心领域以及神经典型个体中与 ASD 相关的表型特征有关。我们研究了:(a)两种基于心理物理学的触觉敏感性测量方法——检测阈值和动态范围——与 ASD 相关特征的关联程度;(b)在神经典型个体中,这些关系是否因自我报告的感觉过敏的存在而有所不同。在报告感觉过敏程度较高的个体中,较窄的动态范围与自闭症相关特征的增加有关。相比之下,在不太容易感觉过敏的个体中,较窄的动态范围与自闭症相关特征的减少有关。研究结果强调了在未来研究中考虑动态心理物理指标的重要性。