Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience (CSAN), Linköping University Hospital, Tinnerbäckshuset Floor 14, Linköping, S-581 83, Sweden.
BMC Psychiatry. 2024 Aug 13;24(1):558. doi: 10.1186/s12888-024-06002-9.
Tactile sensitivity and sensory overload in ADHD are well-documented in clinical-, self-, and parent- reports, but empirical evidence is scarce and ambiguous and focuses primarily on children. Here, we compare both empirical and self-report tactile sensitivity and ADHD symptomatology in adults with ADHD and neurotypical controls. We evaluate whether tactile sensitivity and integration is more prevalent in ADHD and whether it is related to ADHD symptom severity.
Somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) amplitudes were measured in 27 adults with ADHD and 24 controls during four conditions (rest, stroking of the own arm, stroking of the arm by a researcher, and stroking of an object). Participants also filled out questionnaires on tactile sensitivity and ADHD symptoms and performed a Qb-test as an objective measure of ADHD symptom severity.
Participants with ADHD self-reported greater tactile sensitivity and ADHD symptom severity than controls and received higher scores on the Qb-test. These values correlated with one another. ADHD participants showed lower tolerable threshold for electrical radial nerve stimulus, and greater reduction in cortical SEP amplitudes during additional tactile stimuli which was correlated with ADHD symptoms.
We find that ADHD symptomatology and touch sensitivity are directly linked, using both self-reports and experimental measures. We also find evidence of tactile sensory overload in ADHD, and an indication that this is linked to inattention specifically. Tactile sensitivity and sensory overload impact the functioning and life quality of many people with ADHD, and clinicians should consider this when treating their patients.
ADHD 患者的触觉敏感性和感觉超负荷在临床、自我和家长报告中都有详细记录，但实证证据稀缺且模棱两可，主要集中在儿童身上。在这里，我们比较了 ADHD 患者和神经典型对照组成人的实证和自我报告的触觉敏感性和 ADHD 症状。我们评估了触觉敏感性和整合在 ADHD 中是否更为普遍，以及它是否与 ADHD 症状严重程度有关。
在四项条件下（休息、自我手臂抚摸、研究人员抚摸手臂和抚摸物体），对 27 名 ADHD 患者和 24 名对照者进行了体感诱发电位（SEP）振幅测量。参与者还填写了有关触觉敏感性和 ADHD 症状的问卷，并进行了 Qb 测试，作为 ADHD 症状严重程度的客观测量。
与对照组相比，ADHD 患者自我报告的触觉敏感性和 ADHD 症状严重程度更高，并且在 Qb 测试中得分更高。这些值相互关联。ADHD 参与者对电桡神经刺激的可耐受阈值较低，并且在额外的触觉刺激期间皮质 SEP 振幅的降低更大，这与 ADHD 症状相关。
我们发现，使用自我报告和实验测量，ADHD 症状和触觉敏感性直接相关。我们还发现了 ADHD 中存在触觉感觉超负荷的证据，并且表明这与注意力不集中有关。触觉敏感性和感觉超负荷会影响许多 ADHD 患者的功能和生活质量，临床医生在治疗患者时应考虑这一点。
