Open AccessInvestigating sensory response to physical discomfort in children with autism spectrum disorder using near-infrared spectroscopy
Author(s) -
Larissa Schudlo,
Evdokia Anagnostou,
Tom Chau,
Krissy DoyleThomas
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0257029
Subject(s) - autism spectrum disorder , audiology , stimulus (psychology) , sensory system , population , autism , medicine , sensory processing , distress , functional near infrared spectroscopy , prefrontal cortex , psychology , psychiatry , clinical psychology , neuroscience , cognition , cognitive psychology , environmental health
Self-reporting of pain can be difficult in populations with communication challenges or atypical sensory processing, such as children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Consequently, pain can go untreated. An objective method to identify discomfort would be valuable to individuals unable to express or recognize their own bodily distress. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a brain-imaging modality that is suited for this application. We evaluated the potential of detecting a cortical response to discomfort in the ASD population using NIRS. Using a continuous-wave spectrometer, prefrontal and parietal measures were collected from 15 males with ASD and 7 typically developing (TD) males 10–15 years of age. Participants were exposed to a noxious cold stimulus by immersing their hands in cold water and tepid water as a baseline task. Across all participants, the magnitude and timing of the cold and tepid water-induced brain responses were significantly different ( p < 0.001). The effect of the task on the brain response depended on the study group (group x task: p < 0.001), with the ASD group exhibiting a blunted response to the cold stimulus. Findings suggest that NIRS may serve as a tool for objective pain assessment and atypical sensory processing.