The neural mechanisms of sensory overresponsivity (SOR) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
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[EMBARGOED UNTIL 12/01/2026] Many adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience sensory over-responsivity (SOR), an extreme sensitivity to sensory stimuli. Despite the prevalence of SOR among individuals with ASD, research surrounding its neural bases is limited. Some work suggests that youth with ASD and SOR may display heightened neural responses in sensory regions and hubs of the salience network (SN). To this end, the present study aims to explore the role of the SN and sensory regions in SOR among adolescents with ASD using fMRI. Participants were 11-15 years of age and included 18 adolescents with ASD and sensory over-responsivity (ASDSOR; 17M, 1F), 16 adolescents with ASD and no sensory abnormalities (ASDNS; 13M, 3F), and a comparison group of 15 typically developing adolescents with no sensory abnormalities (non-ASDNS; 14M, 1F) without ASD. Stimuli consisted of passive exposure to auditory, visual, thermal, and vibrotactile stimulation presented in a block design. To isolate the unique neural signature of SOR, we compared neural responses between the ASDSOR and ASDNS groups during sensory stimulation epochs. To isolate the neural signature of ASD alone, we compared responses in ASDNS and non-ASDNS youth. Contrary to hypotheses, the ASDSOR group exhibited less activation than ASDNS youth in superior parietal somatosensory regions as well as prefrontal and thalamic regions of the SN. Compared to non-ASDNS youth, the ASDNS group displayed significantly greater activation in similar regions during the majority of sensory conditions. These findings contrast with extant literature suggesting neural hyperexcitability of the SN and sensory cortices as a neural underpinning of SOR in ASD. We propose a general pattern whereby ASD is associated with hyperactivation while SOR is associated with hypoactivation in relevant brain regions. Future research should aim to replicate the results of this preliminary investigation, particularly as it relates the neural correlates of atypical thermoception amongst ASDSOR youth, as this is an understudied area.
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M.A.