An electrophysiological study of auditory-somatosensory integration among persons with Autism Specrum Disorders

Background: In spite of the multitude of clinical and anecdotal evidence to suggest that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders have sensory atypicalities, few studies have been conducted in which this is assessed directly using objective physiological measures of sensory processing.

Objectives: Here, we present findings from an electrophysiological study in which we measured the brains response to auditory and tactile stimulation.

Methods: 10 participants with ASD (diagnosed on the basis of the ADOS and ADI), and 10 typically developing children matched on the basis of age, IQ and handedness participated in this study. Participants completed a passive task in which auditory and somatosensory stimuli were presented either alone or simultaneously.

Results: Differences between the persons with ASD and typically developing children emerged with respect to both basic sensory processing, and how the brain integrated the sensory inputs when they were presented together.

Conclusions: These findings are discussed with respect to their implications for theories of autism and the role of sensory processing and multisensory integration.