Vibrotactile sensory gating for diagnosing children with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Author
Fleckenstein, Mads Kilstrup
Term
4. term
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-06-01
Pages
5
Abstract
Autismespektrumforstyrrelse (ASF) og opmærksomheds-/hyperaktivitetsforstyrrelse (ADHD) omfatter atypiske reaktioner på sanseindtryk i ICD-11 og kalder på objektive testmetoder. Dette studie undersøgte, om en vibrotaktil sensorisk gating-paradigme målt med elektroencefalografi (EEG) kan skelne mellem børn med ASF, ADHD og neurotypiske (NT) jævnaldrende. Treoghalvtreds børn i alderen 8–16 år (18 ADHD, 16 ASF, 19 NT) modtog par af korte vibrationer på en fingerspids, mens EEG blev optaget. Vi kvantificerede det somatosensoriske potentiale omkring 140 ms (N140) ved den første (S1) og anden (S2) stimulus og beregnede et sensorisk gating-forhold baseret på de to responsers middelamplituder. Gruppers forskelle blev testet med kovariansanalyse med alder som kovariat, efterfulgt af post hoc-sammenligninger og sekundære analyser af N140 for S1 og S2 hver for sig. Der sås en signifikant samlet gruppeeffekt på det sensoriske gating-forhold efter justering for alder; post hoc viste kun en signifikant forskel mellem børn med ADHD og NT-børn. Derudover blev der fundet signifikante forskelle i N140-amplituden til den anden stimulus. Fundene tyder på, at vibrotaktil sensorisk gating kan hjælpe med at skelne ADHD fra NT hos ældre børn, mens N140-gating alene ikke klart adskilte ASF fra de øvrige grupper. Fremtidige studier bør undersøge andre ERP-komponenter og forfine tærskler for at udvikle standardiserede, børnevenlige diagnostiske støtteværktøjer.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) include atypical reactions to sensory input in ICD-11, underscoring the need for objective tests. This study examined whether a vibrotactile sensory gating paradigm recorded with electroencephalography (EEG) can distinguish children with ASD, ADHD, and neurotypical (NT) peers. Fifty-three children aged 8–16 years (18 ADHD, 16 ASD, 19 NT) received pairs of brief fingertip vibrations while EEG was recorded. We quantified the somatosensory event-related potential around 140 ms (N140) to the first (S1) and second (S2) stimulus and computed a sensory gating ratio based on the mean amplitudes of the two responses. Group differences were tested using analysis of covariance with age as a covariate, followed by post-hoc comparisons and secondary analyses of N140 for S1 and S2 separately. There was a significant overall group effect on the sensory gating ratio after adjusting for age; post-hoc tests showed a significant difference only between ADHD and NT children. Additionally, significant differences were found in the amplitude of the N140 response to the second stimulus. These findings suggest that vibrotactile sensory gating may help differentiate ADHD from NT status in older children, whereas N140 gating alone did not clearly separate ASD from the other groups. Future work should examine other event-related components and refine thresholds to develop standardized, child-friendly diagnostic support.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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