Age-related changes in neural responses to sensory stimulation in autism: a cross-sectional study.
Melis E Cakar, Kaitlin K Cummings, Susan Y Bookheimer and 2 others
PMID 37817282WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic children showed stronger brain responses to sensory stimulation than typically developing peers only in pre-teen years.
By the teen years, these differences largely disappeared. Older age was linked to increased brain activity in regions used for emotional regulation.
Key findings
01Autistic pre-teens showed significantly greater brain activity than typically developing pre-teens in multiple regions including sensorimotor and frontal areas.
02In autistic teenagers, there were few neural differences compared to typically developing teenagers, suggesting earlier hyperactivation may resolve with age.
03Within the autistic group, older age was associated with stronger activation in brain regions involved in sensory integration and emotion regulation, such as the insular cortex and orbitofrontal cortex.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, meaning it compared different people of different ages rather than tracking the same individuals over time. Participants were required to have an IQ of 78 or higher and be able to lie still in an MRI scanner, so the results do not apply to autistic individuals with intellectual disabilities or those who cannot tolerate the scanner. Sensory over-responsivity was measured by parent report, which may not capture subtle behavioral changes or coping mechanisms that emerge with age. Age groups were defined by chronological age, which does not account for puberty or hormonal changes that may influence brain development.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. No other conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lack of neural differences in teens as evidence that sensory symptoms disappear. The study found no significant relationship between age and parent-reported sensory over-responsivity, meaning the discomfort or behavioral impact likely persists even if the raw brain activation pattern changes.