Pain sensitivity and perceptual sensitivity are associated with severity of emotional dysregulation in children with ADHD: a cross-sectional analysis using the Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire.
Alisha M Bruton, Angela Senders, Gabriella Tost and 6 others
PMID 35271401WHAT IT FOUND
Children with ADHD who react strongly to minor pain or notice small environmental changes more often had severe emotional outbursts.
Parents reported these children were more likely to cry when hurt or be upset by a small cut, correlating with higher irritability and anger scores.
Key findings
01Pain sensitivity was positively associated with emotional problems, conduct problems, and overall symptom severity.
02Perceptual sensitivity was associated with emotional problems but not conduct problems or overall symptom severity.
03The study cannot determine if sensory sensitivity causes emotional dysregulation or vice versa.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that sensory sensitivity causes emotional dysregulation. All data relied on parent reports, which may introduce bias. The sample was relatively small (124 participants) and drawn from a clinical trial population, which may limit generalizability. The measure of pain sensitivity included items about emotional reactions to pain, which may overlap with the outcome being measured.
Declared interests
The study was supported by non-U.S. government and NIH extramural funding. No specific commercial conflicts of interest were reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that treating sensory sensitivity will reduce emotional dysregulation. This study only shows an association at a single point in time and does not test any intervention.