An Introduction to Sensory Processing Disorder
Sensory Processing Disorder(SPD) is a disorder that impairs processing of sensory information in the brain. For children it can cause klutziness, an inability to properly orient the body, poor fine motor skills, and a hypersensitivity to sound. In summary, this disorder makes it very difficult to process incoming information. The condition is very common for children and often is not properly diagnosed because until recently, there had not been a real biological explanation for the disorder. A very common treatment for these patients is occupational therapy.
The presiding physician diagnoses SPD by clinical observations, the Sensory Profile, and the Sensory Processing Measure. The Sensory Processing Scales is a new clinical testing method that is currently under development. Beforehand there had not been any definitive neurological proof of SPD, but studies on SPD have been gradually emerging, including those about isolated structural abnormalities in male children with SPD.
Last year, UC San Francisco showed conclusive neurological symptoms of SPD. By using a subset of MRI imaging called DTI (diffusion tensor imaging), scientists were able to map out white matter of children’s brains. The white matter is where higher level processing occurs in the brain. Those with SPD had abnormal white matter tracts in the area corresponding to auditory, visual, and somatosensory systems specialized for sensory processing. The problem arises on the timing of sensory transmission. With these findings scientists are sure how to in the future research SPD.
Another study by Ayres tests the hypothesis that meltdowns resulting from touching children with SPD are a result of malfunction in brain processes. The scientist on this research also tested sensory gating in these children, hypothesizing that auditory stimulus would cause abnormal brain activity and abnormal sensory gating. Sensory gating is a measure of the ability of the CNS to inhibit responses to redundant or irrelevant sensory stimuli. Children with SPD have a deficiency in sensory gating, if they have too much repressed auditory stimuli. Unfortunately, the results of the study were disorganized when sensory gating was measured in children with SPD. Conclusively, researchers who processed auditory stimuli in the brains found less auditory sensory gating that can possibly explain how SPD children have trouble dealing with auditory stimuli.
These new breakthroughs in studying sensory processing disorder will provide a higher understanding of the disorder, its treatment. These studies also provide new insight on how sensory processing works in all individuals, not just those with SPD. These findings will begin to show us what was previously unknown.
-Jackie Rocheleau
Sources:
Breakthrough Study Reveals Biological Basis for Sensory Processing Disorders in Kids -Neuroscience News
Perspectives on Sensory Processing Disorder: A Call for Translational Research -NIH
