title: Attenuated contact heat-evoked potentials associated with sensory and social-emotional symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
abstract: Sensory disturbance is associated with socio-emotional problems in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Most studies assess sensory symptoms by self-reports, which are largely limited by the language ability and self-awareness of the individuals. This study aims to investigate sensory disturbance by contact heat-evoked potentials (CHEP) in ASD individuals, and to examine the clinical correlates of CHEP parameters. We compared the CHEP parameters and reported pain between 31 ASD individuals (aged 20.5 ± 5.2 years) and and 22 typically-developing controls (TD, aged 21.4 ± 2.6), and correlated the CHEP parameters with self-reported sensory symptoms and attention/socio-emotional symptoms. We found that ASD individuals showed smaller P2-wave amplitudes than TD, even though they reported a similar level of pain. In TD individuals, a smaller P2-wave amplitude was related to higher scores on 'low registration,' 'attention to detail,' and 'attention switching difficulties.' In ASD individuals, longer N2-wave latency was related to higher scores on 'sensory sensitivity' and socio-emotional problems; while higher reported pain was associated with higher scores on 'low registration,' overall autistic severity, and longer N2-wave latency. Our findings of attenuated CHEP response in ASD, which was associated with sensory symptoms and socio-emotional problems, suggest a potential role for CHEP in studying sensory disturbances in ASD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shao-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Pang
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sung-Tsang
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Chao
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Susan Shur-Fen
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Gau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000737:chemistry*; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D057566:Self Report; D012678:Sensation Disorders; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers