A short cognitive exercise reduced activity in sensory-processing areas of the brain when autistic children and teens encountered unpleasant textures in an MRI scanner, according to research published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. Participants were asked to think of themselves as objective reporters and describe the sensations without emotionally reacting to them. The strategy did not significantly change how unpleasant the autistic participants said the textures felt.
The study included 47 autistic young people and 45 typically developing participants, aged 8 to 15. While lying in the scanner, they felt artificial grass and scratchy wool rubbed on their forearms. Before each trial, they were told either to experience the sensation naturally or to approach it like a reporter, focusing on an objective description.
In the autistic group, the reappraisal instruction was associated with lower activity in the somatosensory cortex, which processes touch, and the insula, which integrates sensory and bodily signals. Activity in the primary auditory cortex also fell, despite the task involving touch rather than sound. The researchers suggested that the objective mindset may have helped participants filter out the MRI scanner’s mechanical noise.
Autistic participants’ ratings of discomfort did not differ significantly between the two conditions. By comparison, typically developing participants reported a small reduction in discomfort for the artificial grass, but their brain scans did not show reduced activity in sensory regions during reappraisal.
The findings may be relevant to sensory over-responsivity, in which everyday inputs can trigger intense distress. The researchers said autistic participants with milder sensory symptoms tended to show larger reductions in sensory-region activity, while those with more severe symptoms showed smaller reductions and greater increases in some areas involved in control. The authors noted that this could mean the strategy takes more effort for those with greater sensitivity, or that it works better for people with milder symptoms.
The team cautioned that participants received only a brief training session and that the study tested responses in a demanding MRI setting. It does not establish whether reappraisal provides lasting relief in daily life. The results may also not apply to autistic young people with intellectual disabilities or limited spoken language, as participants had to follow verbal instructions and respond during the experiment. Further research will need to test the approach outside the scanner and assess whether longer-term practice can ease sensory distress.
Sources: PsyPost.