Early Differences in Auditory Processing Relate to Autism Spectrum Disorder Traits in Infants with Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Abstract

Background: Sensory modulation difficulties are common in children with conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and could contribute to other social and non-social symptoms. Positing a causal role for sensory processing differences requires observing atypical sensory reactivity prior to the emergence of other symptoms, which can be achieved through prospective studies of elevated likelihood populations. Methods: We examined auditory habituation and change detection in 5 and 10-month-old infants with and without Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), a condition associated with higher likelihood of developing ASD. Results: in typically developing infants, habituation to vowel repetition and enhanced responses to vowel/pitch change decreased with age over posterior regions; age-related change was diminished in the NF1 group. Whilst both groups detected changes in vowel and pitch, the NF1 group were largely slower to show a differentiated neural response. Auditory responses did not relate to later language but were related to later ASD traits. Conclusions: These findings represent the first demonstration of atypical brain responses to sounds in infants with NF1, and suggests they may relate to the likelihood of later ASD.

Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials in Children With Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Associations With Behavioural Rating Scales And Impact of Psychostimulant Medication

“…However, further investigation is needed to determine whether these markers of sensory processing alterations vary with the severity of ASD symptoms in NF1. Interestingly, sensory processing differences in the auditory modality were evidenced in infants with NF1 and found to be related to later ASD traits (59).…”