Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior. Studies have shown that people with autism may experience pain differently than people with neurotypes.
According to a study published in painIt is the official journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP).
According to a report by Professor Irit Weissman-Fogel of the University of Haifa, Israel, and colleagues, “This evidence of increased pain sensitivity changes the popular belief that people with autism are less sensitive to pain. They emphasize the need to raise awareness that can influence effective treatment of pain in people with autism.
New evidence questions assumptions about pain in autism
The researchers aimed to test the “common assumption” that people with autism are insensitive to pain. It suggests “apparent indifference”. However, most studies to date have not shown differences in pain sensitivity in autistic individuals.
Professor Weissman-Fogel and colleagues conducted a detailed laboratory study of pain perception in 104 52 adults with autism. This sample is the largest so far testing the psychophysics of pain in autism. The two groups showed similar scores on simple cognitive tests. , noise, light, etc.). This research project was funded by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF; 1005/17).
Quantitative sensory tests showed no differences in heat and pain detection thresholds between the autistic and non-autistic groups. This indicates normal pain and heat thresholds suggestive of ‘normal functioning of the peripheral nervous system’ in participants with autism.
However, the autistic group consistently gave high pain ratings in response to a variety of stimuli above the pain threshold, demonstrating pain hypersensitivity. It provided evidence that short-term pain stimuli can be successfully suppressed, but long-lasting pain stimuli cannot be successfully suppressed. risk factor.
New discoveries could lead to earlier treatment and improved quality of life
Taken together, these findings suggest that individuals with autism have a “highly nociceptive” pain modulation profile. Their brains appear to be more active in facilitating the experience of pain and less active in inhibiting ongoing pain. It is consistent with the theory as an underlying mechanism.[{” attribute=””>autism spectrum disorder – but one that has been neglected in terms of pain processing.
The study questions the perception that people with autism experience less pain, and instead suggests that they may have enhanced pain sensitivity. Prof. Weissman-Fogel and colleagues write, “This misinterpretation can lead to late diagnosis and poor treatment causing suffering and exacerbating the autistic symptoms” – potentially increasing the risk of developing chronic pain conditions. While their study focused on a group of autistic people with essentially normal cognitive function, the researchers write, “these results may also apply to people with autism whose cognitive and verbal communication impairments may eliminate their ability to communicate their pain.”
Prof. Weissman-Fogel and coauthors conclude: “These findings may raise physician, parent, and caregiver awareness to the pain phenomenon in autism, and thus lead to early and effective treatment to improve the wellbeing and quality of life for autistic individuals and their families.”
Reference: “Indifference or hypersensitivity? Solving the riddle of the pain profile in individuals with autism” by Tseelaa Hoffman, Tamib Bar-Shalita, Yelenad Granovsky, Eynatf Gal, Merryf Kalingel-Levi, Yaela Dori, Chend Buxbaum, Natalyag Yarovinsky and Irita Weissman-Fogel, 26 August 2022, PAIN.
DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002767
