Dimensional studies of auditory difficulties in adults with a broad range of autistic traits [post]

Peter Bang, Kajsa Igelström
2022 unpublished
Sound intolerance is a transdiagnostic phenomenon with high clinical relevance in autism. It appears to cosegregate with quantitative autistic traits (QATs) and can be measured dimensionally. Auditory subscales of commonly used instruments tend to pool speech perception difficulties with autonomic and limbic reactions to sound. We evaluated associations between QATs and auditory difficulties using more specific self-report measures of affective reactions to sounds, speech perception and
more » ... al auditory function. We found that both social and non-social QATs linearly predicted autonomic and limbic reactions to sounds. Communicative QATs specifically predicted difficulties with speech perception, but also with spatial perception and auditory stream segregation. We discuss possible mechanisms and suggest that transdiagnostic studies are especially suitable for research on autistic auditory perception.
doi:10.31219/osf.io/vsr7q fatcat:xcm2wvo375b5bn7g5uebcax2ra