Sleep problems in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders are associated with sensory sensitivities and thalamocortical overconnectivity

Abstract

Projections between the thalamus and sensory cortices are established early in development and play an important role in sleep regulation as well as in relaying sensory information to cortex. Atypical thalamocortical functional connectivity frequently observed in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) might therefore be linked to sensory and sleep problems common in ASD. Here we investigated the relationship between auditory-thalamic functional connectivity measured during natural sleep fMRI, sleep problems, and sound sensitivities in 70 toddlers and preschoolers (1.5 to 5-year-olds) with ASD compared to a matched group of 46 typically developing (TD) children. In children with ASD, sleep problems and sensory sensitivities were positively correlated, and increased sleep latency was associated with overconnectivity between the thalamus and auditory cortex in a subsample with high quality MRI data (n=29). Additionally, auditory cortex BOLD signal amplitude was elevated in children with ASD, potentially reflecting reduced sensory gating or a lack of auditory habituation during natural sleep. These findings indicate that atypical thalamocortical functional connectivity can be detected early in development and may play a crucial role in sleep problems and sensory sensitivities in ASD.

How auditory processing influences the autistic profile - a review

“…Less positively, studies have also reported that autistic people with sensory reactivity are more likely to experience sleep problems (Dwyer et al, 2022;Han et al, 2022;Linke et al, 2021), and hyper-reactivity to sensory input may predict sleep difficulties later in life (Manelis-Baram et al, 2022;Mazurek et al, 2019). Although prior studies have yielded inconsistent outcomes with respect to those sensory modalities most critical for exacerbating sleep problems (Linke et al, 2021;Manelis-Baram et al, 2022;Tzischinsky et al, 2018), it appears that auditory filtering is a contributing factor (Hollway et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2019). Sleep problems can, in turn, negatively impact autistic people's ability to navigate the world, leading to diminished quality of life (Deserno et al, 2019;Lin & Huang, 2019;McLean et al, 2021).…”