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Introduction: Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and specific learning disorders (SLD) have various types of sensory characteristics. Methods: This study investigated sensory issues in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders using a web-based questionnaire for qualitative and quantitative analysis, categorized the contents of their three most distressful sensory issues, and evaluated their order of priority. Results: Auditory problems were reported as the most distressing sensory issue among the participants. In addition to auditory problems, individuals with ASD frequently reported more tactile problems, and individuals with SLD reported more visual problems. Among the individual sensory issues, in addition to aversion to sudden, strong, or specific stimuli, some participants reported confusions regarding multiple stimuli presenting concurrently. Additionally, the sensory issues related to foods (i.e., taste) was relatively more common in the minor group. Conclusion: These results suggest that the diversity of sensory issues experienced should be carefully considered when aiding persons with neurodevelopmental disorders.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: There is evidence of prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction in patients with bipolar disorder (BP). Magnetic resonance and neuropathological studies show abnormalities of the brain microvasculature in patients with BP. However, the underlying biological mechanisms are not well understood. We investigated the relationship between activation of the PFC during a cognitive task and the vascular function in response to a physiological task in patients with BP. METHODS: Fourteen euthymic patients with BP and 14 control subjects matched for age, sex, and education were recruited. We examined the response of the PFC during a verbal fluency task and during 5% CO(2) inhalation using a 24-channel near-infrared spectroscopy imaging system to measure alteration of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. RESULTS: The BP patients showed a significantly lower level of PFC activation during the cognitive task compared to the healthy controls, but the task-performance of the BP patients was not significantly different from that of the controls. The vascular response of the BP patients to CO(2) was not significantly different from that of controls. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests functional hypoactivation of the PFC during a cognitive load in patients with BP while they are in a euthymic state. The mechanism of this hypoactivation is different from that of vascular regulation in response to a physiological stimulus.
