Autistic Traits and Somatic Symptom Disorders: What Is the Link?
Alterations in sensory processing, a key component of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), have recently attracted increasing attention as they result in peculiar responses to sensory stimuli, possibly representing a risk factor for the development of somatic symptom disorder (SSD). Contextually, other f...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/3/274 |
| _version_ | 1827306810538721280 |
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| author | Barbara Carpita Benedetta Nardi Valeria Tognini Francesca Poli Giulia Amatori Ivan Mirko Cremone Stefano Pini Liliana Dell’Osso |
| author_facet | Barbara Carpita Benedetta Nardi Valeria Tognini Francesca Poli Giulia Amatori Ivan Mirko Cremone Stefano Pini Liliana Dell’Osso |
| author_sort | Barbara Carpita |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Alterations in sensory processing, a key component of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), have recently attracted increasing attention as they result in peculiar responses to sensory stimuli, possibly representing a risk factor for the development of somatic symptom disorder (SSD). Contextually, other features also associated with ASD, such as alexithymia, camouflaging and altered verbal, and non-verbal communication, have been suggested to represent risk factors for the occurrence and worsening of somatic symptomatology. The aim of this work was to review the available literature about the association between SSD and the autism spectrum. The results highlighted not only a higher prevalence of autistic features in patients suffering from SSD and a higher prevalence of reported somatic symptomatology in subjects with ASD but also how ASD subjects with co-occurrent somatic symptoms exhibit more severe autism-linked symptomatology. From the paper reviewed also emerged many shared features between the two conditions, such as alexithymia, altered sensitivity to sensory stimuli, cognitive inflexibility, intolerance of uncertainty, and an increased risk of experiencing stressful life events, which may provide an explanation for the correlation reported. Even though studies on the topic are still scant, the evidence reported suggests the importance of further assessing the correlation between the two disorders. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:28:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ba60145e76a4a039cd40cb20775938a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:28:45Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ba60145e76a4a039cd40cb20775938a2024-03-27T13:28:50ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252024-03-0114327410.3390/brainsci14030274Autistic Traits and Somatic Symptom Disorders: What Is the Link?Barbara Carpita0Benedetta Nardi1Valeria Tognini2Francesca Poli3Giulia Amatori4Ivan Mirko Cremone5Stefano Pini6Liliana Dell’Osso7Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 67 Via Roma, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 67 Via Roma, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 67 Via Roma, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 67 Via Roma, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 67 Via Roma, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 67 Via Roma, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 67 Via Roma, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 67 Via Roma, 56126 Pisa, ItalyAlterations in sensory processing, a key component of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), have recently attracted increasing attention as they result in peculiar responses to sensory stimuli, possibly representing a risk factor for the development of somatic symptom disorder (SSD). Contextually, other features also associated with ASD, such as alexithymia, camouflaging and altered verbal, and non-verbal communication, have been suggested to represent risk factors for the occurrence and worsening of somatic symptomatology. The aim of this work was to review the available literature about the association between SSD and the autism spectrum. The results highlighted not only a higher prevalence of autistic features in patients suffering from SSD and a higher prevalence of reported somatic symptomatology in subjects with ASD but also how ASD subjects with co-occurrent somatic symptoms exhibit more severe autism-linked symptomatology. From the paper reviewed also emerged many shared features between the two conditions, such as alexithymia, altered sensitivity to sensory stimuli, cognitive inflexibility, intolerance of uncertainty, and an increased risk of experiencing stressful life events, which may provide an explanation for the correlation reported. Even though studies on the topic are still scant, the evidence reported suggests the importance of further assessing the correlation between the two disorders.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/3/274autism spectrum disorderautismautistic traitssomatic symptom disordersomatic symptomssomatic symptom and related disorders |
| spellingShingle | Barbara Carpita Benedetta Nardi Valeria Tognini Francesca Poli Giulia Amatori Ivan Mirko Cremone Stefano Pini Liliana Dell’Osso Autistic Traits and Somatic Symptom Disorders: What Is the Link? Brain Sciences autism spectrum disorder autism autistic traits somatic symptom disorder somatic symptoms somatic symptom and related disorders |
| title | Autistic Traits and Somatic Symptom Disorders: What Is the Link? |
| title_full | Autistic Traits and Somatic Symptom Disorders: What Is the Link? |
| title_fullStr | Autistic Traits and Somatic Symptom Disorders: What Is the Link? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Autistic Traits and Somatic Symptom Disorders: What Is the Link? |
| title_short | Autistic Traits and Somatic Symptom Disorders: What Is the Link? |
| title_sort | autistic traits and somatic symptom disorders what is the link |
| topic | autism spectrum disorder autism autistic traits somatic symptom disorder somatic symptoms somatic symptom and related disorders |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/3/274 |
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