Neuroplasticity-Based Approaches to Sensory Processing Alterations in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

This review looks at how the brain's ability to change and adapt (neuroplasticity) can help with sensory issues in autism. Children with autism often struggle with processing sounds, touch, and other senses. The brain areas involved include those responsible for processing senses and emotions. Traditional sensory therapies work on these principles, and newer treatments like neurofeedback and virtual reality show promise, but more research is needed.

This review examines how neuroplasticity-based approaches can address sensory processing difficulties in autism spectrum disorder. The authors describe neuroanatomical mechanisms including altered connectivity in sensory, visual, and limbic brain regions, plus neurotransmitter imbalances involving glutamate and GABA that contribute to atypical sensory processing. Traditional sensory integration therapies are based on neuroplasticity principles, while newer interventions like neurofeedback, transcranial stimulation, and virtual reality environments show promise for modulating neural circuits. However, the review emphasizes that further research is needed to optimize these interventions and establish their long-term effectiveness for improving sensory processing in autism.

Supports continued use of traditional sensory integration therapies while exploring newer neuroplasticity-based interventions. Clinicians should consider targeting specific brain circuits and neurotransmitter systems. However, caution is needed with newer approaches until long-term effectiveness is established through rigorous research.

As a review paper, this study synthesizes existing research rather than presenting new empirical data. The abstract notes that further research is needed to optimize interventions and confirm long-term effectiveness, indicating current evidence may be preliminary for newer therapeutic approaches.

Sensory dysregulation represents a core challenge in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), affecting perception, behavior, and adaptive functioning. The brain's ability to reorganize, known as neuroplasticity, serves as the basic principle for therapeutic interventions targeting these deficits. Neuroanatomical mechanisms include altered connectivity in the sensory and visual cortices, as well as in the limbic system and amygdala, while imbalances of neurotransmitters, in particular glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), contribute to atypical sensory processing. Traditional therapies used in sensory integration are based on the principles of neuroplasticity.

Increasingly, new treatments use this knowledge, and modern therapies such as neurofeedback, transcranial stimulation, and immersive virtual environments are promising in modulating neuronal circuits. However, further research is needed to optimize interventions and confirm long-term effectiveness. This review discusses the role of neuroplasticity in the etiopathogenesis of sensory integration deficits in autism spectrum disorder. The neuroanatomical and neurotransmitter basis of impaired perception of sensory stimuli is considered, and traditional and recent therapies for sensory integration are discussed.