Sensory Processing Sensitivity in the context of Environmental Sensitivity: A critical review and development of research agenda

Moderate cardiac vagal tone predicts more cooperation in highly sensitive individuals

Cooperation, as a mutual collaboration, is a defining feature of human social life. Individual characteristics can influence cooperation. Recent studies have shown a quadratic relationship between cardiac vagal tone (CVT), an index of self-regulation, and prosocial behaviors. Individual differences in cooperation might also vary as a function of people's environmental sensitivity (ES), i.e., may be influenced by individual differences in the perception and processing of inner and external stimuli. We tested the direct and interactive effect of CVT and ES on cooperative behaviors in two independent samples. We measured heart rate and engagement in cooperative acts in 80 young adults (M = 23.61; SD = 1.60) who were also asked to self-report on ES. We found an inverted-U relationship between CVT and cooperative behaviors. ES, on the other hand, did not predict differences in cooperative behaviors but moderated the relationships between CVT and cooperation, although the magnitude of this result was small. Specifically, only among individuals with higher ES cooperative behaviors change as a function of CVT. Highly sensitive individuals with lower or higher CVT, were less cooperative than low sensitive ones. Subsequently, we replicated the same study design in a second sample of 88 undergraduate students (M = 23.69; SD = 4.91). Once again, we found evidence supporting the presence of an inverted-U relationship between CVT and cooperative behaviors, and we also found that ES moderated the relationships between the quadratic CVT term and cooperation.

Why am I overwhelmed by bright lights? The behavioural mechanisms of post-stroke visual hypersensitivity

After stroke, patients can experience visual hypersensitivity, an increase in their sensitivity for visual stimuli as compared to their state prior to the stroke. Candidate behavioural mechanisms for these subjective symptoms are atypical bottom-up sensory processing and impaired selective attention, but empirical evidence is currently lacking. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between post-stroke visual hypersensitivity and sensory thresholds, sensory processing speed, and selective attention using computational modelling of behavioural data. During a whole/partial report task, participants (51 stroke patients, 76 orthopedic patients, and 77 neurotypical adults) had to correctly identify a single target letter that was presented alone (for 17-100 ms) or along a distractor (for 83ms). Performance on this task was used to estimate the sensory threshold, sensory processing speed, and selective attention abilities of each participant. In the stroke population, both on a group and individual level, there was evidence for impaired selective attention and -to a lesser extent- lower sensory thresholds in patients with post-stroke visual hypersensitivity as compared to neurotypical adults, orthopedic patients, or stroke patients without post-stroke sensory hypersensitivity. These results provide a significant advancement in our comprehension of post-stroke visual hypersensitivity and can serve as a catalyst for further investigations into the underlying mechanisms of sensory hypersensitivity after other types of acquired brain injury as well as post-injury hypersensitivity for other sensory modalities.

The Effect of CRHBP rs10062367 Polymorphism and Parenting Styles on Internalizing Problems in Preschoolers: The Moderating Effect of Sensory Processing Sensitivity

The present study aimed to examine how CRHBP rs10062367 polymorphism interacted with parenting styles and sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) to impact on preschoolers' internalizing problems. A total of 446 preschoolers (Mage = 4.55, SD = 1.07) participated in the study and their saliva were extracted to genotype the CRHBP rs10062367 polymorphism, and their parents were invited to complete a battery of questionnaires to assess parenting styles, preschoolers' SPS, and internalizing problems. Results indicated that high SPS preschoolers with A allele exhibited fewer internalizing problems under the condition of positive parenting while they exhibited more internalizing problems under the condition of negative parenting. The findings provide support for the Differential Susceptibility Model/Biological Sensitivity to Context Theory that A allele of rs10062367 and high SPS might be the "susceptibility markers" of children to environments.

Higher sensory processing sensitivity: increased cautiousness in attentional processing in conflict contexts

While interest grows in investigating sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), few studies have employed objective behavioural measures to directly explore the underlying attentional processing. The present study utilised two modified versions of the Emotional Attention Networks Test Integration (E-ANTI) to investigate whether and how emotion interacts with three attentional networks associated with SPS when emotion information was target-irrelevant (Experiment 1) and target-relevant (Experiment 2), respectively. Both experiments involved four manipulated within-subject factors: Signal (tone vs. no-tone), Cue Validity (valid vs. invalid), Flanker Congruency (congruent vs. incongruent), and Emotion (fearful vs. happy). Linear mixed models were employed, and three attentional networks were successfully captured in both experiments. In Experiment 1, we observed that as SPS increased, the difference in reaction time between valid and invalid cue conditions decreased, especially in incongruent trials. Participants rated fearful faces as more arousing than happy faces as SPS increased. In Experiment 2, we found that slow responding to fearful faces reduced as SPS increased, particularly in incongruent trials. The observed effects related to SPS in both experiments were particularly pronounced in incongruent conditions, suggesting that SPS may modulate attentional processes in high-conflict situations. Overall, higher SPS may be associated with increased cautiousness in conflict contexts.

Electrophysiological Correlates of Amplified Emotion-Related Cognitive Processing Evoked by Self-Administered Disgust Images

In the processing of emotions, the brain prepares and reacts in distinctive manners depending upon the negative or positive nuance of the emotion elicitors. Previous investigations showed that negative elicitors generally evoke more intense neural activities than positive and neutral ones, as reflected in the augmented amplitude of all sub-components of the event-related potentials (ERP) late posterior positivity (LPP) complex, while less is known about the emotion of disgust. The present study aimed to examine whether the LPP complex during the processing of disgust stimuli showed greater amplitude than other emotion elicitors with negative or positive valences, thus confirming it as a neural marker of disgust-related negativity bias at earlier or later stages. Thus, in the present study, we leveraged the ERP technique during the execution of an affective self-administered visual stimuli task to disentangle the neural contributions associated with images of positive, negative, disgust, or neutral emotions. Crucially, we showed that handling with disgust elicitors prompted the greatest neural activity and the highest delay during self-administration. Overall, we demonstrated progressive neural activities associated with the unpleasantness of the emotion elicitors and peculiar processing for disgust compared with all other emotions.

A Bayesian approach for exploring person × environment interaction within the environmental sensitivity meta-framework

BACKGROUND

For investigating the individual-environment interplay and individual differences in response to environmental exposures as captured by models of environmental sensitivity including Diathesis-stress, Differential Susceptibility, and Vantage Sensitivity, over the last few years, a series of statistical guidelines have been proposed. However, available solutions suffer of computational problems especially relevant when sample size is not sufficiently large, a common condition in observational and clinical studies.

METHOD

In the current contribution, we propose a Bayesian solution for estimating interaction parameters via Monte Carlo Markov Chains (MCMC), adapting Widaman et al. (Psychological Methods, 17, 2012, 615) Nonlinear Least Squares (NLS) approach.

RESULTS

Findings from an applied exemplification and a simulation study showed that with relatively big samples both MCMC and NLS estimates converged on the same results. Conversely, MCMC clearly outperformed NLS, resolving estimation problems and providing more accurate estimates, particularly with small samples and greater residual variance.

CONCLUSIONS

As the body of research exploring the interplay between individual and environmental variables grows, enabling predictions regarding the form of interaction and the extent of effects, the Bayesian approach could emerge as a feasible and readily applicable solution to numerous computational challenges inherent in existing frequentist methods. This approach holds promise for enhancing the trustworthiness of research outcomes, thereby impacting clinical and applied understanding.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Spanish sensory processing sensitivity questionnaire (S-SPSQ)

Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is a temperament trait rooted in biology, and is distinguished by heightened awareness, emotional responsiveness, and sensitivity to environmental stimuli. In this study, we aimed to enable the assessment of SPS within Spanish-speaking populations. To achieve this, we translated, adapted, and validated the Sensory Processing Sensitivity Questionnaire (SPSQ), which offers a comprehensive evaluation of SPS, encompassing both positive and negative aspects of the trait. Participants were 1,004 (844 females, mean age 37) mainly from Chile (964), and 40 were from other Spanish-speaking regions. Confirmatory factor analysis, utilizing the diagonally weighted least squares method, was applied to validate the internal structure of the Spanish version of the SPSQ (S-SPSQ). Fit indices such as GFI, CFI, TLI, RMSEA, and SRMR were scrutinized. Reliability assessment utilized Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's Omega. Three models were examined: Model I (six factors) displayed robustness, Model II (six factors plus a general factor) did not show substantive improvement, and Model III (Higher Order and Bifactor) excelled in fit while balancing complexity and representation, thus validating the findings of the original SPSQ and indicating similar reliability coefficients. The study offers a balanced perspective on SPS and contributes to cross-cultural validation of an SPS instrument which may facilitate research and guide personalized therapeutic interventions, thus enhancing outcomes for highly sensitive persons.

Optimizing treatment environments for trait sensitivity in eating disorders

Research has identified trait sensitivity as a potential risk factor and treatment target of eating disorders. Conceptualizations of trait sensitivity have depicted individuals with high and low trait sensitivity metaphorically as orchids and dandelions, highlighting their responsiveness to environmental conditions and associated outcomes. While orchids require careful tending to survive, with such care, they emerge extraordinary. In contrast, dandelions can survive a broad range of environmental conditions. Within a scientific framework, trait sensitivity can be conceptualized as neurobiologically-based, with heightened sensory, interoceptive, interpersonal, and emotional processing. While trait sensitivity may increase susceptibility to eating disorders, when therapists view these traits through the lens of environmental responsiveness, they can facilitate their client's inherent resilience and potential. Incorporating a model of trait sensitivity into eating disorders treatment using psychoeducation, modifying environmental stimuli, and selecting optimal interventions has the potential to increase treatment engagement, deepen therapeutic collaboration, and improve outcomes.

Better, for worse, or both? Testing environmental sensitivity models with parenting at the level of individual families

According to environmental sensitivity models, children vary in responsivity to parenting. However, different models propose different patterns, with responsivity to primarily: (1) adverse parenting (adverse sensitive); or (2) supportive parenting (vantage sensitive); or (3) to both (differentially susceptible). This preregistered study tested whether these three responsivity patterns coexist. We used intensive longitudinal data of Dutch adolescents (N = 256, Mage = 14.8, 72% female) who bi-weekly reported on adverse and supportive parenting and their psychological functioning (tmean = 17.7, tmax = 26). Dynamic Structural Equation Models (DSEM) indeed revealed differential parenting effects. As hypothesized, we found that all three responsivity patterns coexisted in our sample: 5% were adverse sensitive, 3% vantage sensitive, and 26% differentially susceptible. No adolescent appeared unsusceptible, however. Instead, we labeled 28% as unperceptive, because they did not perceive any changes in parenting and scored lower on trait environmental sensitivity than others. Furthermore, unexpected patterns emerged, with 37% responding contrary to parenting theories (e.g., decreased psychological functioning after more parental support). Sensitivity analyses with concurrent effects and parent-reported parenting were performed. Overall, findings indicate that theorized responsivity-to-parenting patterns might coexist in the population, and that there are other, previously undetected patterns that go beyond environmental sensitivity models.

Emotion regulation goals and strategies among individuals with varying levels of sensory processing sensitivity: a latent profile analysis

Background

Emotion regulation (ER) has emerged as a significant factor influencing the well-being of individuals with high sensory processing sensitivity (SPS). However, the interaction between SPS and the underlying mechanisms of ER remains largely unexplored.

Objective

This study aimed to (a) identify profiles of SPS and ER competency using a latent profile analysis (LPA), and (b) investigate the ER goals and strategy use among each profile to better understand ER patterns in highly sensitive individuals with lower ER proficiency.

Methods

A total of 813 Chinese college students (mean age = 21.53 ± 2.48; 74.41% female) completed the Highly Sensitive Person Scale, 16-item Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, Emotion Regulation Goals Scale, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the rumination subscale from the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire.

Results

The LPA identified three profiles: "Low SPS - High ER Competency" (41%), "Moderate SPS - ER Competency" (41%), and "High SPS - Low ER Competency" (18%). ER goals varied significantly among these groups. The "High SPS - Low ER Competency" group predominantly pursued contra-hedonic goals and impression management goals, while the "Low SPS - High ER Competency" group focused on pro-hedonic goals. In terms of strategies, the "Low SPS - High ER Competency" group mainly used cognitive reappraisal, the "Moderate SPS - ER Competency" group leaned towards suppression, and the "High SPS - Low ER Competency" group preferred rumination and suppression.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that higher SPS combined with lower ER proficiency is linked to an increased pursuit of contra-hedonic goals and impression management goals, and a reliance on response-focused strategies. This pattern offers new insights for developing psychological support strategies for highly sensitive individuals experiencing mental distress.

An Interpretable Machine Learning Approach to Predict Sensory Processing Sensitivity Trait in Nursing Students

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a personality trait that makes certain individuals excessively sensitive to stimuli. People carrying this trait are defined as Highly Sensitive People (HSP). The SPS trait is notably prevalent among nursing students and nurse staff. Although there are HSP diagnostic tools, there is little information about early detection. Therefore, the aim of this work was to develop a prediction model to identify HSP and provide an individualized nursing assessment. A total of 672 nursing students completed all the evaluations. In addition to the HSP diagnosis, emotional intelligence, communication skills, and conflict styles were evaluated. An interpretable machine learning model was trained to predict the SPS trait. We observed a 33% prevalence of HSP, which was higher in women and people with previous health training. HSP were characterized by greater emotional repair (p = 0.033), empathy (p = 0.030), respect (p = 0.038), and global communication skills (p = 0.036). Overall, sex and emotional intelligence dimensions are important to detect this trait, although personal characteristics should be considered. The present individualized prediction model could help to predict the presence of the SPS trait in nursing students, which may be useful in conducting intervention strategies to avoid the negative consequences and reinforce the positive ones of this trait.

Individuals being high in their sensitivity to the environment: Are sensitive period changes in play?

All individuals on planet earth are sensitive to the environment, but some more than others. These individual differences in sensitivity to environments are seen across many animal species including humans, and can influence personalities as well as vulnerability and resilience to mental disorders. Yet, little is known about the underlying brain mechanisms. Key genes that contribute to individual differences in environmental sensitivity are the serotonin transporter, dopamine D4 receptor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor genes. By synthesizing neurodevelopmental findings of these genetic factors, and discussing them through the lens of mechanisms related to sensitive periods, which are phases of heightened neuronal plasticity during which a certain network is being finetuned by experiences, we propose that these genetic factors delay but extend postnatal sensitive periods. This may explain why sensitive individuals show behavioral features that are characteristic of a young brain state at the level of sensory information processing, such as reduced filtering or blockade of irrelevant information, resulting in a sensory processing system that 'keeps all options open'.

The development and validation of the "SENSE" - Sensory and Behavioral Modulation Questionnaire for adults

Sensory modulation is critical for interacting with the physical and social environment. When sensory input from the environment is not properly perceived and modulated, it may elevate arausability, avoidant behavior, impair function and wellbeing. Sensory modulation difficulties (SMD) are mainly reported during childhood and are related to neurodevelopmental conditions such as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). SMD in adulthood further deteriorate function and emotional status, hence should be screened and treated. Nonetheless, relevant measures of SMD for adults are limited. This study aims to establish the psychometric properties of the "SENSE" - Sensory and Behavioral Modulation Questionnaire for adults. Based on theoretical/clinical knowledge the SENSE measures sensitivity/arousability, habituation and avoidance. After establishing content and face validity, 663 participants aged 18-65 completed a sociodemographic and health questionnaire, the Adult ADHD Scale-5 (ASRS-5), the SENSE and the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS). Factor analysis approved the determination of SENSE scales. Medium- high internal consistency was found. SENSE discriminated between adults with/without ADHD and correlated with HSPS scores, confirming concurrent validity. CONCLUSIONS: SENSE has good psychometric properties and may be feasible for screening sensory-behavioral modulation difficulties in adults. Studies should further examine SENSE applicability to clinical populations.

Sleep reactivity mediates the relationship between sensory-processing sensitivity and insomnia symptoms severity: A cross-sectional correlational study

Sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS) is a temperamental trait that describes individual differences in sensitivity to environmental stimuli. Previous studies have shown that highly sensitive individuals are more vulnerable to stress and to sleep-related difficulties. In light of this evidence, we hypothesized that SPS is associated with an increase in insomnia symptoms and that this correlation would be mediated by increased perceived stress and sleep reactivity. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a cross-sectional study on 358 adults who completed a survey that included self-report measures of sensitivity, perceived stress, sleep reactivity, and insomnia symptoms. Correlation analysis revealed that SPS was positively related to both stress-related and sleep-related variables. We then conducted a mediation analysis, which revealed that SPS was positively related to insomnia symptoms and that this relationship was fully mediated by sleep reactivity but not mediated at all by perceived stress. The current findings suggest that sleep reactivity may contribute to the development of insomnia symptoms in highly sensitive individuals. Therefore, these results suggests that sleep reactivity should be assessed in highly sensitive individuals and that it could be important to evaluate and further study this relationship.

The General Factor of Environmental Sensitivity: Relationships with the General Factor of Personality

Environmental sensitivity is a meta-concept that describes individual differences in susceptibility to both positive and negative environmental influences and has been repeatedly reported to correlate with other established personality traits, including the Big Five. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between the general factor of environmental sensitivity (GFS) and the general factor of personality (GFP). A total of 1,046 adult participants (52% female; Mage = 45.15, SDage = 12.70) completed a self-report psychological questionnaire on an online form. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that GFS had a strong negative correlation with GFP (r = -.41, 95% CI [-.52, -.30], p < .001). Focusing on the relationship with the Big Five, individuals with higher environmental sensitivity were emotionally unstable and introverted. The trait of environmental sensitivity may be described not only in relation to the Big Five but also in relation to GFP, which is assumed to be an indicator of social effectiveness.

Genetics of environmental sensitivity and its association with variations in emotional problems, autistic traits, and wellbeing

Greater environmental sensitivity has been associated with increased risk of mental health problems, especially in response to stressors, and lower levels of subjective wellbeing. Conversely, sensitivity also correlates with lower risk of emotional problems in the absence of adversity, and in response to positive environmental influences. Additionally, sensitivity has been found to correlate positively with autistic traits. Individual differences in environmental sensitivity are partly heritable, but it is unknown to what extent the aetiological factors underlying sensitivity overlap with those on emotional problems (anxiety and depressive symptoms), autistic traits and wellbeing. The current study used multivariate twin models and data on sensitivity, emotional problems, autistic traits, and several indices of psychological and subjective wellbeing, from over 2800 adolescent twins in England and Wales. We found that greater overall sensitivity correlated with greater emotional problems, autistic traits, and lower subjective wellbeing. A similar pattern of correlations was found for the Excitation and Sensory factors of sensitivity, but, in contrast, the Aesthetic factor was positively correlated with psychological wellbeing, though not with emotional problems nor autistic traits. The observed correlations were largely due to overlapping genetic influences. Importantly, genetic influences underlying sensitivity explained between 2 and 12% of the variations in emotional problems, autistic traits, and subjective wellbeing, independent of trait-specific or overlapping genetic influences. These findings encourage incorporating the genetics of environmental sensitivity in future genomic studies aiming to delineate the heterogeneity in emotional problems, autistic traits, and wellbeing.

Traits linked to sensory processing sensitivity mediate the relationship between externally oriented thinking and fantasizing

Introduction

Alexithymia is characterized by difficulties identifying and describing feelings but expression of externally oriented thinking (EOT) and difficulty fantasizing is more variable. In two studies, we investigated whether links between EOT and fantasizing are mediated by sensory processing sensitivity (SPS).

Methods

University students completed measures of alexithymia, SPS, and fantasizing.

Results

In Study 1 (N = 700) we identified two clusters of SPS traits: a positive facet (sensitivity to subtle stimuli) and a negative facet (sensitivity to uncomfortable stimuli). In the 499 participants who completed the fantasy measure, low EOT scores predicted stronger SPS positive and negative traits, which predicted a stronger tendency to mentally project oneself into the lives of characters in books, movies, and plays. In Study 2 (N = 600), the link between EOT and this same fantasizing tendency was again mediated by features of SPS-in this case fantasy proneness and emotional reactivity.

Discussion

We suggest that, whereas individuals who score high on EOT have an impoverished fantasy life, those who score relatively low on EOT and turn their attention inward are able to maintain stronger representations of imagined events in working memory (enhancing the likelihood that they will be recalled) and react more strongly to these events (enhancing their salience). Stronger expression of these features of SPS, in turn, increases the likelihood that one will develop a cognitive style that involves the application of imagery-based strategies to support deep processing of the thoughts and feelings of characters depicted in narratives.

Individual differences in environmental sensitivity: associations between cognitive emotion regulation and mental health

Introduction

Environmental sensitivity is defined as the ability to perceive and process internal and external information. Previous studies have suggested that mental health-related factors differ by sensitivity level. This study aimed to investigate whether environmental sensitivity moderates the associations between cognitive emotion regulation strategies (e.g., rumination and blaming others) and mental health.

Materials and methods

In this three-wave longitudinal study, participants (N = 1,233, 585, and 349 at Times 1, 2, and 3, respectively) completed the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-short and Kessler 10 scale at all the measurement points as well as the 10-item version of the Highly Sensitive Person scale and some covariates only at Time 1.

Results

Latent growth model analyses indicated that the blaming others strategy had contrastive effects on changes in mental health by sensitivity level; the increase in refocusing on planning was associated with improved mental health over time only for highly sensitive individuals; and the rumination and catastrophizing strategies were the most important risk factors for mental health problems, although their effects differed slightly by sensitivity level.

Conclusion

The associations between some of the cognitive strategies and mental health differ by environmental sensitivity level. Future investigations based on individual differences in sensitivity could provide innovative insights into practices.

The contribution of Sensory Processing Sensitivity and internalized attachment representations on emotion regulation competencies in school-age children

Introduction

As captured by the individual trait of Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS), highly sensitive children perceive, process, and responds more strongly to stimuli. This increased sensitivity may make more demanding the process of regulating and managing emotions. Yet, developmental psychology literature also showed that other variables, as those related to the rearing environment, are likely to contribute to the process of regulating emotions. With the current contribution, we aim to bridge two lines of research, that of attachment studies and that of SPS, by investigating the additive and interactive contribution of SPS and internal working models of attachment representations on emotion regulation competencies in school-aged children.

Method

Participants were N = 118 Italian children (mean age: 6.5, SD = 0.58 years, and 51.8% female) with their mothers. Children's positive attachment representations were rated observationally through the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task procedure during an individual session at school. Mothers reported on children SPS trait and emotion regulation competencies completing the Highly Sensitive Child Scale-parent report and the Emotion Regulation Checklist. We performed and compared a series of main and interaction effect models.

Results

SPS was not directly associated with emotion regulation but it was significantly associated with positive attachment representations in predicting emotion regulation. Highly sensitive children showed poorer emotion regulation when the internalized representations were low in maternal warmth and responsiveness. When driven by sensitive and empathic attachment representation, highly sensitive children showed better emotion regulation than less-sensitive peers, suggesting a for better and for worse effect.

Discussion

Highly sensitive children are not only more vulnerable to adversities but also show better emotion regulation competencies when supported by positive internal working models of attachment relationships. Overall, findings shed light on the link between SPS and attachment and suggest that working for promoting secure attachment relationships in parent-child dyads may promote better emotion regulation competences, particularly in highly sensitive children.

The longitudinal relationship between childhood trauma and adolescents' externalizing problems: A moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND

Externalizing problems among adolescents are prevalent, which are associated with a range of maladaptive developmental outcomes. Existing studies investigated the influence of childhood trauma, and attentional control on and how sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is related to adolescents' externalizing problems. However, it is unknown whether attentional control plays a mediating role in the relationships between childhood trauma and adolescents' externalizing problems, and whether SPS plays a moderating role in these relationships. The present study examined these issues with a six-month-interval longitudinal study design.

METHODS

A total of 1933 junior school students (Grade 7, Mage = 12.82, 47.7 % girls) from a large follow-up project in a city of eastern China participated in the study. After half a year (wave 2), the data of 1890 participants (Grade 8) were collected. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Attentional Control Scale (ACS-C), Highly Sensitive Child Scale (HSCS), and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL-YSR) were administered to the participants to assess their childhood trauma, attentional control, SPS, and externalizing problems in two waves. The immediate and longitudinal moderated mediation models were utilized to investigate the relationships among these factors.

RESULTS

Childhood trauma significantly and positively predicted adolescents' externalizing problems. Attentional control played an immediate and longitudinal mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and externalizing problems. SPS moderated the relationship between childhood trauma and adolescents' attentional control. Childhood trauma had a greater effect on the attentional control of adolescents with SPS levels.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that childhood trauma might impair adolescents' attentional control and then increase their externalizing problems. The influence of childhood trauma on attentional control is more serious among adolescents with lower SPS levels. Therefore, decreasing and preventing childhood trauma and building a warm nurturing environment might be beneficial to improving adolescents' attentional control ability and then reduce their externalizing problems.

Altered dynamic functional network connectivity in rheumatoid arthritis associated with peripheral inflammation and neuropsychiatric disorders

OBJECTIVE

This study explored the dynamic functional connective (DFC) alterations in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and investigated the correlation between the neuropsychiatric symptoms, peripheral inflammation and DFC alterations.

METHOD

Using resting-state functional MRI, we investigated the DFC based on spatial independent component analysis and sliding window method for 30 patients with RA and 30 healthy controls (HCs). The Spearman correlation was calculated between aberrant DFC alterations, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), C reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Diagnostic efficacy of indicators was assessed using receiver operating characteristic analysis (ROC).

RESULTS

Three dynamic functional states were identified. Compared with HC, patients with RA showed reduced FC variabilities between sensorimotor network (SMN) and insula, SMN and orbitofrontal cortex, which were the crucial regions of sensory processing network. The above FC variabilities were correlated with the MoCA, HAD, CRP and ESR in patients with RA. Additionally, the CRP and ESR were negatively correlated to MoCA and positively related to HAD in patients with RA. The ROC analysis results showed that MoCA, HAD and FC variabilities of the sensory processing network could distinguish patients with RA from HC and also identify patients with RA with high ESR.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrated that abnormal DFC patterns in sensory processing networks in patients with RA were closely associated with peripheral inflammation and neuropsychiatric symptoms. This indicates that the dynamic temporal characteristics of the brain functional network may be potential neuroimaging biomarkers for revealing the pathological mechanism of RA.

Investigating sensitivity through the lens of parents: validation of the parent-report version of the Highly Sensitive Child scale

Children differ in their environmental sensitivity (ES), which can be measured observationally or by self-report questionnaire. A parent-report scale represents an important tool for investigating ES in younger children but has to be psychometrically robust and valid. In the current multistudy, we validated the parent-report version of the Highly Sensitive Child (HSC-PR) scale in Italian children, evaluating its factorial structure (Study 1, N = 1,857, 6.2 years, age range: 2.6-14 years) through a multigroup Confirmatory Factory Analysis in preschoolers (n = 1,066, 4.2 years) and school-age children (n = 791, 8.8 years). We then investigated the HSC-PR relationship with established temperament traits (Study 2, N = 327, 4.3 years), before exploring whether the scale moderates the effects of parenting stress on children's emotion regulation (Study 3, N = 112, 6.5 years). We found support for a bi-factor structure in both groups, though in preschoolers minor adaptations were suggested for one item. Importantly, the HSC-PR did not fully overlap with common temperament traits and moderated the effects of parenting stress on children emotion regulation. To conclude, the HSC-PR performs well and appears to capture ES in children.

The Multi-Modal Evaluation of Sensory Sensitivity (MESSY): Assessing a commonly missed symptom of acquired brain injury

Objective: Sensory hypersensitivity is common after acquired brain injury. Since appropriate diagnostic tools are lacking, these complaints are overlooked by clinicians and available literature is limited to light and noise hypersensitivity after concussion. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of sensory hypersensitivity in other modalities and after other types of brain injury. Method: We developed the Multi-Modal Evaluation of Sensory Sensitivity (MESSY), a patient-friendly questionnaire that assesses sensory sensitivity across multiple sensory modalities. 818 neurotypical adults (mean age = 49; 244 male) and 341 chronic acquired brain injury patients (including stroke, traumatic brain injury, and brain tumour patients) (mean age = 56; 126 male) completed the MESSY online. Results: The MESSY had a high validity and reliability in neurotypical adults. Post-injury sensory hypersensitivity (examined using open-ended questions) was reported by 76% of the stroke patients, 89% of the traumatic brain injury patients, and 82% of the brain tumour patients. These complaints occurred across all modalities with multisensory, visual, and auditory hypersensitivity being the most prevalent. Patients with post-injury sensory hypersensitivity reported a higher sensory sensitivity severity on the multiple-choice items of the MESSY as compared to neurotypical adults and acquired brain injury patients without post-injury sensory hypersensitivity (across all sensory modalities) (effect sizes (partial eta squared) ranged from .06 to .22). Conclusions: These results show that sensory hypersensitivity is prevalent after different types of acquired brain injury as well as across several sensory modalities. The MESSY can improve recognition of these symptoms and facilitate further research.

Isolating unique variance in mental health outcomes attributable to personality variables and childhood emotional abuse

Introduction

University students are at high risk for anxiety and depression. Our main objective was to tease apart variance in symptom severity that was uniquely attributable to four associated variables that are frequently confounded: exposure to childhood emotional abuse, alexithymia, sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), and anxiety sensitivity (AS).

Methods

University students (N = 410) completed an online survey designed to measure our four key study variables along with several other potentially relevant variables including sex, physical activity levels, and perceived COVID-19 impacts.

Results

Over half of the participants reported moderate to extremely severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. Females reported stronger signs of SPS and AS and were more likely than males to have increased their moderate/vigorous exercise since the pandemic began. After controlling for the other variables, the best predictors of perceived COVID-19 impacts were SPS, childhood emotional abuse, and current levels of physical activity. Whereas all three personality variables and childhood emotional abuse emerged as significant predictors of both depression and anxiety, neither COVID-19 impacts nor physical activity levels accounted for unique variance in either model. Unexpectedly, male sex emerged as an additional risk factor for depression, raising the possibility that males experience unique stressors and societal pressures that increase their risk of depression.

Discussion

These findings help to clarify the links between childhood emotional abuse, personality traits implicated in emotional awareness and self-regulation, and mental health. They may have important implications for the development and implementation of individualized treatments for common mental disorders.

The relationship between sensory processing sensitivity and medication sensitivity: brief report

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a biological/temperament trait that is associated with greater awareness of and reactivity to the environment, which results in amplified responses to various stimuli, and possibly medications. We investigated the relationship between SPS and medication sensitivity in three studies. Participants (ages 18-81) were recruited from university (Study 1: N = 125; Study 2: N = 214) and online (Study 3: N = 351) samples. In each study, participants completed a medication sensitivity scale, the standard highly sensitive person (HSP) scale to assess SPS, and a negative affectivity (NA) scale as a control variable. All three studies found moderate, significant correlations between SPS and medication sensitivity (r = 0.34, p < 0.001: r = 0.21, p = 0.003; r = 0.36, p < 0.001, respectively). Correlations remained significant, and similar, when controlling for NA and gender; and there were no significant interactions with gender. In sum, our results suggest that SPS is associated with medication sensitivity, even when considering NA and gender. Thus, future work might consider SPS when investigating recommended medication, medication dosage, effectiveness, and adverse drug reactions.

Genetic effects on variability in visual aesthetic evaluations are partially shared across visual domains

The aesthetic values that individuals place on visual images are formed and shaped over a lifetime. However, whether the formation of visual aesthetic value is solely influenced by environmental exposure is still a matter of debate. Here, we considered differences in aesthetic value emerging across three visual domains: abstract images, scenes, and faces. We examined variability in two major dimensions of ordinary aesthetic experiences: taste-typicality and evaluation-bias. We build on two samples from the Australian Twin Registry where 1547 and 1231 monozygotic and dizygotic twins originally rated visual images belonging to the three domains. Genetic influences explained 26% to 41% of the variance in taste-typicality and evaluation-bias. Multivariate analyses showed that genetic effects were partially shared across visual domains. Results indicate that the heritability of major dimensions of aesthetic evaluations is comparable to that of other complex social traits, albeit lower than for other complex cognitive traits. The exception was taste-typicality for abstract images, for which we found only shared and unique environmental influences. Our study reveals that diverse sources of genetic and environmental variation influence the formation of aesthetic value across distinct visual domains and provides improved metrics to assess inter-individual differences in aesthetic value.

The Moderating Role of Cortisol and Negative Emotionality in the Effects of Classroom Size and Window View on Young Children's Executive Functions

This study probed how baseline cortisol (BC), negative emotionality (NE), and environmental facets-classroom size and window view-interact to affect executive function (EF) in preschoolers using virtual reality (VR). In a cohort of 144 children aged 61-85 months, BC levels were measured by saliva assays and NE by parental surveys. Participants completed computerized EF assessments both pre- and post-exposure to one of four VR conditions, which varied by classroom size (large vs. small) and window view (natural vs. built). Due to missing data and outlier responses, three children were removed from the analyses. Regression analyses, accounting for initial EFs, revealed that higher BC was significantly associated with better Digit-span task scores in the nature view, while lower BC correlated with improved performance in the built view. With regard to classroom size, children with varying levels of NE benefitted from the large classroom environment, as evidenced by marginally significant improvements on the Corsi block task. However, higher NE children outperformed their lower NE peers in the large classroom, while a trend inverted in the small classroom context. The findings illuminate how the physical components of preschool environments may interact with children's physiological reactivity, potentially influencing the development of working memory.

The Role of Environmental Sensitivity in the Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Self-Conscious Emotions of Shame and Guilt: A Brief Report

The association between childhood maltreatment and self-conscious emotions has been proven by the literature, but with limited attention to the specific moderating mechanisms involved. Highly sensitive individuals show emotional reactivity, ease of overstimulation, which make them more influenced by childhood maltreatment experiences. The study aims to test whether environmental sensitivity moderated the link between childhood maltreatment and self-conscious emotions of shame and guilt. The sample included 128 children referred for Oppositional Defiant Disorder (M age = 9.05; SD = 1.34). Results showed a significant interaction between maltreatment and environmental sensitivity on guilt and shame (B = 1.81, SE = .84, p < .05; B = 1.69, SE = .83, p < .05): highly sensitive children presented higher levels of shame and guilt following experiences of maltreatment as compared to low sensitive children. These findings may contribute to the literature on the role of environmental sensitivity as an individual trait moderating the effect of a contextual experience.

A comparative study of differences between parents and teachers in the evaluation of environmental sensitivity

Introduction

The inextricable bond between humans and the environment underscores the pivotal significance of environmental sensitivity. This innate trait encompasses a wide array of ways individuals perceive, process, and react to various internal and external stimuli. The evaluation of this trait in children is generally conducted by parents. However, little is known about the concordance of the parents reports with those conducted by others, such as teachers. Children's behavior assessment is a current and relevant issue and finding out more positive results could make improvements in different contexts, such as home, clinics and schools.

Objective

This study examines agreements and discrepancies between parents and teachers as raters of environmental sensitivity in Spanish children.

Methods

Participants were 124 parents and eight teachers of youngsters between 3 and 10 years, who completed a paper survey providing information about parental and school variables and environmental sensitivity.

Results

Parents and teachers mostly differ when rating environmental sensitivity, being parents the raters who score higher levels of this trait than teachers. Also, poor intra-class coefficients of reliability are found in both the items of HSCS, the dimensions and the general factor of environmental sensitivity among the informants.

Conclusion

The present investigation provides novel findings related to inter-rater assessment on environmental sensitivity and how these different informants could affect in the report. This study also highlights the need of making and validating new and specific tools to assess environmental sensitivity for teachers.

Phenotypic Environmental Sensitivity and Mental Health During Pregnancy and Post Partum: Protocol for the Experiences of Pregnancy Longitudinal Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Mental health problems during pregnancy and post partum are common and associated with negative short- and long-term impacts on pregnant individuals, obstetric outcomes, and child socioemotional development. Socio-environmental factors are important predictors of perinatal mental health, but the effects of the environment on mental health are heterogeneous. The differential susceptibility theory and the environmental sensitivity framework suggest that individuals differ in their degree of sensitivity to positive and negative environments, which can be captured by individual phenotypes such as temperament and personality. While there is strong evidence for these models in childhood, few studies examined them in adults, and they were not examined in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of the Experiences of Pregnancy study is to explore whether childhood and current environments are associated with mental health and well-being in pregnancy and whether these effects depend on individual sensitivity phenotypes (personality). This study also aims to gather important psychosocial and health data for potential secondary data analyses and integrative data analyses.

METHODS

We will conduct a longitudinal cohort study. The study was not registered elsewhere, other than this protocol. Participants will be recruited through social media advertisements linking to the study website, followed by an eligibility call on Zoom (Zoom Video Communications). Participants must be aged 18 years or older, currently residing in the United States as citizens or permanent residents, and currently planning to continue the pregnancy. A minimum of 512 participants will be recruited based on power analyses for the main objectives. Since the data will also be a resource for secondary analyses, up to 1000 participants will be recruited based on the available budget. Participants will be in their first trimester of pregnancy, and they will be followed at each trimester and once post partum. Data will be obtained through self-reported questionnaires assessing demographic factors; pregnancy-related factors; delivery, labor, and birth outcomes; early infant feeding; individual personality factors; childhood and current environments; mental health and well-being; attachment; and infant temperament. A series of measures were taken to safeguard the study from web robots and fraudulent participants, as well as to reduce legal and social risks for participants following Dobbs v. Jackson.

RESULTS

The study received ethics approval in April 2023 from the University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Institutional Review Board. Recruitment occurred from May to August 2023, with 3 follow-ups occurring over 10 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The Experiences of Pregnancy study will extend theories of environmental sensitivity, mainly applied in children to the perinatal period. This will help better understand individual sensitivity factors associated with risk, resilience, plasticity, and receptivity to negative and positive environmental influences during pregnancy for pregnant individuals.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/49243.

Role of sensory processing sensitivity and high sensation seeking in migraine with typical aura

The psychological differences between migraine with aura (MwA) patients and healthy controls (HCs) have not been sufficiently investigated in the current scientific literature. Taking this into account, the present study aimed to examine differences between MwA patients and HCs in sensory processing sensitivity factors, high sensation seeking factors, depression, and anxiety. Mentioned variables were also used to determine their predictive role in predicting the group membership (MwA patients vs HCs). The Highly Sensitive Person Scale, the revised High Sensation Seeking Test, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were administered to a sample of seventy-one respondents (39 MwA patients and 32 HCs). MwA patients had a significantly higher score for the low sensory threshold (sensory processing sensitivity factor) in comparison with HCs (4.36 ± 1.4 vs 3.45 ± 1.1, p = 0.003). There was no significant difference in other subscales of sensory processing sensitivity, as well as regarding the high sensation seeking, anxiety, and depression scores, between those two groups. The logistic regression model correctly classified 79.5% MwA patients and 66.7% HCs. The low sensory threshold was a statistically significant predictor for MwA patients (p = 0.001). Our results indicate a certain similarity in the brain sensitivities of MwA patients and people with sensory processing sensitivity trait. Moreover, this shows that the constructs of sensitivity in migraine patients and highly sensitive people overlap to an extent, suggesting the similarity between the conceptualization of sensitivity in the psychological literature and the conceptualization of sensitivity in the medical literature.

The pathway from sensory processing sensitivity to physical health: Stress as a mediator

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) has been proposed as an innate trait associated with differences in the processing and reactivity to internal and external stimuli. To date, there has been limited research on the association between SPS and physical health and only one study examining mediators of this relationship. The aim of this study was to examine psychological stress as a mediator of the SPS-health relationship in a predominately Hispanic sample of 923 adult undergraduates attending university between 2018 and 2020. We identified three SPS factors, each of which were associated with poorer physical health as assessed through two psychometrically validated self-report measures of physical symptoms. Additionally, we demonstrate that this relationship is mediated by perceived stress, suggesting that treatments focussed on stress reduction might be an avenue through which the impact of SPS on physical health can be modified.

Interactions between environmental sensitivity and gut microbiota are associated with biomarkers of stress-related psychiatric symptoms

BACKGROUND

Humans vary in their sensitivity to stressful and supportive environments and experiences. Such individual differences in environmental sensitivity are associated with mechanisms of stress-related psychiatric symptoms. In recent years, researchers have focused on bidirectional interactions in the brain-gut-microbiota axis as a neurophysiological pathway contributing to the mechanisms of stress-related psychiatric symptoms, and evidence is rapidly accumulating.

METHODS

Data on environmental sensitivity, gut microbiota, gut permeability (lipopolysaccharide-binding protein; LBP) and inflammation (C-reactive protein; CRP) were collected from 90 adults (50 % female; Mage = 42.1; SDage = 10.0). Environmental sensitivity was measured using a self-report questionnaire. Study participants' feces were analyzed, and observed operational taxonomic units for richness, Shannon's index for evenness, and phylogenetic diversity for biodiversity were evaluated as indicators of gut microbiota. In addition, participants' serum was analyzed for CRP and LBP. We investigated whether the interaction between environmental sensitivity and gut microbiota is associated with biomarkers of inflammation and gut permeability.

RESULTS

The interaction between environmental sensitivity and gut microbiota (excluding the Shannon's index) explained the levels of these biomarkers. Individuals with high environmental sensitivity displayed higher levels of CRP and LBP, when the richness and diversity of the gut microbiota was low. However, even highly susceptible individuals had lower levels of CRP and LBP, when the richness and diversity of the gut microbiota was high.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study indicates that high environmental sensitivity can be a risk factor for inflammation and gut permeability, when the gut microbiota diversity is low, suggesting a brain-gut-microbiota axis interaction.

The moderating role of adrenocortical reactivity in the associations between interparental conflict, emotional reactivity, and school adjustment

This study tested whether the associations between interparental conflict, children's emotional reactivity, and school adjustment were moderated by children's cortisol reactivity in a sample of young children (N = 243; mean age = 4.6 years at Wave 1; 56% female, 44% male) and their parents. Using a longitudinal, autoregressive design, observational assessments of children's emotional reactivity at Wave 2 mediated the relationship between an observational measure of Wave 1 conflict between parents and teacher's report of children's school adjustment at Wave 3. However, children's cortisol reactivity to parent conflict at Wave 1 moderated the first link, such that emotional reactivity operated as a mediator for children with heightened cortisol reactivity but not children with low cortisol reactivity. Moderation was expressed in a "for better" or "for worse" form hypothesized by biological sensitivity to context theory. Thus, children with high cortisol reactivity experienced greater emotional reactivity than their peers when faced with more destructive conflict but also lower emotional reactivity when exposed to more constructive interparental conflict. Results are discussed as to how they advance emotional security and biological sensitivity to context theories.

Sensorimotor Integration Supporting Perception Requires Syngap1 Expression in Cortex

Perception, a cognitive construct, emerges through sensorimotor integration (SMI). The molecular and cellular mechanisms that shape SMI within circuits that promote cognition are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that expression of the autism/intellectual disability gene, Syngap1, in mouse cortical excitatory neurons promotes touch sensitivity required to elicit perceptual behaviors. Cortical Syngap1 expression enabled touch-induced feedback signals within sensorimotor loops by assembling circuits that support tactile sensitivity. These circuits also encoded correlates of attention that promoted self-generated whisker movements underlying purposeful and sustained object exploration. As Syngap1 deficient animals explored objects with whiskers, relatively weak touch signals were integrated with relatively strong motor signals. This produced a signal-to-noise deficit consistent with impaired tactile sensitivity, reduced tactile exploration, and weak tactile learning. Thus, Syngap1 expression in cortex promotes tactile perception by assembling circuits that integrate touch and whisker motor signals. Deficient Syngap1 expression likely contributes to cognitive impairment through abnormal top-down SMI.

The direction of effects between parenting and adolescent affective well-being in everyday life is family specific

Numerous theories and empirical studies have suggested that parents and their adolescent children reciprocally influence each other. As most studies have focused on group-level patterns, however, it remained unclear whether this was true for every family. To investigate potential heterogeneity in directionality, we applied a novel idiographic approach to examine the effects between parenting and adolescent well-being in each family separately. For 100 days, 159 Dutch adolescents (Mage = 13.31, 62% female) reported on affective well-being and four parenting dimensions. The family-specific effects of pre-registered ( https://osf.io/7n2jx/ ) dynamic structural equation models indeed revealed that a reciprocal day-to-day association between parenting and adolescent affective well-being was present only in some families, with the proportion of families displaying a reciprocal association varying across the four parenting dimensions (11-55%). In other families, either parenting predicted the adolescent's affective well-being (8-43%) or vice versa (10-27%), or no day-to-day associations were found (16-60%). Adolescents with higher trait levels of environmental sensitivity and neuroticism were more strongly affected by parenting. Thus, findings suggest that the ways in which parents and adolescents influence each other in everyday life are unique, stressing the need to move towards an idiographic parenting science.

Approaching "highly sensitive person" as a cultural concept of distress: a case-study using the cultural formulation interview in patients with bipolar disorder

Background

Psychiatric patients may refer to concepts neither medically accepted nor easily understood to describe their experiences when seeking medical care. These concepts may lie outside the clinician's cultural references and consequently hinder the diagnostic consultation. In the fifth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the clinical instrument Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) was included. The CFI aims to facilitate the gathering and synthesis of culturally relevant clinical information. The notion of Cultural Concepts of Distress (CCD) was also introduced in DSM-5. The CCD include the subterms of the cultural syndrome, cultural explanation, and cultural idiom of distress. No previous study has used CFI for conceptualizing a cultural notion as a CCD. This study aimed to approach the cultural notion of being a highly sensitive person (HSP) in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) by applying the CFI. The cultural notion of HSP has garnered great interest globally, although scientific evidence is limited. No direct correlation between BD and HSP was hypothesized before or during the study process.

Methods

In this case study, three patients with BD who reported being HSP were interviewed using the CFI. Furthermore, the applicability of the CCD was examined based on the outcomes of the CFI using an interpretive approach.

Results

All three patients reported that the CFI facilitated the clinical consultation, and in one of the cases, it may also have increased the treatment engagement. Based on the synthesis of the CFI outcomes in these illustrative cases, HSP could be understood as a cultural syndrome, a cultural explanation, and a cultural idiom of distress.

Conclusion

By applying a person-centered perspective, CFI was used for the conceptualization of a cultural notion as a CCD (i.e., HSP in our study). Moreover, the cases highlight the complexity of illness insight in BD as a medical phenomenon when patients' illness perspectives are taken into consideration. Future studies need to further examine the clinical relevance of the CFI in the management of BD.

Qualitative data on triggers and coping of sensory hypersensitivity in acquired brain injury patients: A proposed model

Sensory hypersensitivity (SHS) is a frequently heard complaint after acquired brain injury (ABI) and is related to reduced quality of life and physical and mental health. This study aimed to identify triggers for SHS after ABI and investigate how individuals cope with SHS. Nineteen adults with ABI took part in 45-min individual interviews. Data were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic analysis revealed five themes: (1) A mismatch between resources and demands, (2) Altered experience of ordinary stimuli, (3) It affects all aspects of living, (4) Avoid, approach, accept, (5) It's highly heterogeneous. A model explaining the impact of triggers on subjective SHS after ABI is proposed, which states that SHS arises from a mismatch between the demands of a sensory environment (triggers) and the available biopsychosocial resources of an individual to meet these demands. The elicited SHS can affect and be affected by levels of fatigue, which limits the resources and creates a loop. Coping strategies can act on various stages of this model, i.e., to reduce the mismatch and potentially alter the loop. This model can contribute to the identification of mechanisms behind SHS in ABI patients and other populations, ultimately leading to evidence-based treatments.

Sensory processing sensitivity, memory and cognitive training with neurofeedback

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a biological trait associated with enhanced awareness of and responsivity to the environment, as well as depth of cognitive processing. However, only a few studies have investigated how contextual factors impact cognition as a function of SPS. Thus, this study examined whether SPS is associated with differential changes in cognitive function resulting from participation in a 4-week app-based cognitive training program with neurofeedback (CT-NF). Participants (M age = 66 years) were randomized to either a treatment (CT-NF) or control group (Tetris). They completed a self-report measure of SPS (the Highly Sensitive Person Scale), and cognitive tests at pre- and post-intervention. Results revealed that individuals with higher levels of SPS in the treatment group showed superior improvements in memory (MEM) and visual memory (VSM), relative to other participants and other measures of cognition. These findings are consistent with theories of SPS and studies showing that enhanced visual perceptiveness and memory are associated with the trait. Moreover, they highlight the cognitive mechanisms that might be especially important for SPS. In conclusion, these findings suggest that those with high SPS may experience enhancements in MEM and VSM, resulting from a 4-week app-based CT-NF program.

Does ASMR propensity reflect a mentally flexible mindset? Exploring the relationship between ASMR propensity, transliminality, emotional contagion, schizotypal traits, roleplaying ability, and creativity

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is an alternative state of consciousness characterised by changes in affect, feelings of relaxation, and tingling sensations on the body. Online videos designed to stimulate ASMR in viewers have become increasingly popular. Although there is evidence that ASMR may improve sleep, emotion regulation, and relaxation, the current understanding of ASMR propensity remains limited. This study examined whether a mentally flexible cognitive style may underlie the ability to experience ASMR. Undergraduate students (N = 376) completed an online survey involving a series of self-report questionnaires and two performance-based creative ability tasks. Findings did not provide support for an overall mentally flexible mindset, however, transliminality, emotional contagion susceptibility, positive schizotypal traits, and roleplaying ability all significantly positively predicted ASMR propensity. These findings suggest that ASMR propensity represents several possible underlying cognitive styles relating to enhanced imagination and perceptual ability, and cannot be simply characterised by mental flexibility.

The interplay between parenting and environmental sensitivity in the prediction of children's externalizing and internalizing behaviors during COVID-19

The interplay of parenting and environmental sensitivity on children's behavioral adjustment during, and immediately after, the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions was investigated in two longitudinal studies involving Italian preschoolers (Study 1, N = 72; 43% girls, Myears = 3.82(1.38)) and primary school children (Study 2, N = 94; 55% girls, Myears = 9.08(0.56)). Data were collected before and during the first-wave lockdown (Studies 1 and 2) and one month later (Study 1). Parental stress and parent-child closeness were measured. Markers of environmental sensitivity in children were temperamental fearfulness and Sensory Processing Sensitivity. Results showed little change in externalizing and internalizing behaviors over time, but differences emerged when considering parenting and children's environmental sensitivity. In preschoolers, greater parenting stress was related to a stronger increase in internalizing and externalizing behaviors, with children high in fearful temperament showing a more marked decrease in externalizing behaviors when parenting stress was low. In school-aged children, parent-child closeness emerged as a protective factor for internalizing and externalizing behaviors during COVID-19, with children high in Sensory Processing Sensitivity showing a marked decrease in internalizing behaviors when closeness was high. Implications for developmental theory and practice in times of pandemic are discussed.

Practitioner Review: Differential susceptibility theory: might it help in understanding and treating mental health problems in youth?

Diathesis-stress models conceptualise individual differences in propensity for psychopathology as an interaction between environmental risk factors and intra-individual vulnerabilities. In contrast, the differential susceptibility theory and related frameworks view intra-individual differences as variations in sensitivity to the environments rather than merely vulnerability to them. Specifically, they suggest that more sensitive individuals are more affected by the quality of their context, whether positive or negative, than others who are less sensitive. Empirical research over the last two decades has found support for this notion in that greater sensitivity is associated with a greater risk of psychopathology in adverse contexts, but also with lower risk in positive environments. However, despite growing academic and public interest in this field, it is currently unclear to what extent the differential susceptibility model is relevant, or applicable, to clinical practice. The purpose of this review is to focus on the differential susceptibility theory as an alternative explanation of individual differences in mental health and examine its relevance in the treatment of mental health problems in young people. We provide an overview of differential susceptibility and related theories, and current relevant research in the field. We identify potential implications of differential susceptibility models for understanding and treating mental health problems in young people, whilst also highlighting important gaps in research that limit their application at present. Finally, we suggest directions for future research that will assist in the translation of differential susceptibility theories into clinical practice.

Neurophysiological signatures of sensory-processing sensitivity

Background

Sensory processing sensitivity is mainly captured based on questionnaires and it's neurophysiological basis is largely unknown. As hitherto no electroencephalography (EEG) study has been carried out, the aim of this work was to determine whether the self-reported level of SPS correlates with the EEG activity in different frequency bands.

Methods

One hundred fifteen participants were measured with 64-channel EEG during a task-free resting state. After artifact correction, a power spectrum time series was calculated using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) for the following frequency bands: Delta: 1-3.5 Hz, theta: 4-7.5 Hz, alpha1: 8-10 Hz, alpha2: 10.5-12 Hz, beta1: 12.5-15 Hz, beta2: 15.5-25 Hz, gamma: 25.5-45 Hz, global: 1-45 Hz. Correlations with the 'Highly Sensitive Person Scale' (HSPS-G) scores were determined. Then, the lowest and the highest 30% of the cohort were contrasted as polar opposites. EEG features were compared between the two groups applying a paired two-tailed t-test.

Results

The HSPS-G scores correlated statistically significantly positive with beta 1 and 2, and global EEG power during resting with eyes open, but not during resting with eyes closed. The highly sensitive group revealed higher beta power (4.38 ± 0.32 vs. 4.21 ± 0.17, p = 0.014), higher gamma power (4.21 ± 0.37 vs. 4.00 ± 0.25, p = 0.010), and increased global EEG power (4.38 ± 0.29 vs. 4.25 ± 0.17, p = 0.041). The higher EEG activity in the HSP group was most pronounced in the central, parietal, and temporal region, whereas lower EEG activity was most present in occipital areas.

Conclusion

For the first time, neurophysiological signatures associated with SPS during a task free resting state were demonstrated. Evidence is provided that neural processes differ between HSP and non-HSP. During resting with eyes open HSP exhibit higher EEG activity suggesting increased information processing. The findings could be of importance for the development of biomarkers for clinical diagnostics and intervention efficacy evaluation.

Environmental susceptibility for all: A data-driven approach suggests individual differences in domain-general and domain-specific patterns of environmental susceptibility

How we are influenced by our environment is a fundamental question in developmental science. Theories and empirical research have claimed that some individuals are susceptible to environmental influences and others are much less susceptible. The present study addressed four questions: (1) Is environmental susceptibility a continuous or categorical construct? (2) Is environmental susceptibility unidimensional (i.e., domain general) or multidimensional (i.e., domain specific)? (3) Are there genetic contributions to individual differences in environmental susceptibility? (4) What are the temperamental characteristics of different environmental susceptibility patterns? We used child- and mother-report data from a sample of 11-year-old twins (N = 1,507) and applied a novel data-driven approach to assess an environmental susceptibility space, based on simultaneous associations between multiple environmental exposures (18 measures relating to parenting, parent, peer, and twin relationships) and developmental outcomes (10 measures relating to empathy, prosocial behavior, aggression, and self-esteem). The results suggest that the environmental susceptibility space we assessed is better conceptualized as continuous and multidimensional. Different children showed susceptibility to different contexts and variation in domain-general versus domain-specific patterns. A comparison of distances between monozygotic and dizygotic twins within the space demonstrated genetic contributions. Finally, susceptibility patterns could not be differentiated based on a specific temperament trait, but rather related to temperament profiles.

Sensitivity and Attachment in an Italian Sample of Hikikomori Adolescents and Young Adults

Hikikomori is a severe form of social withdrawal increasing among the young Italian population. Hikikomori has been connected to psychological problems and high environmental sensitivity. Nevertheless, only a few studies have been carried out in the Italian context, and they did not analyze several aspects strictly related to the hikikomori phenomenon, such as the role of attachment and sensitivity. We aimed to investigate the relationship between attachment, sensitivity, and psychological problems in a sample of Italian hikikomori. Our sample comprised 72 Italian adolescents and young adults (49 males and 23 females), meanly aged 22.5 years, recruited through online forums and clinical centers for the hikikomori phenomenon. Our participants fulfilled the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS), the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ), and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R). The results showed high psychological issues (i.e., depression and anxiety), environmental sensitivity, and insecure attachment orientations. Moreover, we discovered a significant relationship between attachment dimensions, environmental sensitivity, and psychopathology. Our study sheds light on a novel research path and could help both the researchers and the clinicians who work with people suffering from social withdrawal.

Sensory processing sensitivity and social pain: a hypothesis and theory

Sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS) defined, as a personality trait, seems to be characterized by emotional sensitivity, and stronger reactivity to both external and internal stimuli. SPS can represent a risk factor for developing clinical conditions during childhood and adolescence. This personality trait is not to be considered a pathological clinical condition, however, can expose to greater environmental vulnerability. In particular, the recent studies about SPS can be contextualized to social situations that evoke traumatic and stressful emotional responses such as social exclusion. We hypothesize that highly sensitive people (HSP) are more vulnerable to social exclusion and social pain. This hypothesis could help structure new educational and intervention models designed to improve coping strategies and promote HSP's psychophysical and social well-being.

Occupational Psychosocial Risks and Quality of Professional Life in Service Sector Workers with Sensory Processing Sensitivity

The aim of this study was to analyze the role of sensory processing sensitivity in the perception of stress under certain working conditions and its relationship with indicators of quality of professional life, in service sector workers. The participants (n = 3180) completed the Spanish versions of HSPS-S, CoPSoQ and ProQoL. The results show that exposure to certain working conditions represents a risk to the quality of professional life in workers of different fields, such as education, healthcare, hospitality and administration/management. The presence of high sensitivity is associated with poorer quality of professional life, specifically burnout and compassion fatigue. This study demonstrates the need to develop prevention programs aimed at managing stress by improving the working conditions, in order to adequately address sensory processing sensitivity and, consequently, promote the quality of professional life of service sector workers who present high sensitivity.

Sensory-Processing Sensitivity Is Associated with Increased Neural Entropy

BACKGROUND

This study aimed at answering the following research questions: (1) Does the self-reported level of sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS) correlate with complexity, or criticality features of the electroencephalogram (EEG)? (2) Are there significant EEG differences comparing individuals with high and low levels of SPS?

METHODS

One hundred fifteen participants were measured with 64-channel EEG during a task-free resting state. The data were analyzed using criticality theory tools (detrended fluctuation analysis, neuronal avalanche analysis) and complexity measures (sample entropy, Higuchi's fractal dimension). Correlations with the 'Highly Sensitive Person Scale' (HSPS-G) scores were determined. Then, the cohort's lowest and the highest 30% were contrasted as opposites. EEG features were compared between the two groups by applying a Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

RESULTS

During resting with eyes open, HSPS-G scores correlated significantly positively with the sample entropy and Higuchi's fractal dimension (Spearman's ρ = 0.22, p < 0.05). The highly sensitive group revealed higher sample entropy values (1.83 ± 0.10 vs. 1.77 ± 0.13, p = 0.031). The increased sample entropy in the highly sensitive group was most pronounced in the central, temporal, and parietal regions.

CONCLUSION

For the first time, neurophysiological complexity features associated with SPS during a task-free resting state were demonstrated. Evidence is provided that neural processes differ between low- and highly-sensitive persons, whereby the latter displayed increased neural entropy. The findings support the central theoretical assumption of enhanced information processing and could be important for developing biomarkers for clinical diagnostics.