Different sensory dimensions in infancy are associated with separable etiological influences and with autistic traits in toddlerhood.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Infants vary significantly in the way they process and respond to sensory stimuli, and altered sensory processing has been reported among infants later diagnosed with autism. Previous work with adolescents and adults suggests that variability in sensory processing may have a strong genetic basis. Yet, little is known about the etiological factors influencing sensory differences in infancy, when brain circuits supporting social and non-social cognition are sculpted and learning about the world via sensory input largely occurs in interaction with caregivers.

Methods

We analysed data from a community sample of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) 5-month-old same-sex twins (n = 285 pairs, n = 158 MZ pairs, n = 150 male pairs) from the BabyTwins Study in Sweden (BATSS)

SUBMITTER: Bussu G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12267685 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature