Hyperacusis in autism spectrum disorders: A review of the literature

Abstract

Hyperacusis is defined as intolerance to certain sounds that causes significant distress and disability in social, occupational, recreational and other activities. Sounds can be perceived as uncomfortably loud, unpleasant, frightening, or painful. It is present in approximate- ly 3% of the general population, and increases significantly in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), between 15% and 40%. The pathophysiological mechanisms are not entirely clear, but an alteration in the functioning of reflex and regulatory mechanisms has been propo- sed, both at the peripheral and central auditory pathways, including structures not directly related to the auditory pathway. The therapeutic approach has been little explored as there are no drugs that have demonstrated their effectiveness, on the contrary, some of them wor- sen the symptoms. The practitioner is recommended to follow a long path, in conjunction with the patient, where non-pharmacological therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy have been shown to have good results. The following text shows a review of the literature with articles referring to the subject between the years 2008-2019.