719: Sensory responsiveness correlates with enhanced tactile discrimination

Topic: Experimental (Non-clinical) Human Studies
Subtopic: Non -specific to any diagnosis, Assessment and Measurement of Pain/Nociception, Quantitative Sensory testing (static and dynamic, e.g., HPT, PPT, CPM, TSP, offset analgesia)

Background and Aims: Increasing evidence shows that atypical sensory responsiveness is associated with altered somatosensory processing, including increased pain responses, atypical temporal summation, and abnormal aftersensations, suggesting involvement of central modulatory mechanisms rather than peripheral changes alone. Additionally, aversive responsiveness has been identified as a major contributor to individual differences in daily pain sensitivity and psychological distress, further underlining its relevance to somatosensory functioning. This study examines how sensory responsiveness relates to tactile and pain sensitivity measures to clarify whether specific traits of sensory modulation are linked to primary perceptual and discrimination acuity, central sensory gain, or affective touch processing.

Methods: Thirty participants completed the Sensory Responsiveness Questionnaire (SRQ). Quantitative sensory testing was performed on both arms, including touch pleasantness, detection threshold, pain threshold, mechanical pain sensitivity, and 2‑point discrimination (2PDT). Dominant vs. non dominant arm comparisons were conducted using paired t-tests for normally distributed measures and Wilcoxon signed rank tests for non-normal measures. Associations between SRQ Hedonic and Aversive scores and sensory measures were examined using Pearson or Spearman correlations with Benjamini–Hochberg FDR correction. Multiple linear regressions were conducted to assess unique contributions of sensory predictors, and assumptions and collinearity were evaluated.

Results: No significant differences were found between dominant and non‑dominant arms for any sensory measure, and values were therefore averaged across sides for subsequent analyses. Correlations showed that SRQ Hedonic scores were significantly associated with better 2‑point discrimination (r = –.525, p = .003), and this relationship remained significant after FDR correction (p₍FDR₎ = .030). No other correlations were significant following correction. The regression model predicting SRQ Hedonic approached significance, with 2PDT averages emerging as the only significant unique predictor (β = –.486, p₍FDR₎ = .040). In contrast, the model predicting SRQ Aversive and all its predictors were non‑significant after FDR.

Conclusions: SRQ Hedonic scores were uniquely associated with better 2 point discrimination, suggesting that individuals who experience touch as more pleasant also show enhanced tactile spatial acuity. Neither quantitative assessment of pain threshold nor mechanical pain sensitivity showed meaningful associations with SRQ scores. This aligns with the interpretation that sensory responsiveness is not consistently linked to just sensitivity to stimulus intensity or peripheral nociceptive thresholds, but rather to higher-order somatosensory integration and processing and possibly central pain modulation mechanisms. These results also suggest distinct mechanisms underlying hedonic versus aversive sensory traits and emphasize the multidimensional nature of sensory modulation.

References: Bar-Shalita T, Granovsky Y, Parush S and Weissman-Fogel I (2019) Sensory Modulation Disorder (SMD) and Pain: A New Perspective. Front. Integr. Neurosci. 13:27. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2019.00027
Bar-Shalita T and Cermak SA (2020) Multi-sensory Responsiveness and Personality Traits Predict Daily Pain Sensitivity. Front. Integr. Neurosci. 13:77. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2019.00077

Presenting Author: Sabata Gervasio
Submitting Author: Sabata Gervasio

Senior Author: Sabata Gervasio

IASP 2026 Global Year theme of Neuropathic Pain: No

• Ken Steffen Frahm: PhD - Aalborg University
• Silvia Lo Vecchio: PhD - Aalborg University
• William J. Gavin: PhD - Colorado State University
• Patricia L. Davies: PhD - Colorado State University