Sensory Sensitivity Research Articles

Oxytocin Receptor Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Are Related to Maternal-Infant Co-Occupation and Infant Sensory Processing.

Caregiver-infant reciprocity is related to infant/toddler development and health. However, there is a dearth of research on reciprocity variables like co-occupation and developmental variables such as infant/toddler sensory processing/preferences, and it is important to understand the biopsychosocial mediators of these relations. These include novel genetic markers like maternal oxytocin receptor single-nucleotide polymorphisms (OXTR SNPs). Therefore, this study examined whether mothers carrying risk alleles for three OXTR SNPs displayed different co-occupational behaviors with their infants and whether their infants/toddlers showed different sensory processing/preferences. Data from the Infant Development and Healthy Outcomes in Mothers Study included prenatal saliva samples assayed for OXTR SNPs, 6-month postnatal behavioral observations coded for maternal-infant co-occupations (reciprocal emotionality, physicality, and intentionality), and 10-, 14-, and 18-month postnatal, maternal-reported Infant/Toddler Sensory Profiles (classified as within or outside the majority range for low registration, sensory seeking, sensory sensitivity, and sensory avoiding). Mothers with rs53576 risk allele A engaged in more frequent reciprocal emotionality, while those with rs2254298 risk allele A engaged in less frequent reciprocal emotionality but more frequent reciprocal intentionality. Mothers with rs53576 risk allele A had infants with 11 times greater odds of being outside of the majority range for sensation avoiding at 10 months old. The results converge with the literature supporting links between OXTR SNPs, caregiver reciprocity, and infant/toddler development but extend the findings to relatively novel constructs (caregiver-infant co-occupations and infant/toddler sensory processing/preferences).

Subjective visual sensitivity in neurotypical adults: insights from a magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.

Altered subjective visual sensitivity manifests as feelings of discomfort or overload elicited by intense and irritative visual stimuli. This can result in a host of visual aberrations including visual distortions, elementary visual hallucinations and visceral responses like dizziness and nausea, collectively referred to as "pattern glare." Current knowledge of the underlying neural mechanisms has focused on overall excitability of the visual cortex, but the individual contribution of excitatory and inhibitory systems has not yet been quantified. In this study, we focus on the role of glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as potential mediators of individual differences in subjective visual sensitivity, measured by a computerized Pattern Glare Test-a series of monochromatic square-wave gratings with three different spatial frequencies, while controlling for psychological variables related to sensory sensitivity with multiple questionnaires. Resting neurotransmitter concentrations in primary visual cortex (V1) and right anterior insula were studied in 160 healthy participants using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Data showed significant differences in the perception of visual distortions (VD) and comfort scores between men and women, with women generally reporting more VD, and therefore the modulatory effect of sex was considered in a further examination. A general linear model analysis showed a negative effect of occipital glutamate on a number of reported visual distortions, but also a significant role of several background psychological traits. When assessing comfort scores in women, an important intervening variable was the menstrual cycle. Our findings do not support that baseline neurotransmitter levels have a significant role in overreactivity to aversive stimuli in neurotypical population. However, we demonstrated that biological sex can have a significant impact on subjective responses. Based on this additional finding, we suggest that future studies investigate aversive visual stimuli while examining the role of biological sex.

The effect of proprioceptive vestibular rehabilitation on sensory-motor symptoms and quality of life.

Peripheral vestibular hypofunction (PVH) is characterized by balance and gait disorders and vestibulo-autonomic findings. The vestibular system and proprioceptive system work together to regulate sensorimotor functions. Vestibular exercises are effective in PVH, but their superiority over each other is still unclear. This study aims to examine the effect of proprioceptive vestibular exercises on patients with PVH. 30 individuals with unilateral PVH were assigned to 3 groups. Group 1 received proprioceptive vestibular rehabilitation, group 2 received standard vestibular rehabilitation. Both groups were given standard vestibular exercises as home exercises. No exercise was applied to the group 3. Patients were evaluated in terms of balance, functional mobility, posture, sensory profile, and quality of life. Although there was a significant intra-group difference in balance, functional mobility, and quality of life results in all groups (p < 0.05), the difference between groups was generally in favor of group 1 (p < 0.05). There was a significant difference between the groups in the posture analysis results (p < 0.05), while there was a significant difference in the 1st group (p < 0.05). There was a significant difference between the groups in the results of sensory sensitivity, sensory avoidance, and low recording (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups in sensory-seeking results (p > 0.05). There was a significant difference in quality of life between and within groups (p < 0.05). Proprioceptive vestibular rehabilitation is an effective method in PVH. We think that our study will guide clinicians and contribute to the literature. NCT04687371.

Exploring Dietary Interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves social communication difficulties and repetitive behaviors, and it has a growing prevalence worldwide. Symptoms include cognitive impairments, gastrointestinal (GI) issues, feeding difficulties, and psychological problems. A significant concern in ASD is food selectivity, leading to nutrient deficiencies. Common GI issues in ASD, such as constipation and irritable bowel syndrome, stem from abnormal gut flora and immune system dysregulation. Sensory sensitivities and behavioral challenges exacerbate these problems, correlating with neurological symptom severity. Children with ASD also exhibit higher oxidative stress due to low antioxidant levels like glutathione. Therapeutic diets, including ketogenic, high-antioxidant, gluten-free and casein-free, and probiotic-rich diets, show potential in managing ASD symptoms like behavior, communication, GI issues, and oxidative stress, though the evidence is limited. Various studies have focused on different populations, but there is increasing concern about the impact among children. This review aims to highlight the food preferences of the ASD population, analyze the effect of the physicochemical and nutritional properties of foods on the selectivity in its consumption, GI problems, and antioxidant deficiencies in individuals with ASD, and evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic diets, including diets rich in antioxidants, gluten-free and casein-free, ketogenic and essential fatty acids, and probiotic-rich diets in managing these challenges.

Intergenerational Pathways Linking Mothers’ Childhood Traumatic Experiences and Preschoolers’ Prosocial Behaviors

ABSTRACT Research Findings: The present study investigated the potential mediating role of maternal parenting in the intergenerational effects of maternal childhood traumatic experiences (CTEs) on prosocial behaviors of their offspring and examined whether the offspring’s sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) moderates this association using a 1-year longitudinal design. A total of 203 preschoolers (M age = 4.84, SD = 0.64, 96 girls, at T1) and their mothers participated in this study. Mothers completed questionnaires assessing their own CTEs and parenting toward their offspring, and offspring’s SPS and prosocial behaviors. Results indicated that maternal neglect experiences could intergenerationally directly influence their offspring’s prosocial behaviors in early childhood (β = −0.20, p = .012), as well as having an indirect influence through the mediating role of maternal authoritative parenting (indirect effect = −0.09, p = .009). Moreover, aesthetic sensitivity (AES) and low sensory threshold (LST), two subdimensions of SPS, moderated the predictive influence of authoritative parenting on preschoolers’ prosocial behaviors (AES: β = 0.17, p = .005; LST: β = 0.17, p = .006). Practice or Policy: The findings provide new evidence for understanding the intergenerational influence of different maternal CTEs on prosocial behaviors among children with different SPS and have implications for alleviating the intergenerational negative effects on children’s prosocial behaviors.

The DOES Scale: Measuring Sensory Processing Sensitivity as a Trait Constellation

Based on Aron’s (2020) DOES model, we developed the DOES Scale to measure Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) with four dimensions: Depth of Processing, Overstimulation, Emotional Reactivity, and Sensing the Subtle. Using interview data from the study by Roth et al. (2023), we created a 20-item questionnaire (5 items per dimension) in German and English. In three studies with 1,365 subjects from Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and the UK, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the scale using confirmatory factor analysis and examined construct validity with the established Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) and different personality measures. The results confirmed each subscale’s unidimensionality and good psychometric properties. Considering the four subscales together indicated that they could be best described as correlated factors rather than in terms of a second-order factor. Convergent validity was confirmed, especially for Overstimulation in its association with the HSPS total score and its subscales EOE and LST. Regarding discriminant validity, the Sensing the Subtle dimension exhibited clear distinctiveness, while the other three subscales overlapped with neuroticism, extraversion, empathy, and rumination, aligning with theoretical expectations. The DOES Scale emerges as a reliable, valid tool for assessing SPS, recommending its four dimensions be interpreted as a trait constellation.

The Literature Review of Sensory Processing Sensitivity

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a personal characteristic that significantly affects a series of individual behaviors, which makes SPS has long been widely concerned and studied by scholars. However, although scholars have carried out a lot of research on SPS, the existing research has not systematically and comprehensively sorted out and explored SPS, which is not conducive for scholars to have a comprehensive understanding of SPS. Based on this research status, firstly, this study teases out the existing SPS research, systematically introduces the concept of SPS, expounds its differences and connections with similar constructs, and discusses different measurement scales of SPS. Secondly, this study reviews the antecedents and consequences of SPS. Antecedents include innate factors and acquired environmental factors, while consequences are reviewed and sorted out from both positive and negative aspects. Finally, this study proposes directions for future research on SPS, thus providing ideas and directions for scholars to continue to explore SPS. This study aims to provide a comprehensive academic foundation for further exploration of SPS.

An investigation testing the perceptual advantage of Sensory Processing Sensitivity and its associations with the Big Five personality traits

This study investigated whether sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is associated with a perceptual advantage, rather than just heightened brain, emotional and behavioural reactivity. Participants (N = 222) were tested on detection and identification of visually degraded words at three levels of difficulty, and completed the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) and the Big Five Inventory. The positive subscale of the HSPS predicted both the detection and identification of visually degraded stimuli, and beyond the Big Five traits. This contradicts claims that SPS is solely a combination of Big Five traits. Importantly, the perceptual advantage for highly sensitives may balance the disadvantages of being easily overwhelmed by stimuli and indicates separate evolutionary advantages and strategies for high and low SPS humans and other mammals.

Olfactory performance and odor liking are negatively associated with food neophobia in children aged between 3 and 9 years

BackgroundChild food neophobia, i.e., rejection or avoidance of novel foods at a young age, is a prevalent nutrition problem that affects the quality of children’s diet and impedes the development of healthy food preferences. Sensory sensitivity can relate to the degree of food neophobia, but previous studies rarely focused on the olfactory component of this problem in children.ObjectiveWe aimed to thoroughly examine the relationship between various aspects of olfactory sensitivity and food neophobia in children.Methods246 children aged between three and nine years took part in a food neophobia assessment as well as in a comprehensive, psychophysical olfactory testing.ResultsWe found that certain smell perception aspects such as lower odor liking, poorer odor identification ability as well as lower sensitivity to an unknown non-food odor all significantly predicted higher food neophobia in children. Among individual characteristics of either a child or a caregiver, only the child’s age significantly and positively predicted food neophobia. The exploratory model looking into the role of family environment factors predicting self-reported food neophobia in children revealed that food neophobia was associated with lower control given to a child in this child’s feeding process, as well as with a more frequent use of food as a reward in feeding.ConclusionsWe suggest that suppressed olfactory perception and performance can play a unique role in child nutritional difficulties. The study inspires further considerations of olfaction-engaging interventions to counteract food-neophobia in children.

Sensory processing sensitivity in relation to coping strategies: exploring the mediating role of depression, anxiety and stress

Existing research on sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) focuses majorly on populations involving children, those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and those belonging to the Western countries. This study aims to contribute in bridging this gap by exploring the mediating role of Depression, Anxiety, Stress on the relationship between SPS and coping strategies in the general population, while also assessing the prevalence of these variables. Data was collected from a convenience sample of 107 participants (mean age = 20.6 years, 57.9% females). Participants’ responses were recorded for the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS), the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Coping Strategies Inventory-Short Form (CSI-SF). Correlational and mediation analyses of SPS, coping strategies and Depression, Anxiety and Stress were done. In the sample, 31.78% of individuals were found to be Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs). The findings revealed significant relationships between SPS, Depression, Anxiety, Stress and coping strategies. Depression and Anxiety were observed to be significant mediators. While SPS as a trait may not be inherently modifiable, our results on its association with emotion-focused disengagement coping provide insight into target dysfunctional patterns for effective management of depression, stress, and anxiety. Further research is warranted to enhance the applicability of this study.

Sensory processing sensitivity, transliminality, and boundary-thinness as predictors of anomalous experiences, beliefs, and abilities

Individual differences are among the most studied correlates of anomalous experiences and beliefs (AEs), but few have focussed on personality measures specifically defined by sensitivity. Of interest in this study is the personality trait of Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS), characterised by aesthetic sensitivity, being easily overwhelmed by internal and external stimuli, emotional reactivity and empathy, and deeper processing. An online survey investigated the relationship between SPS, and other personality constructs, in part, defined by sensitivity (transliminality and boundary-thinness) with anomalous experiences, beliefs, and abilities. Two hundred participants (mean age = 32.23; 151 females, 41 males, 6 non-binary and 2 preferred not to say) completed the Revised Transliminality Scale, the Boundary Questionnaire Short-Form, the Highly Sensitive Person Scale - Brief Version (measuring SPS), the Anomalous Experiences Inventory, and open-ended questions on SPS and AEs. There were significant and positive correlations between all four variables. Both transliminality and boundary thinness positively predicted anomalous beliefs with transliminality being the stronger, however, only transliminality predicted anomalous experiences and abilities. The findings suggest a relationship between SPS and anomalous experience and belief, but this is mediated by transliminality and boundary thinness.

The Connections Between Alexithymia, Childhood Maltreatment, Impulsivity and Extreme Sensory Processing Patterns in Relation to Bipolar Symptoms in Inpatients With Bipolar Disorder.

Childhood maltreatment, alexithymia and impulsivity are related to bipolar disorder (BD), but the role of potential underlying mechanisms of this link, such as extreme sensory processing, in BD are unclear. This study compared sensory processing patterns between individuals with BD-I or BD-II and between those with and without alexithymia and childhood maltreatment. Additionally, the study aimed to examine the role of extreme sensory processing in the relationship between childhood trauma, alexithymia and impulsivity with both depression and mania in a sample of hospitalized individuals with BD (n = 300). Participants completed self-report and clinician-rated scales. Patients with BD-II exceeded those with BD-I in low registration, sensory sensitivity and sensation avoidance, whereas patients with BD-I exhibited a more heightened sensation-seeking pattern. Patients with BD who had alexithymia and a history of childhood maltreatment exhibited more heightened sensory processing patterns, apart from sensory seeking, compared to those without alexithymia and childhood maltreatment. Additionally, the same pattern was more pronounced in individuals with BD who had both alexithymia and childhood maltreatment compared to those with either condition or neither of these conditions. The pathways from childhood maltreatment and alexithymia to depressive symptoms were mediated by low registration and sensation avoidance. Sensory seeking indirectly affected the link between alexithymia and manic symptoms. Childhood maltreatment and challenges in effectively processing emotional information, along with their related hypo- and hypersensitivity, may characterize BD individuals and its manifestation of depressive and manic symptoms.

The Role of Hopelessness in Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder.

The goal of this study was to evaluate specific characteristics associated with hopelessness, potentially correlated with coping strategies, sensory profile, and alexithymia in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Two hundred twenty-four (N=224) inpatients completed a clinical interview with administration of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP), the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (COPE), and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). Hopelessness was significantly associated with female gender, more hospitalizations, current suicidal ideation, number of suicide attempts, current and lifetime medication abuse, and alcohol misuse. Furthermore, patients with BHS ≥ 9 had higher scores in low registration, sensory sensitivity and sensation avoiding in AASP, higher rate of alexithymia, and the use of maladaptive coping strategies. Hopelessness in BPD was associated with higher severity of illness, alternative process sensory input from the environment, reduced ability to cope with stressful events, and alexithymia. Therefore, a routine assessment of hopelessness in patients with BPD could lead to better and more specific therapeutic strategies.

Understanding autistic youths' menstrual product preferences and caregivers' product choices.

There is little research exploring the menstrual product preferences of autistic youth, especially those who recently started their period. Study authors surveyed caregivers' choice of menstrual products for their autistic children. They provided popular menstrual materials to autistic youth to try, then asked them which product(s) they preferred, did not try, and why they did not try it. Caregivers selected sensory impact as the most important feature they consider when choosing a menstrual product for their child, and youth participants preferred to use period underwear. Therefore, autistic youth may benefit from purchasing and using period underwear, and caregivers, clinicians, and companies should consider the impact of menstrual product features, like sensory sensitivities, on young autistic menstruators and how best to support them.

Acceptance and commitment therapy versus progressive relaxation training for misophonia: Randomized controlled trial protocol, interventions, and audiological assessments

BackgroundMisophonia is a disorder characterized by an intense emotional reaction to specific sounds, often leading to significant distress and impairment in daily functioning. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a promising psychotherapy for treating misophonia, but has only been previously tested in case studies. This paper presents a protocol for the first randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessing the efficacy and feasibility of ACT supplemented by audiological interventions for misophonia versus progressive relaxation training (PRT). MethodsThe outlined protocol is a RCT with 60 adults with misophonia. After undergoing a comprehensive psychological and audiological evaluation, participants were randomly assigned to ACT (n = 30) or PRT (n = 30). All participants completed clinician-administered and self-report assessments at baseline, post-intervention, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up. The primary outcome was misophonia severity and impairment measured via clinical interview. Secondary outcomes included disgust, anger, sensory sensitivities, well-being, distress, and psychological flexibility. DiscussionThis paper outlines the rationale of using ACT supplemented by audiological methods for misophonia with the novel therapeutic target of enhancing psychological flexibility. The results of this randomized controlled trial will help determine if ACT is an efficacious and acceptable treatment for misophonia. This trial will also help clarify active psychological mechanisms of misophonia, and assess whether this combination of psychological and audiological services can effectively help individuals with misophonia.

Analysis of the moderator effect of overstimulation on the relationships between indicators of health-related quality of life, extraversion and maladaptive coping strategies in people with sensory processing sensitivity

People with sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), when overstimulated, feel overwhelmed, stressed, and in need of social withdrawal, rest, and reestablishing balance in the nervous system. This study focuses on analyzing the moderator effect of overstimulation on health-related quality of life (mental health, vitality, and body pain), extraversion, and maladaptive coping strategies in people with SPS. Participants (N = 10,520 adults) completed the Spanish versions of the High Sensitivity Person Scale (HSPS-S), Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and Coping Strategies Inventory (CSI). Participants with high overstimulation levels were observed to have a worse quality of life related to health, greater introversion, and a tendency to use more maladaptive coping strategies. Furthermore, two of the health-related quality of life indicators, mental health and vitality, occupy a central position in the relationships between variables; there was a negative relationship between mental health and active maladaptive coping strategies, as well as between extraversion and nonactive maladaptive coping strategies. Lastly, the level of overstimulation was not identified as an indicator that differentially influences its relationship with the study variables. These findings demonstrate the need to use prevention and clinical intervention programs that address mental health and vitality, as well as introversion and the use of maladaptive coping strategies in people with high sensitivity.

The association between maternal sleep and circadian rhythms during pregnancy and infant sleep and socioemotional outcomes.

Studies have established that maternal sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances during pregnancy are associated with poor prenatal and perinatal outcomes for mothers and offspring. However, little work has explored its effects on infant sleep or socioemotional outcomes. The current study examined the relationship between maternal sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances during pregnancy and infant sleep and socioemotional outcomes in a diverse sample of N = 193 mothers and their infants (51% White; 52% Female; Mage = 11.95months). Maternal sleep and circadian rhythms during pregnancy were assessed using self-reports and actigraphy. Mothers reported on infants' sleep and socioemotional outcomes when infants were one year old. When controlling for infant sex, age, gestational age at birth, family income-to-needs ratios, and maternal depression, mothers who reported more sleep problems during pregnancy had infants with more sleep disturbances when they were one year old. Moreover, mothers who had later sleep timing (i.e., went to bed and woke up later, measured via actigraphy) during pregnancy had infants with more dysregulation (e.g., increased feeding difficulties, sensory sensitivities) and externalizing problems, and mothers with increased intra-daily variability in rest-activity rhythms (as measured via actigraphy) had infants with more externalizing problems. Findings suggest that maternal sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances during pregnancy may be a risk factor for infant sleep problems and socioemotional difficulties.

Association between sensory processing sensitivity and quality of life among cancer patients: a mediation and moderation of resilience and social determinants

BackgroundIndividuals with sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) tend to be overreactive in response to negative environmental stimuli. More is known about the positive relationship between SPS and quality of life (QoL); nevertheless, less is known regarding the roles of resilience and social determinants in this association. This research aimed to investigate the potential mediation effect of resilience and the moderation effect of social determinants on the relationship between SPS and QoL in a large sample of Chinese cancer patients.MethodsWe used the most recent datasets from an ongoing project conducted in southwest China. A two-stage random sampling strategy with a probability proportionate to sample size (PPS) design was adopted. The associations between resilience, SPS, and QoL were evaluated using a linear regression model. Path analysis was adopted to examine the mediation of resilience.ResultsResilience was positively associated with quality of life, while increased sensory processing sensitivity was negatively associated with quality of life. The restricted cubic spline analysis revealed that as resilience increased, the coefficients of quality of life rapidly increased across all domains. Conversely, the coefficients for quality of life gradually decreased with the escalation of sensory processing sensitivity. Resilience was a significant mediator, accounting for 21.88% of the total SPS-QoL association. The mediation effect of resilience varied across ethnicity and sex.ConclusionSensory processing sensitivity was significantly associated with quality of life in cancer patients, and promoting resilience could mitigate this negative impact. However, the effect of resilience varies across sex and ethnicity. Therefore, targeted resilience promotion interventions, especially those integrating social characteristics, should be considered for implementation.

Sensory processing in typically developing toddlers with and without sleep problems

This study investigates the sensory processing of typically developing toddlers with and without sleep problems. The research group consisted of typically developing toddlers with sleep problems (n = 110, mean age=18.35 ± 3.4 months), while the control group included typically developing toddlers without sleep problems (n = 110, mean age=18.67 ± 3.5 months) and their mothers. Toddlers were assigned to the research and control groups based on their sleep problems, as determined by the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire. The sensory processing of the toddlers was evaluated using the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile 2. Sensory patterns and sensory processing sub-parameters of the research and control groups were compared. The sensory processing of the research group showed atypical behavioral responses in low registration (low awareness or indifferent attitude to sensory stimuli), sensory sensitivity (distracted or irritable attitude, intensely stimulated by sensory stimuli), and sensory avoiding (intentional avoidance of sensory stimuli or attitudes that produce out-of-norm responses) patterns compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Behavioral responses were similar in the sensory seeking (disturbing or dangerous attitude to the environment in search of sensory stimuli) pattern (p > 0.309). Statistically significant differences were observed in all sub-parameters of sensory processing compared to the control group. Our findings indicate that toddlers with sleep problems are at risk for sensory processing issues. Toddlers with sleep problems exhibit atypical sensory responses related to sensory sensitivity, low registration, and sensory avoiding. It should be considered that toddlers with sleep problems may show sensitivity to different sensory stimuli, avoidance or may not be able to recognize sensory stimuli. These findings suggest that the inclusion of sensory profile assessments in interdisciplinary care for toddlers with sleep problems may contribute to parent-infant well-being.

Questionnaire-assessed atypical sensory sensitivity is prospectively related to higher ARFID psychopathology, higher food neophobia, and lower satisfaction with food-related life in an online sample of Chinese older adults

Altered sensory processing is common in older adults, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) psychopathology and food neophobia contribute to adverse health outcomes in older adults. Yet, the relationships, particularly longitudinal relationships, between sensory processing, ARFID psychopathology, and food neophobia, as well as their associations with satisfaction with food-related life (SWFL), remain unexplored in older adults. A sample of Chinese older adults (N = 202; 45 % men; Mage = 59.35 years) completed an online survey at baseline (T1) and 12 months later (T2); atypical sensory sensitivity, ARFID psychopathology, food neophobia, and SWFL were measured with self-report questionnaires. Cross-lagged and mediation regression analyses were conducted to examine the prospective associations between T1 atypical sensory sensitivity and T2 ARFID psychopathology, food neophobia, and SWFL. The results revealed that higher T1 atypical sensory sensitivity predicted higher T2 ARFID psychopathology and food neophobia and lower SWFL. The results also showed that the relationship between T1 atypical sensory sensitivity and T2 SWFL was mediated by T2 picky eating and food neophobia. These findings suggest that atypical sensory sensitivity may be a risk factor for ARFID psychopathology, food neophobia, and poor SWFL in older adults. Future studies with larger samples and experimental designs are needed to further explore the mechanisms linking atypical sensory sensitivity and ARFID psychopathology, food neophobia, and SWFL in older adults.