Atypical Sensory Processing, Sensory Gating, and Participation for Adults with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders exhibit atypical sensory processing and sensory gating deficits. However, little is known about how such processes affect participation in daily activities. We conducted a scoping review of original, peer-reviewed articles published in English-medium journals from 2000 to 2020. Five studies using quantitative or qualitative methods were included, revealing mixed results regarding the relationships between atypical sensory processing and participation in adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Our search highlighted the need for further research using mixed methods. Additionally, paradigmatic and terminological differences within and across disciplines may impede interdisciplinary efforts to study this topic.

Keywords:

• Sensory processing
• sensory gating
• schizophrenia
• participation

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Nancy Bagatell for helping facilitate this project between the two authors of this article, as well as Dr. Barbara Rochen Renner at the Health Sciences Library, UNC-Chapel Hill for providing feedback on preliminary search terms used in academic databases. The corresponding author would also like to thank all his dissertation committee members for their thoughtful comments and much-needed insights on an earlier version of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.