Brain activities associated with sensory processing sensitivity and excessive synchronization related to mental attention

Individuals with the sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) exhibit hypersensitivity to environmental stimuli and are at increased risk for stress, anxiety, and depression (Aron & Aron, 1997). Although the physiological basis of SPS is not fully understood, previous research suggests that electroencephalography (EEG) may partially capture its characteristics. In this study, we examined 117 participants with SPS traits to examine their neurophysiological characteristics. We quantified each participant's SPS level using the HSPS-J19 scale, originally developed by Aron and adapted for Japanese by Takahashi (2016). Our analysis focused on EEG band activity and neural synchronization. The results showed significantly increased synchronous activity in the delta band within the auditory-visual association region of the right posterior temporal lobe during rest with eyes closed. This suggests that individuals with SPS have a neural signature of excessive attention-related activity. We continue to conduct neurophysiological approach to these findings and are exploring minimally invasive methods to regulate such excessive activity.