Sensory Processing Disorder Could Be a Comorbidity of Childhood Asthma: A Cross‐Sectional Study

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BACKGROUND: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting multiple organ systems, including the central nervous system (CNS). Recent studies suggest an association between asthma and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sensory processing disorder (SPD), a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by atypical responses to sensory stimuli, may also be linked to asthma through shared inflammatory mechanisms. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of SPD in children with asthma as compared to those without asthma and explore its relationship with asthma severity. METHODS: This prospective, cross-sectional study included 182 children aged 5-12 years, with 91 asthmatic children in the study group and 91 nonasthmatic children in the control group. Sensory processing abilities were assessed using the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) Home-Form. Statistical analyses, including logistic regression and path analysis, were performed to evaluate the association between asthma and sensory processing abnormalities. RESULTS: Atypical sensory processing was significantly more prevalent in asthmatic children compared to the control group across multiple sensory domains, including vision, auditory, tactile, body awareness, balance, and movement (p < 0.005). Logistic regression analysis revealed that asthma was associated with increased risk of atypical sensory processing, particularly in tactile (OR: 5.716, 95% CI: 2.9-11.3 p < 0.001) and balance/movement (OR: 8.8, 95% CI: 2.5-30.7, p = 0.001) domains. However, no significant association was found between asthma severity and SPD prevalence. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that children with asthma exhibit a higher prevalence of SPD, supporting the hypothesis that neuroinflammation may contribute to sensory processing abnormalities. These results highlight the need for multidisciplinary approaches in managing asthmatic children, considering both respiratory and neurodevelopmental aspects. Further research is warranted to explore underlying mechanisms and potential interventions.