Pohl, P., Dunn, W., & Brown, T. (2001). The role of sensory processing in the everyday lives of older adults. Occupational therapy Journal of Research. 23, 3, 99-106.

This study set out to determine if there are age-related differences in sensory processing within daily life as indicated by the Adult Sensory Profile. Participants included 364 community-dwelling adults divided into three groups:106 19-34 years, 107 35-64 years, and 151 65 years and older. Each person completed the Adult Sensory Profile. There was a difference in sensory processing between the three groups. The older adults noticed sensory input less often, and engaged in less sensory seeking behaviors than the younger groups. Authors propose hypotheses about the meaning of this finding and provide recommendations about the application of this knowledge to supporting older adults so they can age in place successfully. This study is important to occupational therapy practice because it provides evidence about the changes in sensory processing that occur with aging, and therefore can inform professionals about parameters that must be considered in order to design effective interventions which support life choices that are satisfying for older adults.

Brown, C., Tollefson, N., Dunn, W., Cromwell, R., & Filion, D. (2001). The Adult Sensory Profile: Measuring patterns of sensory processing. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 55, 75-82.

In this article the authors report on a series of studies designed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Adult Sensory Profile. Expert judgment indicated that items could be categorized according to Dunn's Model of Sensory Processing. Results suggested reasonable item reliability for all subscales except for the Sensation Avoiding subscale. Skin conductance measures detected distinct patterns of physiological responses consistent with the four-quadrant model. Revision of the Adult Sensory Profile resulted in improved reliability of the Sensation Avoiding subscale. The series of studies provides evidence to support the four subscales of the Adult Sensory Profile as distinct constructs of sensory processing preferences.

Brown, C., Cromwell, R., Filion, D., Dunn, W., & Tollefson, N. (2002). Sensory processing in schizophrenia: missing and avoiding information. Schizophrenia Research, May 1;55(1-2):187-95

In this study, the researchers investigated the possible coexistence of supersensitivity and overinhibition in schizophrenia using the Adult Sensory Profile as a measure of Dunn's model of sensory processing. The quadrant model describes sensory sensitivity, sensation avoiding, low registration and sensation seeking as behavioral responses to sensation. They compared individuals with schizophrenia (N = 27), bipolar disorder (N = 30) and mentally healthy controls (N = 29). The results indicated that both the schizophrenia group and the bipolar disorder group had higher scores on sensation avoiding than the control group. The schizophrenia group also had higher scores on low registration and lower scores on sensation seeking than the mentally health group. There were no differences between the schizophrenia and bipolar disorder group. According to the findings of this study, individuals with schizophrenia tend to miss available sensory stimuli. When stimuli are indeed detected, they are often avoided. This pattern makes it hard to engage in the environment as others do.