The study, made possible through funding from the Hersenstichting, is led by neurologist Brigit de Jong, in collaboration with psychiatrist Sonja Rutten, Karin van der Hiele and Aglaia Zedlitz. Other partners include University Medical Center Groningen, Klimmendaal Rehabilitation Centre and Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.
The study, made possible through funding from the Hersenstichting, is led by neurologist Brigit de Jong, in collaboration with psychiatrist Sonja Rutten, Karin van der Hiele and Aglaia Zedlitz. Other partners include University Medical Center Groningen, Klimmendaal Rehabilitation Centre and Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.
Overprikkeling
Sensory overload is a complaint many people with Multiple Sclerosis and Functional Neurological Disorder struggle with, but within science it is still unclear what the term exactly means. 'People often mean different things when they use the term, and existing questionnaires - developed for specific conditions - may not measure it properly for everyone. Moreover, there is currently no treatment that has been proven effective,' says Karin van der Hiele, who studies cognitive and psychological problems in people with neurological conditions.
'Sounds, flashes of light, touch, smells, emotions and physical fatigue: all these factors can lead to shutdown and seizures' - A person with lived experience of Functional Neurological Disorder on sensory overload
MS and FND
MS and FND are conditions with different causes; this is precisely why the researchers have chosen to focus on both groups. Van der Hiele explains: 'In MS there is damage to the brain, whereas in FND there is a disruption in how the brain functions without structural damage. The differences between MS and FND make it possible to develop an approach that works for many people with neurological conditions and sensory overload.'
Method
The aim of the study is to better understand what sensory overload is and how it can be measured. First, the scientists will investigate whether existing questionnaires assess sensory overload properly. They will also examine how sensory overload relates to other symptoms and to brain activity. In addition, they will test a new online treatment for sensory overload: e-KALM.
Building tolerance to stimuli
'We are investigating this treatment in people who experience sensory overload and therefore avoid certain situations,' says Van der Hiele. 'Some people who experience this rarely leave the house or seek out a low-stimulation space in their own home where they spend much of their time.' With e-KALM, participants learn how to cope with sensory overload and then gradually build tolerance by exposing themselves to increasing levels of stimulation. 'Participants begin the treatment in a safe place, for example at home, where they put on a VR headset and expose themselves to stimuli. They can choose their own VR video. Afterwards, participants are encouraged to seek out situations in real life that they had previously avoided.'
Visualising sensory overload
The image above this article comes from the project Hersenschimmen: Praten over Prikkels, a collaboration between the Hersenstichting and Utrecht University in which participants use GenAI to visualise what sensory overload can look like. The image was created by Karin van der Hiele.
