Systematic Literature Review of Therapeutic Use of Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) and Short-Term ASMR Auditory Training Trial

This thesis consists of 2-parts: a systematic review of current publications on therapeutic use of autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), and a within-subjects auditory training trial using ASMR videos. The main intent is to explore ASMR as potentially therapeutically beneficial for those with atypical sensory processing. Many hearing related disorders and mood or anxiety symptoms overlap with symptoms of sensory processing issues. For this reason, inclusion and exclusion criteria of the systematic review were generated in an effort to produce optimal search outcomes, and avoid overly confined criteria that would limit yielded results.

Criteria for inclusion in the review for Part 1 are: (1) adult participants diagnosed with hearing loss or atypical sensory processing, (2) inclusion of measures related to ASMR as a treatment method and (3) published between 2000 and 2022. A total of 1,088 publications were found in preliminary search, and a total of 13 articles met inclusion criteria. A total of 14 participants completed the trial and post-trial questionnaire. Of all responses, 64.29% agreed that the duration of auditory training sessions was reasonable. In addition, 71.43% agreed that the training improved their perception of music. Lastly, 64.29% agreed that the training improved their perception of a primary talker when there are other talkers or background noises present.