Minor sensory sensitivities—heightened or diminished reactions to sights, sounds, textures, or smells often appear repeatedly within families, suggesting a hereditary influence.

These sensitivities manifest as an amplified awareness or discomfort in response to everyday stimuli, such as bright lights, loud noises, or certain fabrics.

Genetic Roots of Sensory Sensitivities

A growing body of research points to genetics as a significant factor in sensory sensitivity inheritance. Variations in genes that regulate sensory processing pathways can lead to heightened or atypical sensory perception.

For instance, genetic mutations affecting how sensory information is transmitted and integrated within the brain can predispose individuals to sensory sensitivities. These genetic influences contribute to differences in how sensory signals are filtered, amplified, or suppressed before reaching higher brain centers, shaping individual sensory experiences.

Recent twin and family studies have demonstrated that sensory sensitivities share considerable genetic overlap with neurodevelopmental conditions like autism spectrum disorder (ASD), though sensitivities can exist independently as well. This genetic overlap manifests as a spectrum, where family members may exhibit varying degrees of sensory reactivity, from minor sensitivities to more pronounced sensory processing issues.

Such findings indicate that sensory sensitivities can be part of a broader inherited neurological trait rather than isolated phenomena.

Neurological Mechanisms and Sensory Filtering

Sensory sensitivities arise from neurological differences in sensory gating—the brain's capacity to filter out irrelevant background stimuli. In some individuals, this gating mechanism is less effective, causing sensory inputs to be processed with greater intensity.

Genetic predispositions can affect neurotransmitter systems and neural circuitry involved in sensory filtering. For example, mutations impacting inhibitory neurotransmitters such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) may reduce the brain's ability to moderate sensory inputs, leading to heightened sensations.

This increased sensory responsiveness can be advantageous in certain contexts by enhancing environmental awareness but can also result in discomfort or sensory overload in everyday situations. Families sharing such genetic traits often display a range of sensory sensitivities, reflecting variations in the underlying neural processing efficiency.

Environmental and Epigenetic Influences

While genetics plays a decisive role, environmental factors interact with inherited predispositions to influence sensory sensitivity expression. Early-life experiences, stress, exposure to toxins, or sensory environments can modify gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms, either amplifying or mitigating sensory responses.

This dynamic interplay between genes and environment contributes to why sensory sensitivities may vary even among family members with similar genetic backgrounds. Understanding this complex interaction aids in recognizing sensory sensitivities as multifactorial traits shaped by both inherited genetic architecture and life experiences.

Dr. Chelsea K. Donaldson's research underscores the hereditary nature of sensory processing atypicalities: "Our findings show that parents with a higher genetic liability for neurodevelopmental disorders exhibited more sensory processing atypicalities than those with lower genetic risk. This suggests that sensory sensitivities are not isolated traits but are linked to inherited neurological characteristics that run in families."

Familial patterns of minor sensory sensitivities reflect underlying genetic and neurological frameworks that influence sensory processing. Inherited variations in the brain's sensory filtering systems largely determine individual reactivity to environmental stimuli. Moreover, gene-environment interactions shape the degree and manifestation of these sensitivities across family members.