Research
Rex Autistikon Research Foundation, Inc. · 501(c)(3) public charity · EIN 42-3220323
For researchers and the scientifically literate public. Not for patients seeking care. Not a clinic. No causal claim about autism. No licensed scoring instrument.
Sensor-rich interfaces, measurable mechanics, and afferent prediction
An independent research programme testing whether measurable mechanical conditions at eight defined interfaces form a reproducible latent state that predicts physiological outcomes—without treating “restriction” as a directly observed scalar.
This page is the public overview. The layered specification is on Research Framework. Specification of record: Kim (2026), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22149318.
Current status
- Research architecture established — research question, layered method (measurement → representation → transmission → physiological test), zone taxonomy, falsification criteria (F1–F3), and collaboration governance.
- Measurement protocols under development — zone-specific mechanical acquisition, calibration/QC, and test–retest plans are being defined; they are not yet locked as validated standard operating procedures.
- Computational transmission layer currently illustrative — interactive model and Phase 1 intake parameters (including restriction-like / didactic controls and observational MPA-style scores) explore predicted transmission quantities. They are not empirical tissue measurements.
- Empirical validation pending — reliability of candidate mechanical measures, coherence of any latent “restriction” construct, and preregistered prediction of independent physiological outcomes have not yet been demonstrated.
Research question
Why do differences in sensory processing, proprioception, interoception, and related motor–autonomic features often co-occur in some neurodevelopmental presentations, and can part of that covariance be linked to independently measurable mechanical conditions at specific peripheral interfaces?
Working hypothesis
Chronic differences in local tissue mechanics at specific anatomical zones densely invested with mechanoreceptors and interoceptors can alter the statistics of ascending afferent signals. “Mechanical restriction” names this hypothesis-level latent construct. It is not a primary instrument reading.
Empirical work proceeds: measurement → mechanical representation → transmission prediction → independent physiological test. The computational layer never defines the independent variable retrospectively.
Three layers (kept separate)
- Measurement — directly observed mechanical quantities from characterized instruments and protocols (zone-specific).
- Mechanical representation — derived parameters such as \(G'\), \(G''\), strain under load, hysteresis, relaxation time, displacement/excursion, force–displacement relationships, as applicable.
- Computational transmission — predicted fidelity-like, precision-proxy, and free-energy-style quantities only after representation is specified.
Eight research interfaces
The analytical framework is shared; physical measurement techniques are not assumed identical across zones.
- Extraocular / Orbital
- Middle-ear
- Nasal
- Tongue
- Pharyngeal / Laryngeal
- Suboccipital
- Visceral fascia / Diaphragm
- Pelvic floor
Methods direction
Candidate approaches include zone-appropriate mechanical characterization (for example shear-wave elastography where anatomy permits) paired with independently collected interoceptive or sensory markers under partner ethics oversight. Observational scores such as MPA are secondary until preregistered validity analyses support otherwise.
Any future composite “restriction index” must be locked prospectively (components, units, normalization, weighting, missing-data rules, reliability thresholds, zone procedures, mapping to model inputs)—with no post-hoc adjustment based on outcome fit.
Falsification
The restriction construct is unsupported if:
- proposed mechanical measurements fail adequate reliability;
- candidate measures show no reproducible relationship where a common construct is claimed; or
- measured mechanical state fails to predict independent physiological outcomes under preregistered analyses.
Programme structure
Full layered definitions, evidence matrix, experimental phases, and platform links: Research Framework. Collaborator expectations: Collaborator Handbook.