Therapeutic Intervention Effects of rTMS on Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) on Neural Mechanisms and Cognitive Functions of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common and complex neurodevelopmental disorder, which is characterized by impairments of social communication, social reciprocity, as well as restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB). The unclear pathogenesis of ASD, its increasing prevalence, and its poor clinical diagnosis and treatment effect have caused a serious economic and mental burden on patients and their families. As a new non-invasive neuroelectrophysiological technique, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been used more and more in the interventional treatment of autism. The current project aims to explore the influence of TMS on brain plasticity in autism by using TMS for interventional treatment of autism and provide guidelines for the intervention and treatment of autism by evaluating the efficiency of these methods.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common and complex neurodevelopmental disorder, which is characterized by impairments of social communication, social reciprocity, as well as restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB). The unclear pathogenesis of ASD, its increasing prevalence, and its poor clinical diagnosis and treatment effect have caused a serious economic and mental burden on patients and their families. As a new non-invasive neuroelectrophysiological technique, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been used more and more in the interventional treatment of autism. The current project aims to explore the influence of TMS on brain plasticity in autism by using TMS for interventional treatment of autism and provide guidelines for the intervention and treatment of autism by evaluating the efficiency of these methods. Investigators conduct a randomized, double-blind, controlled TMS trial and collect the participants' stool samples and sequence the gut microbiome before the first magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) scan. Besides, investigators collect brain imaging data, eye movement data and clinical scale score before and after TMS trial to explore the changes of TMS treatment on clinical behavior and brain plasticity and provide guidelines for the intervention and treatment of autism.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age range from 2 to 8 years old. Clinical DSM-IV diagnosis of autism.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects with other neurodevelopmental diseases Subjects with contraindications to MRI.