Autism treatment with magnetic stimulation: neurophysiological bases

Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders are neurodevelopmental disorders. The critical periods of neurodevelopment end in the structural consolidation of a neuronal circuit and its connectivity. These periods are regulated by inhibitory interneurons that express the parvalbumin protein. The absence of parvalbumin in Autism leads to an imbalance of the excitation inhibition ratio. Hyperexcitability prevents adequate synchronization and connectivity with other brain regions. Transcraneal Magnetic Stimulation in Autism and ASD attempts to modify the neurophysiological abnormalities of the compromised circuits.