Effects of 1Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on autism with intellectual disability: A pilot study

To explore whether 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has positive effects on brain activity and behavior of autistic children with intellectual disability. 32 autistic children with intellectual disability (26 boys and 6 girls) were recruited to participate in this feasibility study. The autistic children were divided randomly and equally into an experimental group and a control group. 16 children (three girls and 13 boys; mean ± SD age: 7.8 ± 2.1 years) who received rTMS treatment twice a week were served as the experimental group, while 16 children (three girls and 13 boys; mean ± SD age: 7.2 ± 1.6 years) with sham stimulation were considered as the control group. Recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) was employed to quantify the nonlinear features of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals recorded during the resting state. Three RQA measures, including recursive rate (RR), deterministic (DET) and mean diagonal length (L) were extracted from the EEG signals to characterize the deterministic features of cortical activity. Significant differences in RR and DET were observed between the experimental group and the control group. We also found discernible discrepancies in the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) score pre- and post-rTMS for the experimental group. 1 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could positively influence brain activity and behavior of autistic children with intellectual disability. •This study investigated the effects of rTMS on brain activity and behavioral response in autism.•The results showed that rTMS can be useful in younger autistic population.•We provided a more objective basis by RQA to investigate the effects of rTMS in autism.