Effects of low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on Electroencephalograph rhythm of children with autism / 生物医学工程学杂志

ABSTRACT

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a complex developmental disorder characterized by impairments in social communication and stereotyped behaviors. Electroencephalograph (EEG), which can measure neurological changes associated with cortical synaptic activity, has been proven to be a powerful tool for detecting neurological disorders. The main goal of this study is to explore the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on behavioral response and EEG. We enrolled 32 autistic children, rTMS group ( = 16) and control group ( = 16) and calculated the relative power of the δ, θ, α, β rhythms in each brain area by fast Fourier transform and Welch's method. We also compared Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) scores of the patients before and after rTMS. The results showed a significant decrease in the relative power of the δ band on right temporal region and parietal region and also a decreased coherence on frontal region after rTMS intervention. The study proves that rTMS could have positive effects on behavior of attention, execution ability, and language ability of children and could reduce their stereotyped behavior and radical behavior.