Autism Spectrum Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Brief summary
This is a randomized interventional study designed to evaluate the effects of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) on neural and behavioral facets of social cognition in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Detailed description
The primary objective of this study is to determine whether rTMS increases the brain response to faces in a population of adults with ASD. This study will assess critical aspects of social cognition using the electroencephalogram (EEG), event-related potentials (ERPS), and eye-tracking (ET) prior to and following a single rTMS session (or Sham) to provide preliminary insight into the potential of rTMS as a tool to modify social brain function in this population. Participant visits will include a baseline assessment of neuropsychological, cognitive and behavioral function, and a pre and post TMS session with EEG (electroencephalogram) and eye-tracking to measure neural and visual attentional social response. Two study visits will be scheduled for each participant lasting approximately 4-5hrs total.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
Subjects will receive both active and sham TMS in a randomized crossover assignment involving two study sessions
Sponsors
Yale University
United States Department of Defense
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Masking description
Participants will not know whether they are receiving active or sham TMS until both sessions have been completed.
Intervention model description
Participants will receive both active and sham TMS in a randomized crossover assignment involving two study sessions.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 years old with typical development or with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. * Individuals able to participate in an EEG and eye-tracking experiment.
Exclusion criteria
* Participants reporting significant head trauma or serious brain illness. * Participants with major psychiatric illness that would preclude completion of study measures. * Participants with a history of serious medical illness, stroke, seizures, epileptiform EEG abnormalities, or family history of seizures. * Participants taking prescription medications that may affect cognitive processes under study. * Participants who have taken alcohol or recreational drugs within the preceding 24 hours. * Females of known/suspected pregnancy or who test positive on a pregnancy test. * Participants with a history of metalworking or injury by shrapnel or metallic objects are also excluded. * Participants with a history of prior TMS therapy or use of an investigational drug within 12 weeks of visit. * Participants with an IQ (intelligence quotient) below 80.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| right hemisphere N170 latency | Measures will be recorded during the EEG/ET sessions of participant visits for an expected 1-2 hours | EEG brain response to faces as measured by the N170 component in milliseconds |
| proportion of visual attention to the eye region of the face | Measures will be recorded during the EEG/ET sessions of participant visits for an expected 1-2 hours | visual attention to the eye region of the face as measured by eye tracking in seconds |
Countries
United States
Contacts
CONTACTNicole Wright, BS
CONTACTAdam Naples, PhD
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORJames McPartland, PhD
Yale University
Outcome results
None listed