The use of noninvasive brain stimulation techniques in autism spectrum disorder.
Lindsay M Oberman, Sunday M Francis, Sarah H Lisanby
PMID 37873560WHAT IT FOUND
Noninvasive brain stimulation shows mixed results for autism, with some studies reporting improvements in social symptoms and others finding no benefit.
Safety data are limited for children. Current evidence is insufficient to support routine clinical use.
Key findings
01Randomized trials of rTMS show inconsistent results, with some reporting improvements in social relating but others finding no significant difference between active and sham stimulation.
02tDCS studies also show mixed findings, with some reporting improvements in ASD symptom severity and social functioning, while others found no difference between active and sham groups.
03Safety data for noninvasive brain stimulation in pediatric populations are limited, though existing reports suggest adverse events are generally mild and transient.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review is based on a narrative synthesis of studies that are largely underpowered, heterogeneous in design, and often open-label or case-report based. There is a paucity of data on the safety and efficacy of these techniques in younger children and individuals with intellectual disabilities. The variability in stimulation parameters, target sites, and outcome measures across studies makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions about efficacy. Long-term effects and the impact of ongoing neurodevelopment in children with ASD are not well understood.
Declared interests
The authors declare support from the National Institutes of Health (Intramural). The review mentions that an international consensus group for TMS in ASD was sponsored by the Clearly Present Foundation, of which two co-authors are members. No other specific conflicts of interest are detailed in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the promising results from small open-label trials or individual studies as evidence that noninvasive brain stimulation is an effective treatment for autism. The review emphasizes that properly powered randomized controlled trials are lacking, and current evidence is insufficient to support clinical implementation, especially given the limited safety data in pediatric populations.