| Objective: To explore the effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) combined with neurofeedback (NFB) on stereotyped behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: Sixty children with ASD were randomly divided into four groups (n=15 for each group): the control group receiving conventional rehabilitation training, the rTMS group receiving rTMS treatment additionally, the NFB group receiving NFB treatment additionally, and the rTMS-NFB group receiving rTMS and NFB treatment additionally. The rTMS was followed by NFB in rTMS-NFB group. After 12 weeks of treatment, all patients were assessed by repetitive behavior scale-revised (RBS-R) and autism behavior checklist (ABC). Results: The scores of RBS-R and ABC were decreased in each group after treatment (P<0.05). There was no significant differences between the rTMS group and the NFB group (P>0.05). The scores of RBS-R and ABC in the rTMS-NFB group were decreased more significantly than the NFB group and rTMS group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The conventional rehabilitation training, rTMS, NFB and rTMS-NFB may have some effects on stereotyped behavior of children with ASD. There is no significant differences between the rTMS and NFB groups. And the effect of the rTMS-NFB is better than the rTMS or NFB alone. |
