| Objective: To investigate the regulatory effects of low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (LF-rTMS) targeting right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) on core symptoms, stereotyped behavior and resting state theta band power spectral density (PSD) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: A randomized controlled design was adopted. A total of 70 children with ASD admitted were divided into study group (n=35) and control group (n=35). Both groups received standardized behavioral intervention courses. The study group simultaneously implemented rTPJ-targeted LF-rTMS, and control group implemented rTPJ-targeted sham stimulation. The behavioral changes were assessed with the child autism rating scale (CARS), autism behavior scale (ABC), and repetitive behavior scale revised (RBS-R) at baseline and 8 weeks after treatment, respectively, and resting EEG data were collected simultaneously to quantify the characteristics of neural oscillations by theta band (4-7Hz) PSD values. Results: After 8 weeks of intervention, the total scores of CARS, ABC, and RBS-R in both groups decreased compared to those before treatment (P<0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in the total scores of CARS and ABC between the study group and the control group, but the total RBS-R score in the study group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). After 8 weeks of intervention, the PSD values at the P4 (right parietal region) and C4 (right central region) sites in the θ frequency band decreased in the study group compared to those before treatment (P<0.01). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the PSD values of θ waves at any site between the study group and the control group. Conclusion: The rTPJ-targeted LF-rTMS intervention on the basis of conventional rehabilitation did not significantly improve ASD core social defi-cits, but it could effectively alleviate repetitive stereotyped behavior, which may be related to the regulation of theta band overactivation in right hemisphere sensorimotor integration cortex (C4/P4). |
