This study will evaluate the effects of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), a type of noninvasive brain stimulation, on the social brain. Using a baseline assessment of neuropsychological, cognitive and behavioral function and an EEG and eye-tracking session to measure visual and social responses before and after TMS administration, the research can measure whether rTMS increases the brain response to faces in a population of adults with ASD. TMS is a therapy that has been approved for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder and we are looking to see if it can also help those with autism.
What are the goals of the study?
The McPartland Lab at the Yale Child Study Center is offering a study that looks at how Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive form of brain stimulation, can influence social brain activity. TMS has been approved as therapy for other conditions and we would like to see if it can also help those with autism.
What will happen during the visit or online?
A participant visit includes a baseline assessment of neuropsychological, cognitive and behavioral function and an EEG and eye-tracking session to measure visual and social responses before and after TMS. The TMS method uses magnetic waves administered in a train of pulses to influence brain activity. Compensation is $100 per visit and participation consists of 2 visits.
How will this help families?
The goal of this study is to see how Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) can influence the social brain to potentially be used as a tool in the future to modify social brain activity in those individuals with autism.