rTMS to Improve Motor Function in Autism
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-40
SponsorCentre for Addiction and Mental Health
About this trial
In the current project, investigators have two main goals: i) Testing whether an excessive plasticity, i.e. hyperplasticity in the motor cortex underlies motor function difficulties in autistic adults, and ii) Using repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) with autistic adults to examine whether resulting reduced hyperplasticity in the motor cortex will be associated with clinical improvements in the motor function.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Aged between 18 and 40 years old. 40 years is chosen as the cut-off because of the report of high rates of Parkinsonism in autistic adults > 39years;
Have IQ>70;
Are able to read, write and communicate effectively in English;
Are able to provide informed consent. We will recruit only intellectually-able autistic adults. The intellectual ability will be determined using WASI-II. The ability to provide consent will be determined using clinical assessment.
Disqualifiers
Current pregnancy;
Current or past history of co-morbid medical condition that may require urgent medical intervention;
DSM-5 substance use disorder (other than tobacco) within the past 6 months; however, all participants will be asked to refrain from smoking or taking caffeine four hours prior to the iTBS session;
Significant hearing or visual impairment interfering with the ability to read or hear instructions;
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Active rTMS to the motor cortex
- Sham rTMS to the motor cortex
Treatment groups
150 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsSponsors and collaborators
Source ClinicalTrials.gov