Kang Xiaodong, Chen Kai, Wang Fei, Mu Linyi, Lei Zengzhen, Zhang Rufei, Wang Zedong, Zhang Tao
Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine/Sichuan Provincial BAYI Rehabilitation Center, Chengdu, China.
Mental Health Education Center and School of Big Health Management, Xihua University, Chengdu, China.
Front Neurosci. 2025 May 8;19:1582354. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1582354. eCollection 2025.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in social communication, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. Despite increasing prevalence, effective therapeutic interventions remain limited. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as a promising non-invasive neuromodulation technique; however, its neural mechanisms and clinical efficacy in children with ASD require further investigation.
This study enrolled 14 children diagnosed with ASD to undergo a structured rTMS intervention. Neuroimaging data-including voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (FC)-as well as behavioral assessments were collected before and after the intervention to evaluate changes in brain structure, function, and symptomatology.
Post-intervention analyses revealed significant increases in gray matter volume (GMV) in the cerebellar Vermis, Caudate nucleus, and Postcentral gyrus. Additionally, enhanced functional connectivity was observed between the Fusiform gyrus, Temporal cortex, Frontal cortex, and Precuneus. Correlation analyses indicated that these neuroimaging changes were significantly associated with improvements in behavioral scores.
These findings suggest that rTMS may exert therapeutic effects in children with ASD by modulating cerebellar development and cognitive control networks. The observed structural and functional brain changes support the potential utility of rTMS as a neuromodulatory intervention for ASD. Further studies with larger cohorts are needed to confirm these preliminary results and elucidate the mechanisms underlying rTMS-induced symptom improvement.
自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）是一种复杂的神经发育疾病，其特征为社交沟通缺陷、重复行为和兴趣受限。尽管发病率不断上升，但有效的治疗干预措施仍然有限。重复经颅磁刺激（rTMS）已成为一种有前景的非侵入性神经调节技术；然而，其在自闭症谱系障碍儿童中的神经机制和临床疗效仍需进一步研究。
本研究招募了14名被诊断为自闭症谱系障碍的儿童，接受结构化的重复经颅磁刺激干预。在干预前后收集神经影像学数据，包括基于体素的形态学测量（VBM）和静息态功能连接（FC），以及行为评估，以评估脑结构、功能和症状学的变化。
干预后的分析显示，小脑蚓部、尾状核和中央后回的灰质体积（GMV）显著增加。此外，观察到梭状回、颞叶皮质、额叶皮质和楔前叶之间的功能连接增强。相关性分析表明，这些神经影像学变化与行为评分的改善显著相关。
这些发现表明，重复经颅磁刺激可能通过调节小脑发育和认知控制网络对自闭症谱系障碍儿童产生治疗作用。观察到的脑结构和功能变化支持了重复经颅磁刺激作为自闭症谱系障碍神经调节干预措施的潜在效用。需要进一步开展更大样本量的研究来证实这些初步结果，并阐明重复经颅磁刺激诱导症状改善的潜在机制。
