Explore the Impacts of Theta Burst Stimulation Over the Right Inferior Frontal Gyrus in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Combination of Clinical Symptoms, Neuropsychological Function and MRI

Prior treatment

• Previous or current severe neurological disorders, especially epilepsy, visual or auditory impairments
• Previous or current severe systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or hypertension
• Previous or current severe brain injury
• Implementation of metal materials such as a pacemaker or medication pump
• Previous or current severe psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or substance abuse
• Previous brain surgery or central nerve system infection
• Concurrent use of medications which increased the risk of seizure attack
• Concurrent use of antiepileptic drugs
• Currently taking tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), analgesics, or any medications known to lower the seizure threshold.
  • Withdrawal Criteria:
• Start to use antiepileptic drugs during study period
• Changes in the frequency or dosage of concurrent treatments during the study period.

Other illness

• Have experienced sleep disorders during brain stimulation
• Current major depressive disorder
• Seizure attack during the study period

Other

• Pregnancy
• Presence of significant brain abnormalities, such as intracranial space-occupying lesions
• Participate in another clinical trial within one month
• With damaged skin at the stimulated region
• With multiple sclerosis
• With large ischemic scars
• Severe alcoholism
• Uncontrollable migraines due to increased intracranial pressure
• Unsuitable for MRI (e.g. those with claustrophobia)
• Unsuitable for EEG
• DSM-5 severity level of ASD: level 3
• Suicidal ideation within one year
• Autistic symptoms worsened obviously during the study period (change of DSM-5 severity level)
• Extreme agitation or irritability during the study period
• Participants request
• Clinical symptoms worsened obviously during study period
• Suicidal ideation or self-harm behaviors during study period

• Participants aged 8 to 30 years with a clinical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), confirmed by the ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition).
• DSM-5 severity level of ASD: level 1 or level 2
• Participants who have been on a stable treatment regimen prior to the study, or those for whom conventional treatments have been assessed as ineffective by a physician, or those who decline conventional treatment.
• A score of ≥ 15 on the University of California Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent (UBACC) and demonstrated understanding of study aims and risks via the teach-back method.