Clinical effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment in children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review.
rTMS looks safe for kids with ASD, ADHD, or tics and may slightly cut repetitive behaviors and tics, yet proof is still thin.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Fumi and team looked at 14 small studies on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in kids and teens with autism, ADHD, or Tourette syndrome.
They asked two questions: Is it safe? Does it help with social, attention, or tic symptoms?
What they found
No serious side effects showed up. Kids had small gains in social eye contact, less hand flapping, and fewer tics.
The authors call the evidence “preliminary” because each study had few kids and no big, long trials.
How this fits with other research
Riches et al. (2016) found that kids with ADHD already have “loose” motor-cortex brakes. Fumi’s review shows rTMS can safely tickle that same cortex, hinting the stimulation might tighten those brakes.
Hirota et al. (2018) warn that good outcome data need solid screening tools. Fumi’s included trials used tools like SCQ and SRS, so the mild gains are measured with the best we have.
Mirenda et al. (2010) proved the Repetitive Behavior Scale works in preschoolers. Several rTMS studies in Fumi’s pool used that scale and saw small drops in scores, linking the lab result to everyday behavior.
Why it matters
If you serve kids with tough tics or rigid play, rTMS is not ready for daily use, but you can track it. Note baseline RBS-R or SRS now. When parents ask about brain-stimulation trials, you can share that current data show only mild, short-term gains and no scary events. Keep running your ABA program; rTMS remains an add-on, not a replacement.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, are common in children and adolescents, but treatment strategies remain limited. Although repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation has been studied for neurodevelopmental disorders, there is no clear consensus on its therapeutic effects. This systematic review examined literature on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders published up to 2018 using the PubMed database. The search identified 264 articles and 14 articles met eligibility criteria. Twelve of these studies used conventional repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and two studies used theta burst stimulation. No severe adverse effects were reported in these studies. In patients with autism spectrum disorder, low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and intermittent theta burst stimulation applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may have therapeutic effects on social functioning and repetitive behaviors. In patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation applied to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may target inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In patients with tic disorders, low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation applied to the bilateral supplementary motor area improved tic symptom severity. This systematic review suggests that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation may be a promising intervention for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders. The results warrant further large randomized controlled trials of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2019 · doi:10.1177/1362361318822502