Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) and Autism. (TMSAUTISME)

September 1, 2025 updated by: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) and Autism.Implication of the Superior Temporal Sulcus in Normal and Abnormal Social Perception

In this protocol we aim to use rTMS to better characterize STS role in normal and abnormal social cognition. With that purpose, we will measure the effect of inhibitory and excitatory rTMS on the fixation time on social scenes (using eye-tracking methodology) or on the ability to recognize human voice/sounds.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Autism is characterized by severe impairments in verbal and non verbal communication and in social interactions. Results from cerebral imaging studies have suggested that abnormalities located on the superior temporal Sulcus (STS) level would be implicated in social impairments in autism. This abnormalities are both anatomical and functional: 1) rest hypoperfusion detected by positron emission tomography (PET); 2) abnormal activation during social tasks (fMRI) and 3) structural abnormalities shown on anatomical MRI. The STS is implicated in social cognition in normal subjects. Our hypothesis is that these anatomo-functional abnormalities would appear very early in brain development and could be one of the first steps in the cascade of neuronal dysfunction in autism. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a technique which is used in cognitive neuroscience research as well as in therapeutic approaches in certain neurological and psychiatry diseases. It consists on applying a magnetic impulse on the brain trough the scalp in a non-invasive and painless by placing a coil on the surface of the head. This magnetic fields induce an electrical field which modifies activity of those neurons inside the magnetic field and induce an electrophysiological change in the target area. This process allows a non-invasive interaction with the human brain in action during focal stimulations. In cognitive neuroscience research, we are interested in the modifications caused by rTMS in cognitive performances in order to better precise the functional role of the target region. The intensity and the frequency of the impulse can be controlled (frequency <1 Hz = inhibitory effect ; frequency > 3 Hz = excitatory effect). The functional characteristics of a given region and it's eventual dysfunctions may be identified thank to the abnormalities in reactivity and cortical connectivity. The goal of this project is to study inhibitory and excitatory effects of rTMS applied to the STS in healthy controls and patients with autism. This effect will be measured by two main parameters of social cognition: 1) visual perception of social scenes, measured by eye-tracking methodology; 2) auditory perception of human voice. We will study 50 healthy voluntaries controls and 50 patients with a non-syndromic autism (18 to 25 years old; IQ > 60), diagnosed by DSM-IV and ADI-R. All participants will undergo an structural MRI and a rTMS session on the STS. In both cases, the STS will be localised based on the structural MRI. The total duration of the rTMS session is about two hours. All data will be analysed by the adapted statistical methods. This study will allow a better understanding of the role of STS in social cognition in healthy subjects as well as it's implication in the social impairments which characterize autism. Finally, the rTMS may become, in a near future, a innovative therapeutic strategy in autism.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
97

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • France
      • Paris, France, 75015
        • Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

14 years to 26 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients with autism

  • Age from 18 to 30 years old
  • Autism diagnosed by DSM-IV and ADI-R
  • IQ > 60 or able to have an MRI
  • Social security registration
  • Consent form signed by patient or legal tutor

Healthy controls

  • Age from 18 to 30 years old
  • Medical exam previous to the interventions
  • Social security registration
  • Consent form signed

Exclusion Criteria:

All Patients

  • Indication against MRI (pace-maker, metallic pieces in the body, working with metals)
  • Indications against rTMS (epilepsy, epilepsy family history, craniotomy scarf, pace maker or neuron stimulator, intraocular or intra-cerebral strange metallic piece, cochlear implant, cardiac valve, chirurgical metallic arterial material, metallic material susceptible to concentrate radio-frequency impulse)
  • Claustrophobia
  • Pregnant woman
  • Women in a fertile age with no efficient contraception method
  • Use of drugs diminishing cortical excitability
  • Participation in another clinical trial that forbids the participation in this one
  • Have already being treated by some electrical or magnetic stimulation technique ( transcutaneous or radicular stimulation)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Excitatory effects of rTMS
Study excitatory effects of rTMS applied to the STS in patients with autism
Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
Excitatory effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) applied to the STS in patients with autism.
Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
Inhibitory effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) applied to the STS in healthy controls
Active Comparator: Inhibitory effects of rTMS
Study inhibitory effects of rTMS applied to the STS in healthy controls
Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
Excitatory effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) applied to the STS in patients with autism.
Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
Inhibitory effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) applied to the STS in healthy controls

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Fixation time in eyes, mouth and face areas
Time Frame: 1 day
Fixation time in eyes, mouth and face areas during the presentation of social scenes
1 day

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Eye-tracking or voice human perception correlation
Time Frame: 1 day
Data from eye-tracking or voice human perception (before and after Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation - TMS) will be correlated to different scores of Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI) : social, communication and repetitive behaviours.
1 day
Fractional anisotropy covariation
Time Frame: 1 day
Covariation of fractional anisotropy (FA) with data from eye-tracking or human voice perception (before and after TMS)
1 day
Fractional anisotropy comparison
Time Frame: 1 day
Comparison of fractional anisotropy (FA) between autistic patients and healthy controls
1 day

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Unité de Recherche Clinique Necker Cochin, France

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Nathalie BODDAERT, MD, PhD, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital
  • Study Director: Monica ZILBOVICIUS, PhD, Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 6, 2011

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 27, 2017

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 13, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 20, 2012

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 20, 2012

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 24, 2012

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 8, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 1, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • P081232
  • 2009-A01025-52 (Registry Identifier: ID RCB)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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