Promising brain-stimulation therapy boosts autism communication in kids

In a randomized trial in China, 200 children with autism (ages 4–10) received noninvasive accelerated continuous theta burst stimulation (a-cTBS) or sham. After five days of 10 daily sessions targeting the left primary motor cortex, the a-cTBS group showed greater improvements in social communication and language on the SRS-2 immediately after treatment and at one-month follow-up. Side effects were mostly mild to moderate (restlessness, scalp discomfort). Limitations include potential baseline differences, a short follow-up, and questions about safety in developing brains, but researchers say a-cTBS could be a feasible, scalable therapy for autism, including those with intellectual disability.