CLINICAL TRIAL: MODULATION OF PREFRONTAL ACTIVITY TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE SKILLS IN

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The goal of the project is to improve language skills using 1 Hz rTMS by modulating prefrontal activity in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The background is based on our prior work demonstrating that (1) patients with ASD have an abnormal mirror neuron system and abnormalities in Broca's area, and (2) modulation of prefrontal excitability using rTMS improves language in aphasic patients. The hypothesis is that application of rTMS to the right pars triangularis will significantly improve language through induction of rapid plasticity and modulation of effective connectivity in the bihemispheric language network. There are two phases: Phase 1 is a four-stimulation site, within-subject multiple crossover trial which aimed to show that rTMS is safe and to evaluate the effects of one rTMS session on language skills in ASD. Phase 2 will only be initiated if phase 1 proves safe and our efficacy hypothesis is confirmed. This is a parallel group, sham-stimulation controlled, clinical trial which aims to assess the impact of ten rTMS sessions to right pars triangularis on language.