Introduction: There are no controlled studies examining the impact of alpha-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (α-rTMS) on sleep difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Method: Twenty children (6-12 years old; 16 males) with ASD (level 2) and sleep difficulties were recruited and randomised into α-rTMS and control groups (1:1). The treatment group received ten sessions of α-rTMS. Sleep outcomes were assessed at baseline and immediately post-α-rTMS on the Children Sleep Habit Questionnaire (CSHQ) and Home (level2) Polysomnography.
Result: The group-by-time interactions indicated that children in the treatment group had significantly greater improvements in sleep than the control group in total CSHQ (p<0.012) and bedtime resistance (p<0.005), sleep onset delay (p<0.006), and sleep duration (p<0.004) subdomains scores. Home (level 2) polysomnography showed no significant improvements across the study time points. The treatment group reported no adverse events.
Conclusion: This study showed that α-rTMS is well-tolerated and efficacious for improving subjective sleep difficulties in children with ASD
Clinical Trial Registration: This trial was registered at the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (https://www.anzctr.org.au/Identifier: ACTRN1262300075761