Brain zaps may boost social skills in autism
NCT ID NCT04242355
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) can change how adults with autism process social information. Researchers will measure brain responses with EEG and eye-tracking before and after stimulation. The goal is to understand if rTMS can alter neural and behavioral aspects of social cognition.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a non-invasive brain stimulation method to improve social cognition in autism.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage, small study (100 participants) focused on brain measurements, not clinical outcomes. Results may not lead to a treatment.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2019
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 40 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 years old with typical development or with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. * able to participate in an EEG and eye-tracking experiment Exclusion Criteria: * Participants reporting significant head trauma or serious brain illness * Participants with major psychiatric illness that would preclude completion of study measures. * Participants with a history of serious medical illness, stroke, seizures, epileptiform EEG abnormalities, or family history of seizures. * Participants taking prescription medications that may affect cognitive processes under study. * Participants who have taken alcohol or recreational drugs within the preceding 24 hours. * Females of known/suspected pregnancy or who test positive on a pregnancy test. * Participants with a history of metalworking or injury by shrapnel or metallic objects are also exclude
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, United States
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