Feasibility and Efficacy of rTMS in Depression in Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Depression is a common comorbidity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Its prevalence is four times higher than in the neurotypical population, with specific symptoms, particularly irritability. However, the management of major depressive episodes (MDEs) in patients with ASD is complicated by the lack of specific recommendations for depression in ASD, while the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments is limited in this context.

rTMS (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) is a technique that stimulates brain tissue in a non-invasive and painless manner, with good tolerance and few side effects. In the neurotypical population, it is used routinely in clinical practice to treat resistant EDMs, with satisfactory results.

To date, there are few studies on the treatment of depression in patients with ASD using TMS. Although these studies have certain limitations, they have shown encouraging results. These two studies are open-label studies involving fewer than 20 patients, but they show a significant improvement in depression scales before and after TMS treatment. The stimulation parameters (stimulation target: left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, 15 to 30 sessions at a rate of one session per day, stimulation frequency of 10Hz for the first study and 50Hz in theta burst for the second) are those used in studies on depression in neurotypical depressed patients. In addition to the small sample size, these open-label studies have limitations in terms of parameter potentiation (target localisation, number of pulses per session and per day). It may therefore be worthwhile conducting a preliminary study to assess the feasibility and efficacy of rTMS in depressed ASD patients using an innovative accelerated, high-dose intermittent theta burst stimulation protocol with precise targeting of the stimulation site using neuronavigation and a detailed assessment of clinical depression in ASD, including irritability. Furthermore, an improvement in cognitive functions has been observed in neurotypical depressed patients receiving rTMS at the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. It would therefore be interesting to study the impact of rTMS on executive and attentional functions using these innovative stimulation parameters.

Inclusion criteria

• Patient with a diagnosis of ASD validated by a psychiatrist or line 2
• Patient aged 18 to 65...
• Patients suffering from EDM (MADRS greater than 20)
• No change in treatment in the month prior to inclusion
• Patients affiliated with or entitled to social security
• Patients who have received informed information about the study and have signed a consent form to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with psychiatric comorbidity (decompensated manic state, schizophrenic disorder)
• Pregnancy at the time of inclusion
• Patients with contraindications to rTMS and MRI (history of epilepsy, neurological stimulator, pacemaker, cardiac defibrillator, cardiac prosthesis, vascular prosthesis, intracranial clips or clamps, cerebrospinal fluid shunt, metal fragments in the eyes, claustrophobia)
• Adults under legal protection (legal guardianship, curatorship, trusteeship), persons deprived of their liberty, persons hospitalised under compulsion (SDT, SDRE).