2025-04-02
Boosting the social brain?
Neurology
#AutismWithoutIntellectualDisability #TMS #SocialCognition #iTBS #Neuroimaging
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are primarily characterized by persistent difficulties in social interaction, communication, and understanding others' intentions. In adults, these social challenges are often pronounced and impact interpersonal relationships, professional life, and overall quality of life. Despite the availability of various educational, behavioral, and psychotherapeutic approaches, there is currently no specific and effective treatment to sustainably address these social deficits.
Recent neuroimaging studies have identified functional abnormalities within the brain network involved in social cognition, particularly in a region called the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ). This area plays a key role in an individual’s ability to represent others’ mental states — a function often impaired in people with autism.
In this context, the study introduces an innovative approach to personalized neuromodulation, using intermittent high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (iTBS). The concept? To precisely target each participant’s rTPJ, identified via functional MRI, in order to temporarily and specifically enhance its activity. The aim is to assess whether this individualized stimulation can improve the ability to process social information and lead to a better understanding of others.
The study involved 104 participants — 52 adults with ASD without intellectual disability and 52 control subjects — who were randomly assigned to two groups (real stimulation vs. placebo). Each participant underwent a functional MRI while performing a social task to accurately locate the brain region to be stimulated. This area was then targeted using neuronavigated guidance, and iTBS was applied. After the session, participants completed a series of tests assessing social perception, emotion recognition, working memory, and motor coordination.
Only the social task was repeated before and after stimulation to measure its direct effect. The main goal was to evaluate how much the stimulation improved the use of social information for decision-making. Computational modeling tools (like HGF) were used to analyze the cognitive processes involved.
Results showed the approach is feasible and well tolerated. It can also induce measurable neurocognitive effects, particularly improving the integration of social cues in decision-making. These findings support the idea that it is possible to act directly on the brain networks involved in social interaction.
Autism spectrum disorders are marked by persistent impairments in social communication, significantly impacting patients’ daily lives. In adults without intellectual disability, these difficulties often remain without any targeted therapeutic solution.
One major challenge is to directly target brain areas involved in social cognition, such as the right temporoparietal junction, which is frequently impaired in ASD. The goal of this study was to explore an innovative strategy: combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (iTBS) with fMRI-guided personalization to modulate this region in a precise way.
Early results are promising. For the first time at this scale, the protocol integrates individualized stimulation, brain imaging, stereotaxic neuronavigation, and cognitive modeling, within a rigorous and controlled framework. While the clinical effects remain modest, the study demonstrates the feasibility, tolerability, and measurable biological impact of such an intervention in adults with ASD.
However, several limitations remain, opening the door to larger trials involving repeated stimulation sessions, longer-term follow-up, and more diverse cohorts, in order to validate the clinical value of this strategy.
What if tomorrow we could personalize neuromodulation… to better reconnect the social brain?
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are primarily characterized by persistent difficulties in social interaction, communication, and understanding others' intentions. In adults, these social challenges are often pronounced and impact interpersonal relationships, professional life, and overall quality of life. Despite the availability of various educational, behavioral, and psychotherapeutic approaches, there is currently no specific and effective treatment to sustainably address these social deficits.
Recent neuroimaging studies have identified functional abnormalities within the brain network involved in social cognition, particularly in a region called the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ). This area plays a key role in an individual’s ability to represent others’ mental states — a function often impaired in people with autism.
In this context, the study introduces an innovative approach to personalized neuromodulation, using intermittent high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (iTBS). The concept? To precisely target each participant’s rTPJ, identified via functional MRI, in order to temporarily and specifically enhance its activity. The aim is to assess whether this individualized stimulation can improve the ability to process social information and lead to a better understanding of others.
Rebooting the social brain?
The study involved 104 participants — 52 adults with ASD without intellectual disability and 52 control subjects — who were randomly assigned to two groups (real stimulation vs. placebo). Each participant underwent a functional MRI while performing a social task to accurately locate the brain region to be stimulated. This area was then targeted using neuronavigated guidance, and iTBS was applied. After the session, participants completed a series of tests assessing social perception, emotion recognition, working memory, and motor coordination.
Only the social task was repeated before and after stimulation to measure its direct effect. The main goal was to evaluate how much the stimulation improved the use of social information for decision-making. Computational modeling tools (like HGF) were used to analyze the cognitive processes involved.
Results showed the approach is feasible and well tolerated. It can also induce measurable neurocognitive effects, particularly improving the integration of social cues in decision-making. These findings support the idea that it is possible to act directly on the brain networks involved in social interaction.
Read next: “SPACE”: A Simple Framework to Better Meet the Needs of Patients with Autism
Neuromodulation: a first step toward social understanding?
Autism spectrum disorders are marked by persistent impairments in social communication, significantly impacting patients’ daily lives. In adults without intellectual disability, these difficulties often remain without any targeted therapeutic solution.
One major challenge is to directly target brain areas involved in social cognition, such as the right temporoparietal junction, which is frequently impaired in ASD. The goal of this study was to explore an innovative strategy: combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (iTBS) with fMRI-guided personalization to modulate this region in a precise way.
Early results are promising. For the first time at this scale, the protocol integrates individualized stimulation, brain imaging, stereotaxic neuronavigation, and cognitive modeling, within a rigorous and controlled framework. While the clinical effects remain modest, the study demonstrates the feasibility, tolerability, and measurable biological impact of such an intervention in adults with ASD.
However, several limitations remain, opening the door to larger trials involving repeated stimulation sessions, longer-term follow-up, and more diverse cohorts, in order to validate the clinical value of this strategy.
What if tomorrow we could personalize neuromodulation… to better reconnect the social brain?
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