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

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Depression, Major Depressive Episode (MDE)

In brief

Depression is a common complication of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): it is four times more prevalent in people with ASD than in the general population. However, treating depression in people with ASD is complicated by the lack of guidelines. Antidepressants appear to be less effective and less well tolerated than in the general population. rTMS (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) is a technique that stimulates the brain in a painless and non-invasive way. This technique is well tolerated and has very few side effects (headaches, fatigue). It is now used routinely in clinical practice to treat resistant depression, with satisfactory results. A few studies using rTMS in depression in people with ASD have shown encouraging results and avenues for improvement. It could therefore be interesting to conduct a therapeutic study with rTMS on depression in people with ASD, following the avenues for improvement proposed by previous studies. The main objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of rTMS in depressed patients with ASD by looking at changes in mood before and after treatment. The investigator will also look at the effects on executive and attentional functions and repetitive behaviors, as well as treatment tolerance.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT07258914
Run by: Hospital Center Guillaume Régnier
People needed: 25
Starts: 2024-12-19
Expected to finish: 2026-02-19
Last updated by the study team: 2025-12-02

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 65. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

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

You may not qualify if…

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).

Where it is running

Centre Hospitalier Guillaume Régnier — Rennes, France (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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