Brain simulation – new treatment gives hope for children with autism
Medical Advice
Express newspaper
01/05/2026 20:33
A new brain stimulation method could help improve social skills in children with autism, researchers suggest.
Scientists in China found that this non-invasive therapy, which uses magnetic pulses applied to the head, brought short-term improvements in social communication and language after just five days of treatment.
However, experts rate this development as “promising,” emphasizing that the results are still preliminary and should be considered as a potential addition to existing support methods, such as speech therapy and educational programs.
Autism Spectrum Disorder affects the way individuals communicate, interact, and experience the world. According to data, the condition affects about one in 31 children and one in 45 adults in the US. Many children with autism have difficulty with social communication, such as interpreting facial expressions, following one’s turn in conversation, or interacting with peers.
The new treatment, known as “accelerated continuous theta burst stimulation” (a-cTBS), targets a specific area of the brain – the left motor cortex, linked not only to movement, but also to language and aspects of social thinking.
The study, published in The BMJ, involved 200 children with autism, aged 4 to 10, treated at three hospitals in China. The children were divided into two groups: one group received the real treatment, while the other received a simulated version for comparison.
The results showed that children who received the real treatment showed more noticeable improvements in social communication and language skills, both immediately after treatment and one month later.
Side effects were reported more frequently in the treated group, but they were mostly mild to moderate, including scalp discomfort and agitation, and resolved without intervention.
Although researchers suggest that this therapy could become a viable and effective alternative in the future, independent experts urge caution. They emphasize that further studies are needed to confirm the long-term effects and integrate this method into clinical practice.
In conclusion, specialists emphasize that brain stimulation should not replace existing therapies, but could potentially become part of a broader approach to treating children with autism. /GazetaExpress/
