Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39591434›Full record

ArticlePloS one2024

Assessing plasticity in the primary sensory cortex and its relation with atypical tactile reactivity in autism: A TMS-EEG protocol.

Shohreh Kariminezhad, Reza Zomorrodi, Christoph Zrenner, Daniel M Blumberger, Stephanie H Ameis, Hsiang-Yuan Lin, Meng-Chuan Lai, Tarek K Rajji, Yona Lunsky, Marcos Sanches and 1 more

Abstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Clinical utility and prospective of TMS-EEG: Updated review from an international expert group.Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Shohreh KariminezhadAzrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Reza ZomorrodiTemerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Christoph ZrennerTemerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Daniel M BlumbergerTemerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-8422-5818
Stephanie H AmeisAzrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Hsiang-Yuan LinAzrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Meng-Chuan LaiAzrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Tarek K RajjiTemerty Centre for Therapeutic Brain Intervention, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Yona LunskyAzrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Marcos SanchesBiostatistical Core, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Pushpal DesarkarAzrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-7137-2309

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAtypical sensory reactivity is a cardinal presentation in autism. Within the tactile domain, atypical tactile reactivity (TR) is common, it emerges early, persists into adulthood, and impedes social interaction and daily functioning. Hence, atypical TR is a key target for biological intervention to improve outcomes. Brain mechanisms informing biological interventions for atypical TR remains elusive. We previously reported hyper-plasticity in the motor cortex in autistic adults and found that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), designed to strengthen inhibitory processes in the brain, reduced hyper-plasticity. Whether the primary sensory cortex (S1) is characterized by hyper-plasticity, which may underlie atypical TR in autism is unknown.

objectivesWe aim to test whether hyper-plasticity in the S1 underlies atypical TR in autism, and investigate if a single session of rTMS can safely reduce hyper-plasticity in S1 in autistic adults.

methodPlasticity will be assessed in the left S1 with integrated paired associative stimulation and electroencephalography (PAS-EEG) paradigm in 32 autistic adults and 32 age-, sex-, and intelligence quotient-matched controls. Autistic participants will be further randomized (double-blind, 1:1) to receive a single-session of either sham or active 20 Hz bilateral rTMS over the S1 and the plasticity will be re-assessed over the left S1 on the same day.

conclusionsAtypical TR has been identified as one of the top clinical research priorities that can influence outcome in autistic population. The study findings can be highly valuable to further elucidate the mechanism underlying atypical TR, which in turn can help with developing a mechanism-driven intervention.

Indexed as

Autistic DisorderElectroencephalographyNeuronal PlasticitySomatosensory CortexTranscranial Magnetic StimulationAdolescentAdultDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMaleRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTouchYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID39591434
PMCPMC11594394

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.