Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41445722›Full record

ArticleSleep advances : a journal of the Sleep Research Society2025

Evaluating the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on sleep difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized controlled trial.

Uchenna Ezedinma, Scott Burgess, Evan Jones, Jyoti Singh, Andrew Ladhams, Gary Campbell, Shauna Fjaagesund, Piotr Swierkowski, Adewuyi A Adeyinka, Alexandra P Metse and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sleep advances : a journal of the Sleep Research Society, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. 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

12 authors.

Uchenna EzedinmaSchool of Health and Behavioral Science, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Dr, Sippy Downs, QLD, 4556, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2246-0633
Scott BurgessQueensland Children's Lung and Sleep Specialists, 148 Logan Rd, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.
Evan JonesSchool of Health and Behavioral Science, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Dr, Sippy Downs, QLD, 4556, Australia.
Jyoti SinghBrain Treatment Center Australia, Ground Floor/19-31 Dickson Rd, Morayfield, QLD, 4506, Australia.
Andrew LadhamsGeneral Practice Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, 20 Weightman St, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia.
Gary CampbellSchool of Health and Behavioral Science, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Dr, Sippy Downs, QLD, 4556, Australia.
Shauna FjaagesundSchool of Health and Behavioral Science, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Dr, Sippy Downs, QLD, 4556, Australia.
Piotr SwierkowskiSchool of Health and Behavioral Science, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Dr, Sippy Downs, QLD, 4556, Australia.
Adewuyi A AdeyinkaSouthern Cross University, Southern Cross Drive, Bilinga, QLD, 4225, Australia.
Alexandra P MetseSchool of Health and Behavioral Science, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Dr, Sippy Downs, QLD, 4556, Australia.
Terri DownerSchool of Health and Behavioral Science, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Dr, Sippy Downs, QLD, 4556, Australia.
Florin OprescuSchool of Health and Behavioral Science, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Dr, Sippy Downs, QLD, 4556, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1342-3566

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Study Objectives: Evaluate the effect and safety of alpha rhythm-guided repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (α-rTMS) on sleep difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: Twenty children (6-12 years old; 16 males; 4 females) with ASD level 2 were randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to a treatment group (TG) or a waitlist control group (WLCG) (T1). The TG received ten α-rTMS sessions over two weeks, while the WLCG acted as control for that period (T2). Next, the WLCG received α-rTMS for two weeks (T3). All study participants were followed up at one (T4) and four (T5) months. Sleep difficulties were measured using the Children's Sleep Habit Questionnaire (CSHQ), Actigraphy, and Polysomnography (PSG). Results: Group-by-time interactions indicated that the TG had greater improvements than the WLCG in total CSHQ score ( Conclusions: This RCT study presents preliminary evidence on the effect and safety of α-rTMS in improving subjective sleep difficulties in children with ASD, with effects lasting up to four months post-intervention. Further studies using a larger sample size and sham-controlled group are warranted. Clinical Trial Registration: The trial was registered on July 11, 2023 within the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) https://www.anzctr.org.au/TrialSearch.aspx with registration number: ACTRN12623000757617.

Indexed as

alpha rhythmautism spectrum disorderchildrenpolysomnographyrepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulationsleep difficulties

Identifiers

PMID41445722
PMCPMC12724088

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.