Autism Spectrum

    University of Louisville: Behavioral Improvement in Autistic Children

    Grade B-Controlled clinical study2010

    What did this study find?

    One of the earlier controlled studies of magnetic stimulation in autistic children, reporting substantial behavioral improvement with reduced irritability and repetitive behavior. It was among the first to quantify behavioral change from this approach. Sample size was limited and the stimulation used differs materially from consumer PEMF devices.

    What are the details of this record?

    Full citation
    Sokhadze EM, et al. Low-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) Affects Event-Related Potential Measures of Novelty Processing in Autism. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2010;35(2):147-161.
    Journal
    Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback
    Authors
    Sokhadze EM, Baruth JM, Sears L, et al.
    Study design
    Controlled clinical study
    Sample size and population
    Not reported in the published record
    Evidence grade
    Grade B- on the BioReg grading scale
    Reported findings
    Substantial improvement in behavior of autistic children with magnetic stimulation. Irritability and repetitive behavior decreased. One of first studies showing quantifiable behavioral improvements.
    DOI
    No DOI recorded

    A positive PEMF study is not evidence for a specific device unless the signal parameters studied, frequency, intensity, waveform, and exposure duration, are reasonably comparable to what that device produces. Where this record does not list those parameters, the source report did not publish them. See the grading methodology. Library last reviewed 2026-08-27.