Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of Nature Neuroscience, 28(6), 1348–1360. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-025-01961-y Dr. Takamitsu Watanabe et al.
Points
- Researchers investigated if reducing neural rigidity, a state of inflexible brain dynamics linked to autism, could alleviate associated social and nonsocial behaviors through a novel therapeutic approach.
- A noninvasive intervention using state-dependent transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied weekly for twelve weeks to the right parietal lobule of forty adults diagnosed with level 1 autism.
- This brain state-driven stimulation successfully increased neural flexibility, significantly reducing cognitive inflexibility, perceptual overstability, and atypical nonverbal communication among the study’s participants.
- A notable time lag was observed in the therapeutic onset. Cognitive changes appeared within one week, while social and perceptual improvements required six to seven weeks to manifest.
- These behavioral improvements correlated with enhanced brain network coupling, and the positive effects persisted for up to two months following the final treatment session.
Summary
This research investigated the longitudinal behavioral effects of state-dependent transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on autistic traits in adults. The study was based on the hypothesis that reducing “neural rigidity”—a reduced transition rate between brain states—could mitigate associated behaviors. The trial involved 40 adult participants with level 1 autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who underwent a 24-week protocol. Researchers aimed to determine if excitatory TMS applied to the right parietal lobule could increase neural flexibility and alter social and nonsocial autistic traits.
The intervention involved a brain state-driven neural stimulation (BDNS) protocol applied weekly for 12 weeks. This treatment successfully decreased neural rigidity, leading to a commensurate reduction in autistic behaviors. The study noted significant time lags in the onset of these effects. A reduction in cognitive inflexibility was observed as early as week one of the intervention. In contrast, improvements in social traits, such as atypical nonverbal communication and perceptual overstability, were delayed, becoming statistically significant only after six to seven weeks of treatment. The therapeutic effects were reported to last up to two months after the final TMS session.
The findings suggest that these behavioral improvements are linked to specific changes in neural network connectivity. The reduction in perceptual overstability correlated with strengthened coupling between the frontoparietal and visual networks. Similarly, improvements in nonverbal communication were associated with enhanced coupling between the frontoparietal, default mode, and salience networks. The study concludes that altering neural rigidity may be a therapeutic strategy for addressing multiple, diverse autistic traits. However, the authors note that no confidence intervals or hazard ratios were provided in the source material.
Link to the article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-01961-y
References Watanabe, T., & Yamasue, H. (2025). Noninvasive reduction of neural rigidity alters autistic behaviors in humans. Nature Neuroscience, 28(6), 1348–1360. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-025-01961-y
