Discerning the Abnormal Functional Connectivity Involving the Social Reciprocity Network in Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Impact of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Mitigating the Abnormalities
There is no consensus regarding the neurological substrate underpinning ASD. The investigators describe the novel concept of social reciprocity network and hypothesize that aberrant connectivity/oscillatory patterns affecting this network contribute to the core deficits in ASD. The overarching goal of this trial is to explore abnormalities involving the neuronal connectivity and oscillatory patterns within the social reciprocity network and to elucidate the role of modulating this network via rTMS in improving the above measures and social cognition in ASD. Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) coherence and spectral power analysis are reliable measures of neuronal connectivity and dynamics. The investigators aim to study the QEEG coherence/spectral power analysis to explore the neuronal dynamics affecting the social reciprocity network in ASD.