Autism is a complex condition with numerous symptoms. Thankfully, numerous therapies exist that can alleviate autism symptoms and help you live a more fulfilling life.
MeRT (Magnetic E Resonance Therapy) is an FDA-approved brain modulation treatment which has proven its efficacy with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. MeRT utilizes EEG technology to target specific areas of the brain that differ from neurotypical children.
Symptoms
Autism is a complex developmental disorder that impacts how the brain processes information and responds to its environment. People living with autism typically struggle interacting with others and often face significant challenges with communication skills, social abilities and emotional regulation. They may exhibit self-stimulatory behavior or extreme responses to certain sensory stimuli. Autism spectrum disorder means each individual will present with unique symptoms and severity levels of their disorder.
Researchers have documented changes to the electrical activity of the brain among those with autism. These changes can be detected using electroencephalography (EEG). EEG measurements demonstrate decreased frontal cortical brain wave synchronization and an increase in inter-cortical connectivity for people living with autism.
These abnormalities have been linked with specific symptoms, such as repetitive behaviors and anxiety. According to estimates, up to 40% of individuals diagnosed with ASD also suffer from anxiety disorders which can significantly reduce quality of life as well as interfere with other behavioral treatments for autism.
Magnetic resonance therapy (MRT) is an FDA-approved, noninvasive therapy which utilizes electromagnetic fields to target specific regions of the brain with electromagnetic pulses. A magnetic coil placed on the scalp modulates natural electrical activity in order to treat anxiety, depression and neurological-related conditions; now being tested to see its efficacy against autism as well.
At the outset of treatment, an EEG scan is taken to ascertain which areas of the brain need stimulating. Each session of MeRT is tailored according to these results; frequency, location, and power settings of pulses are customized specifically for each individual to ensure that stimulation reaches just where and when it should. This ensures that stimulation of brain regions occurs at appropriate moments to improve functioning more normally.
MeRT may not cure autism, but it has helped many patients to significantly improve their symptoms and quality of life. These improvements can be attributed to how MeRT targets key areas in the brain associated with autism-related functions; hence it has proven itself as a promising treatment option for related disorders such as ADHD.
Diagnosis
Autism is caused by communication issues between brain cells, so treatments that increase brain communication could potentially help alleviate autism symptoms. MeRT is an innovative noninvasive brain treatment which utilizes EEG technology to identify each patient’s unique brain patterns before administering Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation at specific frequencies to target core symptoms like stereotyped behavior, eye contact response and verbal social interaction. MeRT has proven successful at significantly reducing these core autism symptoms such as stereotyped behavior, eye contact response and verbal social interactions.
MeRT can be an invaluable way to help the frontal lobe work more harmoniously with other parts of the brain, leading to improved sleep patterns, more relaxed behavior and an overall higher quality of life for everyone involved in an autism family.
After making a diagnosis of autism is reached, EEG (Electroencephalogram) testing can help pinpoint exactly which areas to stimulate with TMS stimulation. Each patient receives an individual plan based on their unique neurological patterns – this is how MeRT can be so successful.
MeRT involves having the patient sit in a chair and place their hand over a sensor, with an experienced neuro-technician placing an electromagnetic coil over their head and using gentle pulses of magnetic energy to activate brain cells through pulsed magnetic pulses that feel similar to tapping on your head. Treatment sessions last approximately 45 minutes each and are repeated every two weeks for best results and maximal potential improvements in autism symptoms.
Treatment
Good news is that much can be done to assist children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Although children typically won’t “outgrow” their symptoms, various therapies exist which may improve social behavior, learning abilities, and emotional regulation – each treatment being tailored specifically to meet each patient’s unique needs and responses.
MeRT (Magnetic E Resonance Therapy), is an innovative noninvasive brain therapy which has shown considerable promise as a method to decrease autism symptoms. MeRT was specifically created to enhance brain communication, making it one of the more successful solutions in curbing unwanted behaviors.
MeRT utilizes EEG (electroencephalogram) to locate the area of your brain that needs improvement in terms of information flow. TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) is then administered using a magnetic device and placed over that specific spot on your head for stimulation, helping improve communication by stimulating it with frequency, strength and placement determined by EEG analysis – offering personalized neuromodulation treatments with superior results than previous approaches such as TMS treatments.
Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of using rTMS to treat core ASD symptoms such as repetitive and stereotypic behaviors and social impairments, has led to noticeable improvements in ASD clinical scores; some of which were long-term improvements lasting up to six months. While current evidence is promising, more randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trials need to take place before we can fully understand rTMS’ efficacy as a treatment for ASD.
MeRT utilizes an innovative and personalized protocol to entrain the frontal lobe and increase overall brain coherence in those living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in order to reduce undesirable behaviors like self-injury, tantrums or poor eye contact.
MeRT is a safe and painless procedure. It involves sitting comfortably for approximately 45 minutes while being fitted with the TMS device on your head and using pulses of electromagnetic field stimulation to stimulate brain cells – the sensation feels similar to light tapping on the scalp without any pain or discomfort associated with this approach.
Results
ASD is a complex neuropsychiatric condition characterized by various symptoms that manifest differently for different individuals. Diagnosing ASD requires careful evaluation from multiple disciplines and often necessitates multidisciplinary collaboration to properly diagnose. Due to the individual traits associated with ASD, diagnosis often involves multidisciplinary collaboration; its unique qualities also make it a prime candidate for personalized medicine (PM), an emerging field which seeks to move away from symptoms-based classification and toward understanding fundamental mechanisms and causes behind various mental disorders.
Studies have demonstrated that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy may help regulate neural activity among those living with autism spectrum disorders, suggesting it could provide a useful strategy for treating core and associated ASD symptoms.
In the 1990s, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) emerged as a powerful brain imaging technology and researchers quickly identified numerous fascinating patterns of neural activity among children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), leading to new therapeutic and support approaches being created for them.
However, fMRI is expensive and has a poor signal-to-noise ratio that makes it impractical for regular clinical practice. Therefore, scientists have begun investigating other neuroimaging tools such as EEG in an attempt to enhance clinical outcomes for ASD sufferers.
Researchers have recently discovered that EEG-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can successfully modulate brain activity in people living with autism, leading to improved sensory processing and behavioral flexibility. Based on this research, clinicians are offering rTMS for ASD at their clinics and patients are reporting positive results from it.
Research by researchers concluded in a review of evidence that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation may help alleviate core ASD symptoms; however, additional study is necessary to ascertain which stimulation parameters and schedules work most effectively. Furthermore, most studies were not randomized nor did they control for placebo effects; additional work needs to be done on understanding how these results relate to behavioral change.
Dr. Miller and his team at Brain Treatment Center Dallas have employed rTMS therapy to successfully treat hundreds of individuals with autism. Recently on The Doctors he explained how MeRT treatment reprograms electrical signals within the brain and has been helping individuals living with autism for over 10 years.
