Brainsway Ltd. (TASE:BRIN) reports that interim results of an Australian study showed small but significant improvement in patients with autism or Asperger's syndrome treated with its Deep TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) device. The study showed improvement in the Theory of Mind (a designated coil for treating autism) and in social communications.
The study conducted at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre in Melbourne included 16 healthy adults and 20 patients with autism or Asperger's syndrome. The results of the empathy and Theory of Mind studies showed clear short term effect of one-time use of Deep TMS on the healthy patients, and small but significant improvement in the patients with autism or Asperger's syndrome, compared with the control group, which received a sham treatment.
The treatment lasted for just two weeks per patient, and the improvement was seen for about a month following the end of the treatment. The researchers intend to conduct a follow-on study on a larger number of patients over a longer period of time and increased strength of the electromagnetic stimulation treatment in order to increase the improvement.
Brainsway neurological consultant Dr. Abraham Zangen said, "The study provided positive signs regarding the special coil developed for treating autism and Asperger's syndrome. The parallel study on the healthy patients teaches us the possibility of optimizing the parameters that will maximize the benefit in subsequent studies on patients suffering from autism and Asperger's syndrome."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 25, 2011
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