Artificial neural network for evaluating sleep spindles and slow waves after transcranial magnetic stimulation in a child with autism

Sleep spindles (SS) and slow waves (SW) serve as indicators of the integrity of thalamocortical connections, which are often compromised in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can modulate brain activity associated with ASD. This study evaluated the effects of TMS on SS and SW in an 11-year-old male with ASD who received 17 sessions of TMS on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Both SS and SW were detected before and after TMS and were analyzed using self-organizing maps (SOM). Using the SOM, a subset of SS and SW was identified that exhibited structural changes after TMS.