Researchers say there is little evidence that MERT therapy helps children with autism

In the past decade, clinics in Southern California and beyond have been advertising what’s known as magnetic resonance therapy, or MERT. As a treatment for autism.

Developed by a Newport Beach-based company Wave NeuroscienceMERT is based on transcranial magnetic stimulation, a type of brain stimulation approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, migraines and smoking.

The clinics’ licensee MERT has claimed that their traditional version of the treatment can also produce “miraculous results” in autistic children, improving their sleep, emotional regulation and communication skills. A six-week course of MERT sessions typically costs $10,000 or more.

The FDA has not approved MERT for this use. However, prescribing drugs or devices for conditions for which they are not approved, which is called off-label prescribing, is a legal and common practice in medicine.

But when such treatments are offered to vulnerable people, a group of researchers argues in a new review editorial In the medical journal Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, they must be evidence-based, clearly explained to patients and priced in a way that reflects the likelihood that they will work as advertised.

Many clinics advertise TMS off-label as a treatment for autism It does not meet the criteriaResearchers say.

Autism is “the biggest label business… [and] That is the biggest concern,” he said Dr. Andrew Leuchterdirector of UCLA’s TMS Clinical and Research Services.

Leuchter is one of three researchers with TMS expertise who recently called for the creation of ethical guidelines around off-label TMS marketing in the field’s primary journal.

Written with Lindsay Oberman, director of the Neurostimulation Research Program at the National Institute of Mental Health, and NIMH founder Dr. Holly Lizanby Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit and dean of Arizona State University’s School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering, the institution cites MERT as “an example of off-label TMS where there is little evidence of efficacy.”

“There is currently very limited scientific evidence that any form of TMS has efficacy and safety in improving the underlying symptoms associated with language, social skills, or behavioral disorders. [Autism Spectrum Disorder]” The editorial says. “Websites and other promotional materials that fail to acknowledge this limited evidence base can create the risk of bias and the potential for false expectations.”

Dr. Eric Vonn, View’s president and chief medical officer, did not respond to requests for comment.

A Time investigation Last year found that there were no large scientific studies showing that MERT is better than placebo at improving the speech and communication challenges associated with autism. Wave has not conducted any clinical trials on MERT and autism.

won said last year That Wave is working to get funding for “further studies and ultimately FDA approval.”

Websites for clinics that offer MERT often feature testimonials written by parents who have seen positive changes in their children’s mood or spoken language ability after a therapy session.

Without data, however, there’s no way to know whether a patient’s story is a typical or outlier experience, according to Zoe Gross of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a nonprofit group run by autistic adults.

“Be wary of treatments that are sold to you with testimonials. If you go to a clinic’s website and they have dozens of quotes from parents saying, ‘It changed my child’s life in XYZ ways, that’s not the same as evidence.’ gross told The Times last year.

The treatment only has a 1% success rate, she said, and yet receives dozens of positive testimonials after thousands of people try it.

For families who are unsure whether a particular commercial treatment might be worthwhile for their child, “seek advice from a clinician or autism scientist who is not affiliated with the facility providing the service, just for a clear assessment of whether it might be beneficial or likely to be worth the money,” said James McPartland, director of communications for TMS and TMS Health, who is now TMS and the TMS Research Center. Social perception in autistic adults. “Before you want to ask someone to spend resources, you want to have some trust [that] It will be useful.”