Table 1.
Demographic characteristics of participants (n = 32)
| TPS group | Sham TPS | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD)/n (%) | Mean (SD)/n (%) | P | |
| Participants | |||
| Age | 13.50 (2.03) | 12.81 (1.83) | 0.32 |
| Gender | >0.99 | ||
| Male | 13 (81%) | 14 (88%) | |
| Female | 3 (19%) | 2 (12%) | |
| Schooling | 0.57 | ||
| Senior primary | 6 (37.5%) | 9 (56.3%) | |
| Junior high school | 7 (43.8%) | 5 (31.3%) | |
| Senior high school | 3 (18.7%) | 2 (12.4%) | |
| Mean years of having ASD diagnosis | 4.56 (3.08) | 4.27 (2.52) | 0.58 |
| Currently on medication | >0.99 | ||
| Yes | 16 (100%) | 16 (100%) | |
| Mean age of starting medication | 8.18 (2.40) | 7.92 (2.50) | 0.72 |
| Duration of taking medication (months) | 70.80 (29.20) | 55.27 (31.13) | 0.46 |
| Drug compliance | 0.57 | ||
| Good | 6 (37.5%) | 9 (56.2%) | |
| Fair | 4 (25%) | 3 (18.8%) | |
| Poor | 6 (37.5%) | 4 (25%) | |
| Family history of psychiatric disordersa | 0.72 | ||
| Yes | 6 (37.5%) | 7 (43.8%) | |
| No | 10 (62.5%) | 9 (56.2%) | |
| Parents | |||
| Marital status | 0.14 | ||
| Married | 16 (100%) | 14 (87.5%) | |
| Separated/divorced | 2 (12.5%) | ||
| Education level | 0.52 | ||
| Primary school or below | 1 (6%) | 1 (6%) | |
| Secondary school | 8 (50%) | 11 (69%) | |
| Associate degree | 4 (25%) | 1 (6%) | |
| Bachelor’s degree or above | 3 (19%) | 3 (19%) | |
ASD, autistic spectrum disorder; SD, standard deviation; TPS, transcranial pulse stimulation.
a
First-degree relative, including parents and siblings.