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TSC Study
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> Autism Research
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Brief description: Due to the mounting evidence that children on the autism spectrum exhibit a range of deficits in face processing, the current projects are designed to examine differences in the development and neural bases of face processing among a sample of high-risk infants that have been diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. The goal of this project is to use a combination of electrophysiological and behavioral assays to identify children at risk for developing autism starting at 3 months of age and continuing until 48 months of age, when a formal diagnosis of autism is possible.
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- Infants: 3-6 or 12-18 months of age
- typically developing (for a comparison population)
- or with a diagnosis of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.
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Participation Details
If you decide to participate in this study, which has a longitudinal design, it involves multiple visits to the Lab at regular time points during your baby's first 3-4 years of life. Each visit will last about 1 1/2 hours and will be scheduled at a time that is convenient for you and your child. Parents will be with their child at all times.
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Research Contact: Vanessa Vogel-Farley
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Full Description: The incidence of autism in the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is markedly higher than that in the general population, with features of autism present in 25-60% of children with TSC. Clearly there exists a strong association between TSC and autism and the main goal of this research project is to look for early signs of autism in children with TSC with both brain activity methods as well as behavioral methods. The goal is to confirm early signs for autism in a population where autism is very common. Through the study, we also hope to make possible services for children with TSC who show early signs of autism. Children with an ASD are not usually diagnosed until they are older than 18 months. Our goal is to find signs that suggest risk for these disorders within the first few months of life, before babies reach their first birthday. If we can move diagnosis back to the first year of life, then early intervention, which is known to have a major positive impact on children with these disorders, can begin much sooner than is now possible. To achieve these goals we will study children at higher risk for developing these disorders, children who have been diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). Because we are interested in the developmental changes in your child, we plan to do the study over the course of two years.
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