The Early Development in Tuberous Sclerosis (EDiTS) study, which could lead to important findings about the development of children with TSC, has entered a new phase and is seeking participants.

The EDiTS study team – part-funded by the TSA – are looking for children who live with TSC and are aged between 3 – 5 years 11 months to take part in the ‘preschool’ phase of the research. The overall goal of EDiTS is to identify differences in the development of children with TSC, and to find out whether these differences predict later behaviour, such as social interaction, attention and problem solving.

The findings from EDiTS will improve understanding of the association between TSC and different behavioural outcomes, such as autism and ADHD. In addition, findings may also make it possible to put steps in place with children earlier, helping to improve behaviour and quality of life.

To achieve their aims, the EDiTS team has made a number of assessments to measure behaviour and brain development in preschool children. In order to test whether there are specific differences in the development of children with TSC, the team will compare these measures to children who do not have TSC. They will also compare these measures to children with an elevated likelihood of neurodevelopmental conditions.

The EDiTS assessments can be done within the family home, and the team are happy to travel across the UK. The activities are fun and interactive, including a touchscreen tablet-based app called Pip and activities called the Brain Explorers.

This EDiTS study is led by Dr Charlotte Tye (Researcher and Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London). The study is taking place as a collaboration between King’s College London and the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development at Birkbeck and the University of Birmingham. It is part-funded by the TSA and another UK charity, the Baily Thomas Charitable Fund.

For more information and to find out if your child is eligible to take part, click here.