Gaining Greater Insights Into Tuberous Sclerosis Complex-Associated Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Elizabeth M. Cassidy, MPH

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), also known as tuberous sclerosis, is a rare genetic disease that causes non-cancerous tumors to grow in the brain and several areas of the body, including the spinal cord, nerves, eyes, lung, heart, kidneys, and skin. Most patients with TSC are impacted by seizures throughout their life, but other cognitive difficulties, behavioral problems, and skin abnormalities can occur. Because of its rareness, gathering data on the relationship between seizure duration and manifestations of TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders (TAND) has been difficult and limited.

At the 2023 American Epilepsy Society (AES) annual meeting, held December 1-5, in Orlando, Florida, new data using the TSC Natural History Database uncovered insights about the links between seizure duration and specific TAND-related diagnoses. Led by Elizabeth Cassidy, MPH, the study included 23 participants and assessed TAND symptoms such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and anxiety. Results showed that all TAND symptoms were found to be significantly associated with the cohort diagnosed with epilepsy participating in the SeizureTracker app, which supported previous studies findings of the co-occurrence of epilepsy and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Cassidy, research project manager at the TSC Alliance, sat down with NeurologyLive® to provide an overview of the study and the reasons for it. She discussed some of the main findings on specific TAND symptoms, how they compare with prior studies, and the overall significance for neurologists who treat these patients. Additionally, Cassidy provided context into additional secondary analyses examining TAND-specific diagnoses in patients with more frequent seizures.