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Frazier TW, Whitehouse AJO, Leekam SR, Carrington SJ, Alvares GA, Evans DW, Hardan AY, Uljarević M. Reliability of the Commonly Used and Newly-Developed Autism Measures. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:2158-2169. [PMID: 37017861 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-05967-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of the present study was to compare scale and conditional reliability derived from item response theory analyses among the most commonly used, as well as several newly developed, observation, interview, and parent-report autism instruments. METHODS When available, data sets were combined to facilitate large sample evaluation. Scale reliability (internal consistency, average corrected item-total correlations, and model reliability) and conditional reliability estimates were computed for total scores and for measure subscales. RESULTS Generally good to excellent scale reliability was observed for total scores for all measures, scale reliability was weaker for RRB subscales of the ADOS and ADI-R, reflecting the relatively small number of items for these measures. For diagnostic measures, conditional reliability tended to be very good (> 0.80) in the regions of the latent trait where ASD and non-ASD developmental disability cases would be differentiated. For parent-report scales, conditional reliability of total scores tended to be excellent (> 0.90) across very wide ranges of autism symptom levels, with a few notable exceptions. CONCLUSIONS These findings support the use of all of the clinical observation, interview, and parent-report autism symptom measures examined, but also suggest specific limitations that warrant consideration when choosing measures for specific clinical or research applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Frazier
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
| | | | - Susan R Leekam
- School of Psychology, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Sarah J Carrington
- School of Psychology, College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | - Gail A Alvares
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia
| | - David W Evans
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, USA
| | - Antonio Y Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mirko Uljarević
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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Paz Y, Perkins ER, Colins O, Perlstein S, Wagner NJ, Hawes SW, Byrd A, Viding E, Waller R. Evaluating the sensitivity to threat and affiliative reward (STAR) model in relation to the development of conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits across early adolescence. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 65:1327-1339. [PMID: 38480986 PMCID: PMC11393184 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Sensitivity to Threat and Affiliative Reward (STAR) model proposes low threat sensitivity and low affiliation as risk factors for callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Preliminary evidence for the STAR model comes from work in early childhood. However, studies are needed that explore the STAR dimensions in late childhood and adolescence when severe conduct problems (CP) emerge. Moreover, it is unclear how variability across the full spectrum of threat sensitivity and affiliation gives rise to different forms of psychopathology beyond CU traits. METHODS The current study addressed these gaps using parent- and child-reported data from three waves and a sub-study of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study® of 11,878 youth (48% female; ages 9-12). RESULTS Consistent with the STAR model, low threat sensitivity and low affiliation were independently related to CU traits across informants and time. Moreover, there was significant interaction between the STAR dimensions, such that children with lower sensitivity to threat and lower affiliation had higher parent-reported CU traits. Unlike CU traits, children with higher threat sensitivity had higher parent-reported CP and anxiety. Finally, children with lower affiliation had higher parent-reported CP, anxiety, and depression. Results largely replicated across informants and time, and sensitivity analysis revealed similar findings in children with and without DSM-5 defined CP. CONCLUSIONS Results support the STAR model hypotheses as they pertain to CU traits and delineate threat sensitivity and affiliation as independent transdiagnostic risk factors for different types of psychopathology. Future research is needed to develop fuller and more reliable and valid measures of affiliation and threat sensitivity across multiple assessment modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Paz
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emily R Perkins
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Olivier Colins
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Special Needs Education, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Samantha Perlstein
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nicholas J Wagner
- Department of Brain and Psychological Science, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Samuel W Hawes
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Amy Byrd
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PN, USA
| | - Essi Viding
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rebecca Waller
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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3
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Mazzone L, Dooling SW, Volpe E, Uljarević M, Waters JL, Sabatini A, Arturi L, Abate R, Riccioni A, Siracusano M, Pereira M, Engstrand L, Cristofori F, Adduce D, Francavilla R, Costa-Mattioli M, Hardan AY. Precision microbial intervention improves social behavior but not autism severity: A pilot double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Cell Host Microbe 2024; 32:106-116.e6. [PMID: 38113884 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by the presence of restricted/repetitive behaviors and social communication deficits. Because effective treatments for ASD remain elusive, novel therapeutic strategies are necessary. Preclinical studies show that L. reuteri selectively reversed social deficits in several models for ASD. Here, in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we tested the effect of L. reuteri (a product containing a combination of strains ATCC-PTA-6475 and DSM-17938) in children with ASD. The treatment does not alter overall autism severity, restricted/repetitive behaviors, the microbiome composition, or the immune profile. However, L. reuteri combination yields significant improvements in social functioning that generalized across different measures. Interestingly, ATCC-PTA-6475, but not the parental strain of DSM-17938, reverses the social deficits in a preclinical mouse model for ASD. Collectively, our findings show that L. reuteri enhances social behavior in children with ASD, thereby warranting larger trials in which strain-specific effects should also be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Mazzone
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Policlinico Tor Vergata Foundation Hospital, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy; Systems Medicine Department, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Montpellier Street 1, 00133 Rome, Italy.
| | - Sean W Dooling
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Altos Labs, Inc, Bay Area Institute of Science, Redwood City, CA 94065, USA
| | - Elisabetta Volpe
- Molecular Neuroimmunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Mirko Uljarević
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Tin Alley, Carlton, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Jillian L Waters
- Altos Labs, Inc, Bay Area Institute of Science, Redwood City, CA 94065, USA
| | - Andrea Sabatini
- Molecular Neuroimmunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Arturi
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Policlinico Tor Vergata Foundation Hospital, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy; Systems Medicine Department, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Montpellier Street 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Abate
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Policlinico Tor Vergata Foundation Hospital, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Assia Riccioni
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Policlinico Tor Vergata Foundation Hospital, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy; Systems Medicine Department, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Montpellier Street 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Siracusano
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Policlinico Tor Vergata Foundation Hospital, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy; Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Montpellier Street 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcela Pereira
- Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumour and Cell Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Lars Engstrand
- Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumour and Cell Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Fernanda Cristofori
- Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Children's Hospital-Giovanni XXIII, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Domenico Adduce
- Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Children's Hospital-Giovanni XXIII, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Ruggiero Francavilla
- Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Children's Hospital-Giovanni XXIII, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Mauro Costa-Mattioli
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Altos Labs, Inc, Bay Area Institute of Science, Redwood City, CA 94065, USA.
| | - Antonio Y Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Wagner N, Perkins E, Rodriguez Y, Ordway C, Flum M, Hernandez-Pena L, Perelstein P, Sem K, Paz Y, Plate R, Popoola A, Lynch S, Astone K, Goldstein E, Njoroge WFM, Raine A, Pincus D, Pérez-Edgar K, Waller R. Promoting Empathy and Affiliation in Relationships (PEAR) study: protocol for a longitudinal study investigating the development of early childhood callous-unemotional traits. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e072742. [PMID: 37802613 PMCID: PMC10565261 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-072742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits are at high lifetime risk of antisocial behaviour. Low affiliation (ie, social bonding difficulties) and fearlessness (ie, low threat sensitivity) are proposed risk factors for CU traits. Parenting practices (eg, harshness and low warmth) also predict risk for CU traits. However, few studies in early childhood have identified attentional or physiological markers of low affiliation and fearlessness. Moreover, no studies have tested whether parenting practices are underpinned by low affiliation or fearlessness shared by parents, which could further shape parent-child interactions and exacerbate risk for CU traits. Addressing these questions will inform knowledge of how CU traits develop and isolate novel parent and child targets for future specialised treatments for CU traits. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The Promoting Empathy and Affiliation in Relationships (PEAR) study aims to establish risk factors for CU traits in children aged 3-6 years. The PEAR study will recruit 500 parent-child dyads from two metropolitan areas of the USA. Parents and children will complete questionnaires, computer tasks and observational assessments, alongside collection of eye-tracking and physiological data, when children are aged 3-4 (time 1) and 5-6 (time 2) years. The moderating roles of child sex, race and ethnicity, family and neighbourhood disadvantage, and parental psychopathology will also be assessed. Study aims will be addressed using structural equation modelling, which will allow for flexible characterisation of low affiliation, fearlessness and parenting practices as risk factors for CU traits across multiple domains. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval was granted by Boston University (#6158E) and the University of Pennsylvania (#850638). Results will be disseminated through conferences and open-access publications. All study and task materials will be made freely available on lab websites and through the Open Science Framework (OSF).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Wagner
- Department of Brain & Psychological Science, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Emily Perkins
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yuheiry Rodriguez
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cora Ordway
- Department of Brain & Psychological Science, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michaela Flum
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lucia Hernandez-Pena
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Polina Perelstein
- Department of Brain & Psychological Science, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kathy Sem
- Department of Brain & Psychological Science, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yael Paz
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rista Plate
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ayomide Popoola
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sarah Lynch
- Department of Brain & Psychological Science, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kristina Astone
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ethan Goldstein
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Wanjikũ F M Njoroge
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Adriane Raine
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Donna Pincus
- Department of Brain & Psychological Science, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Rebecca Waller
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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5
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Williams ZJ, Schaaf R, Ausderau KK, Baranek GT, Barrett DJ, Cascio CJ, Dumont RL, Eyoh EE, Failla MD, Feldman JI, Foss-Feig JH, Green HL, Green SA, He JL, Kaplan-Kahn EA, Keçeli-Kaysılı B, MacLennan K, Mailloux Z, Marco EJ, Mash LE, McKernan EP, Molholm S, Mostofsky SH, Puts NAJ, Robertson CE, Russo N, Shea N, Sideris J, Sutcliffe JS, Tavassoli T, Wallace MT, Wodka EL, Woynaroski TG. Examining the latent structure and correlates of sensory reactivity in autism: a multi-site integrative data analysis by the autism sensory research consortium. Mol Autism 2023; 14:31. [PMID: 37635263 PMCID: PMC10464466 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-023-00563-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Differences in responding to sensory stimuli, including sensory hyperreactivity (HYPER), hyporeactivity (HYPO), and sensory seeking (SEEK) have been observed in autistic individuals across sensory modalities, but few studies have examined the structure of these "supra-modal" traits in the autistic population. METHODS Leveraging a combined sample of 3868 autistic youth drawn from 12 distinct data sources (ages 3-18 years and representing the full range of cognitive ability), the current study used modern psychometric and meta-analytic techniques to interrogate the latent structure and correlates of caregiver-reported HYPER, HYPO, and SEEK within and across sensory modalities. Bifactor statistical indices were used to both evaluate the strength of a "general response pattern" factor for each supra-modal construct and determine the added value of "modality-specific response pattern" scores (e.g., Visual HYPER). Bayesian random-effects integrative data analysis models were used to examine the clinical and demographic correlates of all interpretable HYPER, HYPO, and SEEK (sub)constructs. RESULTS All modality-specific HYPER subconstructs could be reliably and validly measured, whereas certain modality-specific HYPO and SEEK subconstructs were psychometrically inadequate when measured using existing items. Bifactor analyses supported the validity of a supra-modal HYPER construct (ωH = .800) but not a supra-modal HYPO construct (ωH = .653), and supra-modal SEEK models suggested a more limited version of the construct that excluded some sensory modalities (ωH = .800; 4/7 modalities). Modality-specific subscales demonstrated significant added value for all response patterns. Meta-analytic correlations varied by construct, although sensory features tended to correlate most with other domains of core autism features and co-occurring psychiatric symptoms (with general HYPER and speech HYPO demonstrating the largest numbers of practically significant correlations). LIMITATIONS Conclusions may not be generalizable beyond the specific pool of items used in the current study, which was limited to caregiver report of observable behaviors and excluded multisensory items that reflect many "real-world" sensory experiences. CONCLUSION Of the three sensory response patterns, only HYPER demonstrated sufficient evidence for valid interpretation at the supra-modal level, whereas supra-modal HYPO/SEEK constructs demonstrated substantial psychometric limitations. For clinicians and researchers seeking to characterize sensory reactivity in autism, modality-specific response pattern scores may represent viable alternatives that overcome many of these limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J Williams
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Avenue South, Medical Center East, South Tower, Room 8310, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Roseann Schaaf
- Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Jefferson Autism Center of Excellence, Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Karla K Ausderau
- Department of Kinesiology, Occupational Therapy Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Grace T Baranek
- Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - D Jonah Barrett
- Neuroscience Undergraduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Carissa J Cascio
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Rachel L Dumont
- Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ekomobong E Eyoh
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Jacob I Feldman
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Avenue South, Medical Center East, South Tower, Room 8310, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jennifer H Foss-Feig
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Heather L Green
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jason L He
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth A Kaplan-Kahn
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bahar Keçeli-Kaysılı
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Avenue South, Medical Center East, South Tower, Room 8310, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Keren MacLennan
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Zoe Mailloux
- Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elysa J Marco
- Department of Neurodevelopmental Medicine, Cortica Healthcare, San Rafael, CA, USA
| | - Lisa E Mash
- Division of Psychology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Elizabeth P McKernan
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sophie Molholm
- Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Rose F. Kennedy Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Stewart H Mostofsky
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nicolaas A J Puts
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Caroline E Robertson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Natalie Russo
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Nicole Shea
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Division of Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Kaleida Health, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - John Sideris
- Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - James S Sutcliffe
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Teresa Tavassoli
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Mark T Wallace
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ericka L Wodka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tiffany G Woynaroski
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1215 21st Avenue South, Medical Center East, South Tower, Room 8310, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
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Frazier TW, Chetcuti L, Al‐Shaban FA, Haslam N, Ghazal I, Klingemier EW, Aldosari M, Whitehouse AJO, Youngstrom EA, Hardan AY, Uljarević M. Categorical versus dimensional structure of autism spectrum disorder: A multi-method investigation. JCPP ADVANCES 2023; 3:e12142. [PMID: 37753161 PMCID: PMC10519739 DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.12142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background A key question for any psychopathological diagnosis is whether the condition is continuous or discontinuous with typical variation. The primary objective of this study was to use a multi-method approach to examine the broad latent categorical versus dimensional structure of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method Data were aggregated across seven independent samples of participants with ASD, other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), and non-ASD/NDD controls (aggregate Ns = 512-16,755; ages 1.5-22). Scores from four distinct phenotype measures formed composite "indicators" of the latent ASD construct. The primary indicator set included eye gaze metrics from seven distinct social stimulus paradigms. Logistic regressions were used to combine gaze metrics within/across paradigms, and derived predicted probabilities served as indicator values. Secondary indicator sets were constructed from clinical observation and parent-report measures of ASD symptoms. Indicator sets were submitted to taxometric- and latent class analyses. Results Across all indicator sets and analytic methods, there was strong support for categorical structure corresponding closely to ASD diagnosis. Consistent with notions of substantial phenotypic heterogeneity, the ASD category had a wide range of symptom severity. Despite the examination of a large sample with a wide range of IQs in both genders, males and children with lower IQ were over-represented in the ASD category, similar to observations in diagnosed cases. Conclusions Our findings provide strong support for categorical structure corresponding closely to ASD diagnosis. The present results bolster the use of well-diagnosed and representative ASD groups within etiologic and clinical research, motivating the ongoing search for major drivers of the ASD phenotype. Despite the categorical structure of ASD, quantitative symptom measurements appear more useful for examining relationships with other factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W. Frazier
- Department of PsychologyJohn Carroll UniversityUniversity HeightsOhioUSA
| | - Lacey Chetcuti
- Olga Tennison Autism Research CentreSchool of Psychology and Public HealthLa Trobe UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Fouad A. Al‐Shaban
- Neurological Disorders Research CenterQatar Biomedical Research InstituteHamad Bin Khalifa UniversityDohaQatar
| | - Nick Haslam
- Melbourne School of Psychological SciencesUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Iman Ghazal
- Neurological Disorders Research CenterQatar Biomedical Research InstituteHamad Bin Khalifa UniversityDohaQatar
| | | | | | | | - Eric A. Youngstrom
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Antonio Y. Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Mirko Uljarević
- Melbourne School of Psychological SciencesUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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7
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Hudson M, Santavirta S, Putkinen V, Seppälä K, Sun L, Karjalainen T, Karlsson HK, Hirvonen J, Nummenmaa L. Neural responses to biological motion distinguish autistic and schizotypal traits. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:nsad011. [PMID: 36847146 PMCID: PMC10032360 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsad011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Difficulties in social interactions characterize both autism and schizophrenia and are correlated in the neurotypical population. It is unknown whether this represents a shared etiology or superficial phenotypic overlap. Both conditions exhibit atypical neural activity in response to the perception of social stimuli and decreased neural synchronization between individuals. This study investigated if neural activity and neural synchronization associated with biological motion perception are differentially associated with autistic and schizotypal traits in the neurotypical population. Participants viewed naturalistic social interactions while hemodynamic brain activity was measured with fMRI, which was modeled against a continuous measure of the extent of biological motion. General linear model analysis revealed that biological motion perception was associated with neural activity across the action observation network. However, intersubject phase synchronization analysis revealed neural activity to be synchronized between individuals in occipital and parietal areas but desynchronized in temporal and frontal regions. Autistic traits were associated with decreased neural activity (precuneus and middle cingulate gyrus), and schizotypal traits were associated with decreased neural synchronization (middle and inferior frontal gyri). Biological motion perception elicits divergent patterns of neural activity and synchronization, which dissociate autistic and schizotypal traits in the general population, suggesting that they originate from different neural mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Hudson
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
- School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
- Brain Research & Imaging Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Plymouth, Research Way, Plymouth PL6 8BU, UK
| | - Severi Santavirta
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
| | - Vesa Putkinen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
| | - Kerttu Seppälä
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
- Department of Medical Physics, Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
| | - Lihua Sun
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Tomi Karjalainen
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
| | - Henry K Karlsson
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
| | - Jussi Hirvonen
- Department of Radiology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku 20520, Finland
- Medical Imaging Centre, Department of Radiology, Tampere University and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere 33100, Finland
| | - Lauri Nummenmaa
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
- Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku 20520, Finland
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8
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Williams ZJ, Schaaf R, Ausderau KK, Baranek GT, Barrett DJ, Cascio CJ, Dumont RL, Eyoh EE, Failla MD, Feldman JI, Foss-Feig JH, Green HL, Green SA, He JL, Kaplan-Kahn EA, Keçeli-Kaysılı B, MacLennan K, Mailloux Z, Marco EJ, Mash LE, McKernan EP, Molholm S, Mostofsky SH, Puts NAJ, Robertson CE, Russo N, Shea N, Sideris J, Sutcliffe JS, Tavassoli T, Wallace MT, Wodka EL, Woynaroski TG. Examining the Latent Structure and Correlates of Sensory Reactivity in Autism: A Multi-site Integrative Data Analysis by the Autism Sensory Research Consortium. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2447849. [PMID: 36712092 PMCID: PMC9882639 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2447849/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Background Differences in responding to sensory stimuli, including sensory hyperreactivity (HYPER), hyporeactivity (HYPO), and sensory seeking (SEEK) have been observed in autistic individuals across sensory modalities, but few studies have examined the structure of these "supra-modal" traits in the autistic population. Methods Leveraging a combined sample of 3,868 autistic youth drawn from 12 distinct data sources (ages 3-18 years and representing the full range of cognitive ability), the current study used modern psychometric and meta-analytic techniques to interrogate the latent structure and correlates of caregiver-reported HYPER, HYPO, and SEEK within and across sensory modalities. Bifactor statistical indices were used to both evaluate the strength of a "general response pattern" factor for each supra-modal construct and determine the added value of "modality-specific response pattern" scores (e.g., Visual HYPER). Bayesian random-effects integrative data analysis models were used to examine the clinical and demographic correlates of all interpretable HYPER, HYPO and SEEK (sub)constructs. Results All modality-specific HYPER subconstructs could be reliably and validly measured, whereas certain modality-specific HYPO and SEEK subconstructs were psychometrically inadequate when measured using existing items. Bifactor analyses unambiguously supported the validity of a supra-modal HYPER construct (ω H = .800), whereas a coherent supra-modal HYPO construct was not supported (ω H = .611), and supra-modal SEEK models suggested a more limited version of the construct that excluded some sensory modalities (ω H = .799; 4/7 modalities). Within each sensory construct, modality-specific subscales demonstrated substantial added value beyond the supra-modal score. Meta-analytic correlations varied by construct, although sensory features tended to correlate most strongly with other domains of core autism features and co-occurring psychiatric symptoms. Certain subconstructs within the HYPO and SEEK domains were also associated with lower adaptive behavior scores. Limitations: Conclusions may not be generalizable beyond the specific pool of items used in the current study, which was limited to parent-report of observable behaviors and excluded multisensory items that reflect many "real-world" sensory experiences. Conclusion Psychometric issues may limit the degree to which some measures of supra-modal HYPO/SEEK can be interpreted. Depending on the research question at hand, modality-specific response pattern scores may represent a valid alternative method of characterizing sensory reactivity in autism.
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9
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Frazier TW, Crowley E, Shih A, Vasudevan V, Karpur A, Uljarevic M, Cai RY. Associations between executive functioning, challenging behavior, and quality of life in children and adolescents with and without neurodevelopmental conditions. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1022700. [PMID: 36337537 PMCID: PMC9632446 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1022700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study sought to clarify the impact of executive and social functioning on challenging behavior and the downstream influence of challenging behavior on quality of life and functioning in a large transdiagnostic sample. Understanding these relationships is crucial for developing and designing tailored intervention strategies. In a cross-sectional study, parent informants of 2,004 children completed measures of executive and social functioning, challenging behavior, child and family quality of life, and reported on functional impacts of challenging behavior. Using structural (path) modeling, analyses evaluated the associations between executive and social functioning, including emotion regulation and risk avoidance, with overall and specific types of challenging behavior. Structural models also examined the influence of challenging behavior on child and family quality of life, including measures of the immediate and extended environment, and functional impacts on the parent/child as well as interactions with the medical/legal systems. Finally, mediational models explored the direct and indirect effects of executive and social functioning on quality of life and impact measures via challenging behavior. Results indicated that executive functioning accounts for substantial variance (R2 = 0.47) in challenging behavior. In turn, challenging behavior accounts for substantial variance in child and family quality of life (R2 = 0.36) and parent/child impacts (R2 = 0.31). Exploratory mediational models identified direct effects from executive and social functioning measures on quality of life and functional impacts and indirect effects for executive functioning via challenging behavior. These findings support the development of new intervention strategies and suggest the need to measure executive functioning when assessing and tailoring the treatment of challenging behavior in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W. Frazier
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, United States
- *Correspondence: Thomas W. Frazier,
| | - Ethan Crowley
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, United States
| | - Andy Shih
- Science and Public Health Department, Autism Speaks, New York, NY, United States
| | - Vijay Vasudevan
- Science and Public Health Department, Autism Speaks, New York, NY, United States
| | - Arun Karpur
- Science and Public Health Department, Autism Speaks, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mirko Uljarevic
- The School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ru Ying Cai
- Aspect Research Centre for Autism Practice, French’s Forest, NSW, Australia
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10
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Hedley D, Batterham PJ, Bury SM, Clapperton A, Denney K, Dissanayake C, Fox P, Frazier TW, Gallagher E, Hayward SM, Robinson J, Sahin E, Trollor J, Uljarević M, Stokes MA. The Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale-Modified (SIDAS-M): Development and preliminary validation of a new scale for the measurement of suicidal ideation in autistic adults. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022; 27:1115-1131. [PMID: 36237153 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221131234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Autistic people may be at higher risk of suicidal behavior than people in the general population. Suicidal behavior may include thinking about suicide or attempting to end one's own life by suicide. It is important to identify autistic people who may be thinking about suicide. People who are at risk of suicidal behavior can be identified by asking questions about whether they have been thinking about suicide. A specially designed questionnaire, or screening instrument, can help someone ask the best questions to find out if someone has been thinking about suicide. This information can help to identify supports to be put in place to prevent suicidal behavior, such as a suicide attempt. However, autistic people may interpret questions differently than non-autistic people. It is important to use screening tools that have been designed with, and for autistic people. In this study, we examined the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS). The SIDAS is an existing tool that was developed to screen for suicidal thinking in the general population. We modified SIDAS for use with autistic adults. We involved autistic people in the process of modifying SIDAS. We called the modified instrument the SIDAS-M. The results of our study showed SIDAS-M may be useful for screening for suicidal thinking in autistic adults who do not have an intellectual disability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jo Robinson
- The University of Melbourne, Australia.,Orygen, Australia
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11
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Ibrahim K, Kalvin C, Morand-Beaulieu S, He G, Pelphrey KA, McCarthy G, Sukhodolsky DG. Amygdala-prefrontal connectivity in children with maladaptive aggression is modulated by social impairment. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4371-4385. [PMID: 35059702 PMCID: PMC9574236 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is common across childhood-onset psychiatric disorders and is associated with impairments in social cognition and communication. The present study examined whether amygdala connectivity and reactivity during face emotion processing in children with maladaptive aggression are moderated by social impairment. This cross-sectional study included a well-characterized transdiagnostic sample of 101 children of age 8-16 years old with clinically significant levels of aggressive behavior and 32 typically developing children without aggressive behavior. Children completed a face emotion perception task of fearful and calm faces during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Aggressive behavior and social functioning were measured by standardized parent ratings. Relative to controls, children with aggressive behavior showed reduced connectivity between the amygdala and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) during implicit emotion processing. In children with aggressive behavior, the association between reduced amygdala-ventrolateral PFC connectivity and greater severity of aggression was moderated by greater social impairment. Amygdala reactivity to fearful faces was also associated with severity of aggressive behavior for children without social deficits but not for children with social deficits. Social impairments entail difficulties in interpreting social cues and enacting socially appropriate responses to frustration or provocation, which increase the propensity for an aggressive response via diminished connectivity between the amygdala and the ventral PFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Ibrahim
- Address correspondence to Karim Ibrahim, PsyD, Yale University School of Medicine, Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. ; Denis G. Sukhodolsky, PhD, Yale University School of Medicine, Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| | - Carla Kalvin
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | | | - George He
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Gregory McCarthy
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Denis G Sukhodolsky
- Address correspondence to Karim Ibrahim, PsyD, Yale University School of Medicine, Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. ; Denis G. Sukhodolsky, PhD, Yale University School of Medicine, Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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12
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Beversdorf DQ, Anagnostou E, Hardan A, Wang P, Erickson CA, Frazier TW, Veenstra-VanderWeele J. Editorial: Precision medicine approaches for heterogeneous conditions such as autism spectrum disorders (The need for a biomarker exploration phase in clinical trials - Phase 2m). Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1079006. [PMID: 36741580 PMCID: PMC9893852 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1079006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David Q Beversdorf
- Departments of Radiology, Neurology, and Psychological Sciences, William and Nancy Thompson Endowed Chair in Radiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Antonio Hardan
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Paul Wang
- Clinical Research Associates LLC, Simons Foundation, Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Craig A Erickson
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Thomas W Frazier
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States
| | - Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.,NewYork-Presbyterian Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, New York, NY, United States
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13
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Zheng S, Kaat A, Farmer C, Kanne S, Georgiades S, Lord C, Esler A, Bishop SL. Extracting Latent Subdimensions of Social Communication: A Cross-Measure Factor Analysis. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2021; 60:768-782.e6. [PMID: 33027686 PMCID: PMC8019433 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2020.08.444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Social communication deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are commonly represented as a single behavioral domain. However, increased precision of measurement of social communication is needed to promote more nuanced phenotyping, both within the autism spectrum and across diagnostic boundaries. METHOD A large sample (N = 1,470) of 4- to 10-year-old children was aggregated from across 4 data sources, and then randomly split into testing and validation samples. A total of 57 selected social communication items from 3 widely used autism symptom measures (the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale [ADOS], Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised [ADI-R], and Social Responsiveness Scale [SRS]) were analyzed in the multi-trait/multi-method factor analysis framework. The selected model was then confirmed with the validation sample. RESULTS The 4-substantive factor model, with 3 orthogonal method factors, was selected using the testing sample based on fit indices and then confirmed with the validation sample. Two of the factors, "Basic Social Communication Skills" and "Interaction Quality," were similar to those identified in a previous analysis of the ADOS, Module 3. Two additional factors, "Peer Interaction and Modification of Behavior" and "Social Initiation and Affiliation," also emerged. Factor scores showed nominal correlations with age and verbal IQ. CONCLUSION Identification of subdimensions could inform the creation of better conceptual models of social communication impairments, including mapping of how the cascading effects of social communication deficits unfold in ASD versus other disorders. Especially if extended to include both older and younger age cohorts and individuals with more varying developmental levels, these efforts could inform phenotype-based exploration for biological and genetic mechanisms by pinpointing specific mechanisms that contribute to various types of social communication deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuting Zheng
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA.
| | - Aaron Kaat
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Cristan Farmer
- Pediatrics & Developmental Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Stephen Kanne
- Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, Weill Cornell Medicine College, White Plains, New York
| | - Stelios Georgiades
- McMaster University and Offord Centre for Child Studies, Ontario, Canada
| | - Catherine Lord
- UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Amy Esler
- Center for Neurobehavioral Development, Division of Clinical Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Somer L. Bishop
- UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
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14
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Uljarević M, Jo B, Frazier TW, Scahill L, Youngstrom EA, Hardan AY. Using the big data approach to clarify the structure of restricted and repetitive behaviors across the most commonly used autism spectrum disorder measures. Mol Autism 2021; 12:39. [PMID: 34044873 PMCID: PMC8162018 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00419-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encompass several distinct domains. However, commonly used general ASD measures provide broad RRB scores rather than assessing separate RRB domains. The main objective of the current investigation was to conduct a psychometric evaluation of the ability of the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2), the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) to capture different RRB constructs. METHODS Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) was conducted using individual item-level data from the SRS-2, SCQ, ADI-R and the ADOS. Data were obtained from five existing publicly available databases. For the SRS-2, the final sample consisted of N = 16,761 individuals (Mage = 9.43, SD = 3.73; 18.5% female); for the SCQ, of N = 15,840 (Mage = 7.99, SD = 4.06; 18.1% female); for the ADI-R, of N = 8985 (Mage = 8.86, SD = 4.68; 19.4% female); and for the ADOS, of N = 6314 (Mage = 12.29, SD = 6.79; 17.7% female). RESULTS The three-factor structure provided the most optimal and interpretable fit to data for all measures (comparative fit index ≥ .983, Tucker Lewis index ≥ .966, root mean square error of approximation ≤ .028). Repetitive-motor behaviors, insistence on sameness and unusual or circumscribed interests factors emerged across all instruments. No acceptable fit was identified for the ADOS. LIMITATIONS The five datasets used here afforded a large as well as wide distribution of the RRB item scores. However, measures used for establishing convergent and divergent validity were only available for a portion of the sample. CONCLUSIONS Reported findings offer promise for capturing important RRB domains using general ASD measures and highlight the need for measurement development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Uljarević
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Booil Jo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Thomas W. Frazier
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH USA
| | - Lawrence Scahill
- Marcus Autism Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Eric A. Youngstrom
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Antonio Y. Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
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15
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Uljarević M, Frazier TW, Jo B, Phillips JM, Billingham W, Cooper MN, Hardan AY. Relationship Between Social Motivation in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Parents. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:660330. [PMID: 34121990 PMCID: PMC8187582 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.660330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Impairment in social motivation (SM) has been suggested as a key mechanism underlying social communication deficits observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the factors accounting for variability in SM remain poorly described and understood. The current study aimed to characterize the relationship between parental and proband SM. Data from 2,759 children with ASD (M age = 9.03 years, SD age = 3.57, 375 females) and their parents from the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) project was included in this study. Parental and proband SM was assessed using previously identified item sets from the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Children who had parents with low SM scores (less impairments) showed significantly lower impairments in SM compared to children who had either one or both parents with elevated SM scores. No parent-of-origin effect was identified. No significant interactions were found involving proband sex or intellectual disability (ID) status (presence/absence of ID) with paternal or maternal SM. This study establishes that low SM in children with ASD may be driven, in part, by lower SM in one or both parents. Future investigations should utilize larger family pedigrees, including simplex and multiplex families, evaluate other measures of SM, and include other related, yet distinct constructs, such as social inhibition and anhedonia. This will help to gain finer-grained insights into the factors and mechanisms accounting for individual differences in sociability among typically developing children as well as those with, or at risk, for developing ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Uljarević
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Thomas W. Frazier
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, United States
| | - Booil Jo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer M. Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Wesley Billingham
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Matthew N. Cooper
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Antonio Y. Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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16
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Talbot CF, Maness AC, Capitanio JP, Parker KJ. The factor structure of the macaque social responsiveness scale-revised predicts social behavior and personality dimensions. Am J Primatol 2021; 83:e23234. [PMID: 33529400 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Most primate species are highly social. Yet, within species, pronounced individual differences in social functioning are evident. In humans, the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) measures variation in social functioning. The SRS provides a quantitative measure of social functioning in natural social settings and can be used as a screening tool for autistic traits. The SRS was previously adapted for use in chimpanzees and recently refined for rhesus macaques, resulting in the macaque Social Responsiveness Scale-Revised (mSRS-R). Here, we performed an exploratory factor analysis on the mSRS-R in a large sample of male rhesus macaques (N = 233). We investigated the relationships of the resulting mSRS-R factors to quantitative social behavior (alone, proximity, contact, groom, and play) and to previously-established personality dimensions (Sociability, Confidence, Irritability, and Equability). Factor analysis yielded three mSRS-R factors: Poor Social Motivation, Poor Social Attractiveness, and Inappropriate Behavior. mSRS-R factors mapped closely to social behavior and personality dimensions in rhesus macaques, providing support for this instrument's convergent and discriminant validity. Animals with higher Poor Social Motivation were more likely to be observed alone and less likely to be observed in contact and grooming with conspecifics. Animals with higher Poor Social Attractiveness were less likely to be observed playing but more likely to be observed grooming with conspecifics. Inappropriate Behavior did not predict any behavioral measure. Finally, animals with higher Poor Social Motivation and higher Poor Social Attractiveness had less sociable personalities, whereas animals with more Inappropriate Behavior were more confident and more irritable. These findings suggest that the mSRS-R is a promising, psychometrically robust tool that can be deployed to better understand the psychological factors contributing to individual differences in macaque social functioning and, with relevant species-specific modification, the SRS may hold promise for investigating variation in social functioning across diverse primate taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine F Talbot
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Alyssa C Maness
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - John P Capitanio
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Karen J Parker
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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17
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Wallace GL, Yerys BE. Editorial: Taking the Next Step Towards Validating Social Processes From the Research Domain Criteria. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2020; 59:1212-1214. [PMID: 32553786 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Navigating social interactions and relationships is a complex endeavor. The successful management of these activities calls upon a variety of underlying biological and behavioral mechanisms that are contextualized by environmental demands. Social challenges can arise for many different reasons, but autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the prototypical disorder of social behavior. That being stated, clinically significant interference with social functioning is shared across a variety of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions. Recognition of the cross-cutting nature of social impairments and deficits in other domains (eg, Cognitive Systemds and Sensorimotor Systems) led to the formation of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).1 RDoC was proposed as an alternative framework to studying psychiatric conditions. RDoC emphasizes enhancing knowledge on the nature of psychiatric conditions in terms of varying degrees of dysfunction across general biological and psychological systems irrespective of traditional psychiatric diagnoses. The RDoC domains were created through consensus agreement from content-area expert scientists. One such domain, Systems for Social Processes, inclues the following proposed constituent constructs: (1) Attachment and Affiliation; (2) Social Communication (subdivided into Production of Facial Communication and Production of Non-Facial Communication); and (3) Perception and Understanding of Mental States. However, this domain has yet to be formally validated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin E Yerys
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the Perelman School of Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
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Uljarević M, Frazier TW, Phillips JM, Jo B, Littlefield S, Hardan AY. Quantifying Research Domain Criteria Social Communication Subconstructs Using the Social Communication Questionnaire in Youth. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 50:609-618. [PMID: 31922427 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2019.1669156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) has posited a set of social dimensions that could be useful in identifying sources of individual variation in social impairments across neurodevelopmental disorders. The current investigation aimed to derive estimates of the RDoC social constructs from the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) and examine whether RDoC social processes, as captured by the SCQ, are best represented by a dimensional, categorical, or hybrid model. Individual SCQ items from 4 databases were combined resulting in a total of 26,407 individuals (Mage = 8.13 years, SDage = 4.19; 69.1% male). The sample consisted of 60.0% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 6.8% with a range of neurodevelopmental disorders and 33.2% of siblings of individuals with ASD. Comparison of a range of factor solutions through the use of exploratory structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a 3-factor structure with separate attachment and affiliation, production of nonfacial and facial communication factors provided excellent fit to the data (comparative fit index = .989, Tucker-Lewis index = .984, root mean square error of approximation = .045). and robustness across clinical groups, age, sex, and verbal status. Comparison between the best-fitting factor analysis, latent class analysis, and factor mixture analysis solutions demonstrated that the RDoC social processes domain is best represented as dimensional. Our findings show promise for capturing some of the important RDoC social constructs using the SCQ but also highlight crucial areas for the development of new, dedicated dimensional measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Uljarević
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
| | | | | | - Booil Jo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
| | - Sandy Littlefield
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
| | - Antonio Y Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University
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Phillips JM, Uljarević M, Schuck RK, Schapp S, Solomon EM, Salzman E, Allerhand L, Libove RA, Frazier TW, Hardan AY. Development of the Stanford Social Dimensions Scale: initial validation in autism spectrum disorder and in neurotypicals. Mol Autism 2019; 10:48. [PMID: 31890146 PMCID: PMC6921422 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0298-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of this paper was to provide an initial validation of a newly developed parent questionnaire-the Stanford Social Dimensions Scale (SSDS), designed to capture individual differences across several key social dimensions including social motivation in children and adolescents with and without psychiatric disorders. Methods The initial validation sample was comprised of parents of 175 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (35 females, 140 males; Mage = 7.19 years, SDage = 3.96) and the replication sample consisted of 624 parents of children who were either typically developing or presented with a range of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders (302 females, 322 males; Mage = 11.49 years, SDage = 4.48). Parents from both samples completed the SSDS and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2). Results Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling indicated that a 5-factor model provided adequate to excellent fit to the data in the initial ASD sample (comparative fit index [CFI] = .940, Tucker-Lewis Index [TLI] = .919, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .048, standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = .038). The identified factors were interpreted as Social Motivation, Social Affiliation, Expressive Social Communication, Social Recognition, and Unusual Approach. This factor structure was further confirmed in Sample 2 (CFI = 946, TLI = .930, RMSEA = .044, SRMR = .026). Internal consistency for all subscales was in the good to excellent range across both samples as indicated by Composite Reliability scores of ≥ .72. Convergent and divergent validity was strong as indexed by the pattern of correlations with relevant SRS-2 and Child Behavior Checklist domains and with verbal and non-verbal intellectual functioning scores in Sample 1 and with the Need to Belong Scale and Child Social Preference Scale scores in Sample 2. Across both samples, females had higher social motivation and expressive social communication scores. Discriminant validity was strong given that across all SSDS subscales, the ASD sample had significantly higher impairment than both the typically developing group and the group with other clinical conditions, which in turn, had significantly higher impairment than the typically developing group. Conclusions Our findings provide initial validation of a new scale designed to comprehensively capture individual differences in social motivation and other key social dimensions in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M. Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Mirko Uljarević
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Rachel K. Schuck
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Salena Schapp
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaiser Permanente, Redwood City, CA USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA USA
| | - Emma Salzman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Lauren Allerhand
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Robin A. Libove
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | | | - Antonio Y. Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
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