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Network Structure of Autism Spectrum Disorder Behaviors and Its Evolution in Preschool Children: Insights from a New Longitudinal Network Analysis Method.

Farhad MontazeriJan K BuitelaarIris J OosterlingAnnelies A de BildtGeorge M Anderson
Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders (2022)
Network modeling of the social, communication and restrictive/repetitive behaviors (RRBs) included in the definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder was performed. The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) assessed behaviors in 139 pre-school cases at two cross-sections that averaged 34.8 months apart. Cross-sectional networks were based on the correlation matrix of the ADI-R behavioral items and the "bootCross" method was developed and enabled the estimation of a longitudinal network. At both stages, RRB items/nodes formed a consistent peripheral cluster, while social and communication nodes formed a core cluster that diverged with time. These differences in the nature and evolution of the RRB and socio-communicative dimensions indicate that their inter-behavior dynamics are very different. The most central behaviors across stages are proposed as prime targets for efficient therapeutic intervention.
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