Factor analysis of repetitive behaviors in Autism as measured by the Y-BOCS.

Abstract

The authors carried out a factor analysis of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale checklist at the category level in order to reduce the number of variables in this domain and ultimately identify possible endophenotypes; 181 children with autism were enrolled. The authors estimated a tetrachoric correlation matrix among the dichotomous symptom categories and then used exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to identify a clinically meaningful factor structure for this correlation matrix. Their analysis supported a four-factor solution: obsessions, higher-order repetitive behaviors, lower-order repetitive behaviors, and hoarding. These findings are another step in the effort to identify genetically and biologically distinct groups within this population.

• Authors: Evdokia Anagnostou, William Chaplin, Dryden Watner, Jeremy M Silverman, Christopher J Smith, Karen Zagursky, Lauren A Kryzak, Thomas E Corwin, Nicole Feirsen, Nadia Tanel, Eric Hollander
• Journal: The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences (J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci) Vol. 23 Issue 3 Pg. 332-9 ( 2011) ISSN: 1545-7222 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21948895 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Autistic Disorder (complications)
• Chi-Square Distribution
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Factor Analysis, Statistical
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (diagnosis, etiology)
• Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
• Psychometrics
• Reproducibility of Results
• Severity of Illness Index
• Surveys and Questionnaires