Psychometric Analysis of the Social Communication Questionnaire Using an Item-Response Theory Framework: Implications for the Use of the Lifetime and Current Forms | The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) was developed as a screener of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). To date, the majority of the SCQ utility studies focused on its external validity (e.g., ROC curve analyses), but very few have addressed the internal validity issues. With samples consisting of 2,134 individuals available from the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR), the current study examined the factor structure, item-level characteristics, and measurement equivalence of the SCQ forms (i.e., Lifetime form and Current form) using both the classical true score theory and the item response theory (IRT). While our findings indicate sufficient psychometric properties of the SCQ Lifetime form, measurement issues emerged with respect to the SCQ Current form. These issues include lower internal consistencies, a weaker factor structure, lower item discriminations, significant pseudo-guessing effects, and subscale-level measurement bias. Thus, we caution researchers and clinicians about the use of the SCQ Current form. In particular, it seems inappropriate to use the Current form as an alternative to the Lifetime form among children younger than 5 years old or under other special situations (e.g., teacher-report data), although such practices were advised by the publisher of the SCQ. Instead, we recommend modifying the wording of the Lifetime form items rather than switching to the Current form where a 3-month timeframe is specified for responding to SCQ items. Future studies may consider investigating the association between the temporality of certain behaviors and the individual’s potential for being diagnosed with ASD, as well as the age neutrality of the SCQ. | 63/2054 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
Unravelling the Collective Diagnostic Power Behind the Features in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule | Background: Autism is a group of heterogeneous disorders defined by deficits in social interaction and communication. Typically, diagnosis depends on the results of a behavioural examination called the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Unfortunately, administration of the ADOS exam is time-consuming and requires a significant amount of expert intervention, leading to delays in diagnosis and access to early intervention programs. The diagnostic power of each feature in the ADOS exam is currently unknown. Our hypothesis is that certain features could be removed from the exam without a significant reduction in diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity or specificity.
Objective: Determine the smallest subset of predictive features in ADOS module-1 (an exam variant for patients with minimal verbal skills).
Methodology: ADOS module-1 datasets were acquired from the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange and the National Database for Autism Research. The datasets contained 2572 samples with the following labels: autism (1763), autism spectrum (513), and non-autism (296). The datasets were used as input to 4 different cost-sensitive classifiers in Weka (functional trees, LADTree, logistic model trees, and PART). For each classifier, a 10-fold cross validation was preformed and the number of predictive features, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity was recorded.
Results & Conclusion: Each classifier resulted in a reduction of the number of ADOS features required for autism diagnosis. The LADtree classifier was able to obtain the largest reduction, utilizing only 10 of 29 ADOS module-1 features (96.8% accuracy, 96.9% sensitivity, and 95.9% specificity). Overall, these results are a step towards a more efficient behavioural exam for autism diagnosis.
| 1/1832 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
Derivation of Brain Structure Volumes from MRI Neuroimages hosted by NDAR using C-PAC pipeline and ANTs | An automated pipeline was developed to reference Neuroimages hosted by the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR) and derive volumes for distinct brain structures using Advanced Normalization Tools (ANTs) and the Configurable-Pipeline for the Analysis of Connectomes (C-PAC) platform. This pipeline utilized the ANTs cortical thickness methodology discuessed in "Large-Scale Evaluation of ANTs and Freesurfer Cortical Tchickness Measurements" [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24879923] to extract a cortical thickness volume from T1-weighted anatomical MRI data gathered from the NDAR database. This volume was then registered to an stereotaxic-space anatomical template (OASIS-30 Atropos Template) which was acquired from the Mindboggle Project webpage [http://mindboggle.info/data.html]. After registration, the mean cortical thickness was calculated at 31 ROIs on each hemisphere of the cortex and using the Desikan-Killiany-Tourville (DKT-31) cortical labelling protocol [http://mindboggle.info/faq/labels.html] over the OASIS-30 template.
**NOTE: This study is ongoing; additional data my be available in the future.**
As a result, each subject that was processed has a cortical thickness volume image and a text file with the mean thickness ROIs (in mm) stored in Amazon Web Services (AWS) Simple Storage Service (S3). Additionally, these results were tabulated in an AWS-hosted database (through NDAR) to enable simple, efficient querying and data access.
All of the code used to perform this analysis is publicly available on Github [https://github.com/FCP-INDI/ndar-dev]. Additionally, as a computing platform, we developed an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) that comes fully equipped to run this pipeline on any dataset. Using AWS Elastic Cloud Computing (EC2), users can launch our publicly available AMI ("C-PAC with benchmark", AMI ID: "ami-fee34296", N. Virginia region) and run the ANTs cortical thickness pipeline. The AMI is fully compatible with Sun Grid Engine as well; this enables users to perform many pipeline runs in parallel over a cluster-computing framework. | 22/1428 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
Revising the Social Communication Questionnaire scoring procedures for Autism Spectrum Disorder and potential Social Communication Disorder | In analyzing data from the National Database for Autism Research, we examine revising the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), a commonly used screening instrument for Autism Spectrum Disorder. A combination of Item Response Theory and Mokken scaling techniques were utilized to achieve this and abbreviated scoring of the SCQ is suggested. The psychometric sensitivity of this abbreviated SCQ was examined via bootstrapped Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. Additionally, we examined the sensitivity of the abbreviated and total scaled SCQ as it relates to a potential diagnosis of Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder (SCD). As SCD is a new disorder introduced with the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), we identified individuals with potential diagnosis of SCD among individuals with ASD via mixture modeling techniques using the same NDAR data. These analyses revealed two classes or clusters of individuals when considering the two core areas of impairment among individuals with ASD: social communication and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior. | 35/889 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
Derivation of Brain Structure Volumes from MRI Neuroimages hosted by NDAR using LONI Workflows | LONI utilized de-identified data from NDAR's cloud and a LONI Pipeline (pipeline.loni.usc.edu) processing workflow to perform a secondary structural MRI examination. The workflow used in this study pulls data from and provided by NDAR to an instance on the LONI compute cluster, aligns data to a standard orientation using FSLreorient2stsd, and undergoes further image processing to eventually identify, extract, and analyze cortical and sub-cortical structures in different MRI brain volumes. Two methods were used for this image processing: the first uses Freesurfer Recon_All to extract brain cortical parcellation and surfaces, align the data to an atlas, and identify, and analyze regions of interest; the second uses FSL to extract the brain (BET), align the data to an atlas, and extract ROIs including sub-cortical regions using FSL FIRST. The second method also uses Freesurfer (mri_segstats) to perform statistical analysis of these ROIs. Lastly, the LONI Pipeline workflow updates and returns the data processed and extracted by Freesurfer and FSL as a miNDAR back to NDAR's cloud storage instance. These results can be used to assess quality control or be used to perform post-hoc comparisons of cortical and sub-cortical brain architecture between subject types. See also, Torgerson et al. (2015) Brain Imaging and Behavior, for additional details on using LONI Pipeline to access and process NDAR data. | 22/740 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
Derivation of Quality Measures for Structural Images by Neuroimaging Pipelines | Using the National Database for Autism Research cloud platform, MRI data were analyzed using neuroimaging pipelines that included packages available as part of the Neuroimaging Informatics Tools and Resources Clearinghouse (NITRC) Computational Environment to derive standardized measures of MR image quality. Structural QA was performed according to Haselgrove, et al (http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fninf.2014.00052/abstract) to provide values for Signal to Noise (SNR) and Contrast to Noise (CNR) Ratios that can be compared between subjects within NDAR and between other public data releases. | 23/423 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
The Sensitivity and Specificity of the Social Communication Questionnaire for Autism Spectrum Disorder with Respect to Age | Scientific Abstract
The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) assesses communication skills and social functioning in screening for symptoms of autism-spectrum disorder (ASD). The SCQ is recommended for individuals between 4 to 40 years with a cutoff score of 15 for referral. Mixed findings have been reported regarding the recommended cutoff score’s ability to accurately classify an individual as at-risk for ASD (sensitivity) versus an individual as not at-risk for ASD (specificity). Based on a sample from the National Database for Autism Research (n=344; age: 1.58 to 25.92 years old), the present study examined the SCQ’s sensitivity versus specificity across a range of ages. We recommend that the cutoff scores for the SCQ be re-evaluated with age as a consideration.
Lay Abstract
The age neutrality of the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) was examined as a common screener for ASD. Mixed findings have been reported regarding the recommended cutoff score’s ability to accurately classify an individual as at-risk for ASD (sensitivity) versus accurately classifying an individual as not at-risk for ASD (specificity). With a sample from the National Database for Autism Research, the present study examined the SCQ’s sensitivity versus specificity. Analyses indicated that the actual sensitivity and specificity scores were lower than initially reported by the creators of the SCQ. | 27/339 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
A Midsagittal-View Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of the Growth and Involution of the Adenoid Mass and Related Changes in Selected Velopharyngeal Structures | Purpose: The adenoids, or pharyngeal tonsils, consist of a pad of lymphoid tissue, located on the posterior pharyngeal wall of the nasopharynx. During childhood, the adenoid pad serves as a contact site for the soft palate to assist with velopharyngeal closure during oral speech. During adenoidal involution, most children are able to maintain appropriate velopharyngeal closure necessary for normal speech resonance. The purpose of this study is to determine age related trends of normal adenoid growth and involution from infancy through adulthood.
Methods/Description: Lateral view magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to analyze velopharyngeal variables among 270 participants, between 3 months and 34 years of age. The velopharyngeal measures of interest included velar length, effective velar length, pharyngeal depth, adenoid height, adenoid thickness, adenoid depth, and adenoid area. Participants were divided into four age groups for statistical comparison.
Results: There was a statistically significant difference (p<.05) in all linear and area measurements between the four age groups. Adenoid depth reached peak growth at age 4, whereas adenoid height and adenoid thickness peaked at 8 years of age. Qualitatively, adenoid growth progresses in an anterior and inferior direction whereas involution occurs in a posterior and superior direction.
Conclusions: This study contributes to the knowledge of time specific changes across an age span for adenoid growth and involution and presents a visualization of the shape and growth trends of adenoids. A new sequence of involution is reported beginning first with adenoid depth, followed by adenoid height at a slightly faster rate than adenoid thickness.
| 4/42 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
Effective Velopharyngeal Ratio: A More Clinically Relevant Measure of Velopharyngeal Function | Purpose: Velopharyngeal (VP) ratios are commonly used to study normal VP anatomy and normal VP function. An effective VP (EVP) ratio may be a more appropriate indicator of normal parameters for speech. The aims of this study are to examine if the VP ratio is preserved across the age span or if it varies with changes in the VP portal and to analyze if the EVP ratio is more stable across the age span.
Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to analyze VP variables of 270 participants. For statistical analysis, the participants were divided into the following groups based on age: infants, children, adolescents and adults. ANOVAs and a Games Howell Post Hoc Test were used to compare variables between groups.
Results: There was a statistically significant difference (p < .05) in all measurements between the age groups. Pairwise comparisons reported statistically significant adjacent group differences (p < .05) for velar length, VP ratio, effective velar length, adenoid depth, and pharyngeal depth. No statistically significant differences between adjacent age groups was reported for the EVP ratio.
Conclusions: Results from this study report the EVP ratio was not statistically significant between adjacent age groups, while the VP ratio was statistically significant between adjacent age groups. This study suggests that the EVP ratio is more correlated to VP function than the VP ratio and provides a more stable and consistent ratio of VP function across the age span.
| 4/42 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |
Growth Effects on Velopharyngeal Anatomy From Childhood to Adulthood | Purpose: The observed sexual dimorphism of velopharyngeal structures among adult populations has not been observed in the young child (4- to 9-year-old) population. The purpose of this study was to examine the age at which sexual dimorphism of velopharyngeal structures become apparent and to examine how growth trends vary between boys and girls.
Method: Static 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging velopharyngeal data were collected among 202 participants
ranging from 4 to 21 years of age. Participants were divided into 3 groups based on age, including Group 1: 4–10 years of age, Group 2: 11–17 years of age, and Group 3: 18–21 years of age. Nine velopharyngeal measures were obtained and compared between groups.
Results: Significant sex effects were evident for levator length (p = .011), origin to origin (p = .018), and velopharyngeal ratio
(p = .036) for those in Group 2 (11–17 years of age). Sex effects became increasingly apparent with age, with 7 of 9 variables becoming significantly different between male and female participants in Group 3. Boys, in general, displayed a delayed growth peak in velopharyngeal growth compared to girls.
Conclusion: Results from this study demonstrate the growth of velopharyngeal anatomy with sexual dimorphism becoming apparent predominantly after 18 years of age. However, velopharyngeal variables displayed variable growth trends with some variables presenting sexual dimorphism at an earlier age compared to other velopharyngeal variables. | 4/42 | Secondary Analysis | Shared |