Network Analysis of Behaviors in the Depression and Autism Realms: Inter-Relationships and Clinical Implications

J Autism Dev Disord. 2020 May;50(5):1580-1595. doi: 10.1007/s10803-019-03914-4.

Abstract

Depression-, anxiety-, OCD- and autism-related behaviors were assessed in 118 high-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and in 2016 controls. The ASD group had a higher rate of clinical depression and markedly higher "insomnia" and "restlessness" scores. Network analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis in the ASD group revealed that depression and anxiety items clustered together, but separately from autism-related items. Compared to controls, "insomnia" and "restlessness" items in the ASD network of depression items were much more central (higher closeness, and betweenness centrality). Combined networks of depression-, anxiety-, and OCD-related items revealed that the control group depression item module was not preserved in ASD. The results indicate that depression is atypical in autism and suggest specific intervention targets.

Keywords: Anxiety; Autism spectrum disorder; Clustering analysis; Depression; Gaussian graphical modeling; Module preservation analysis; Network analysis.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Anxiety / diagnosis*
  • Anxiety / epidemiology
  • Anxiety / psychology
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / epidemiology
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / psychology
  • Child
  • Data Analysis*
  • Depression / diagnosis*
  • Depression / epidemiology
  • Depression / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Prospective Studies
  • Psychomotor Agitation / diagnosis*
  • Psychomotor Agitation / epidemiology
  • Psychomotor Agitation / psychology
  • Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / epidemiology
  • Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / psychology