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Distinct Symptom Network Structure and Shared Central Social Communication Symptomatology in Autism and Schizophrenia: A Bayesian Network Analysis

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Abstract

Autism (ASD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SCZ) are neurodevelopmental conditions with overlapping and interrelated symptoms. A network analysis approach that represents clinical conditions as a set of “nodes” (symptoms) connected by “edges” (relations among symptoms) was used to compare symptom organization in the two conditions. Gaussian graphical models were estimated using Bayesian methods to model separate symptom networks for adults with confirmed ASD or SCZ diagnoses. Though overall symptom organization differed by diagnostic group, both symptom networks demonstrated high centrality of social communication difficulties. Autism-relevant restricted and repetitive behaviors and schizophrenia-related cognitive-perceptual symptoms were uniquely central to the ASD and SCZ networks, respectively. Results offer recommendations to improve differential diagnosis and highlight potential treatment targets in ASD and SCZ.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the participants for partnering with us in research. We also thank the clinicians who assisted in clinical assessment of the participants in the study, including Julie Wolf, Brianna Lewis, Kimberly Ellison, and Ela Jarzabek.

Funding

This work received support from National Institute of Mental Health (Grant Nos. R01 MH107426, R01 MH119172, U19 MH108206), and Hilibrand Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Gloria T. Han, Dominic A. Trevisan, Vinod Srihari & James C. McPartland

  2. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

    Jennifer Foss-Feig

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  1. Gloria T. Han
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  2. Dominic A. Trevisan
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  3. Jennifer Foss-Feig
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  4. Vinod Srihari
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  5. James C. McPartland
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Contributions

GH conceptualized the current study, analyzed the data, and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. JF-F helped design and conceptualize the original study, assessed participants, and reviewed and edited the manuscript. VS was involved in participant recruitment and assessment, conceptualization of the study, and reviewed and edited the manuscript. JMP oversaw all aspects of the study, including study conceptualization, data collection, data analysis, and manuscript writing.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Gloria T. Han or James C. McPartland.

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Conflict of interest

 James C. McPartland consults with Customer Value Partners, Bridgebio, Determined Health, and Black Thorn Therapeutics, has received research funding from Janssen Research and Development, serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of Pastorus and Modern Clinics, and receives royalties from Guilford Press, Lambert, and Springer.

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Han, G.T., Trevisan, D.A., Foss-Feig, J. et al. Distinct Symptom Network Structure and Shared Central Social Communication Symptomatology in Autism and Schizophrenia: A Bayesian Network Analysis. J Autism Dev Disord 53, 3636–3647 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05620-0

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