Evaluating the Viability of Neurocognition as a Transdiagnostic Construct Using Both Latent Variable Models and Network Analysis

Hana May Eadeh, Kristian E. Markon, Joel T. Nigg, Molly A. Nikolas

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

The relational structure of psychological symptoms and disorders is of crucial importance to mechanistic and causal research. Methodologically, factor analytic approaches (latent variable modeling) and network analyses are two dominant approaches. Amidst some debate about their relative merits, use of both methods simultaneously in the same data set has rarely been reported in child or adolescent psychopathology. A second issue is that the nosological structure can be enriched by inclusion of transdiagnostic constructs, such as neurocognition (e.g., executive functions and other processes). These cut across traditional diagnostic boundaries and are rarely included even though they can help map the mechanistic architecture of psychopathology. Using a sample enriched for ADHD (n = 498 youth ages 6 to 17 years; M = 10.8 years, SD = 2.3 years, 55% male), both approaches were used in two ways: (a) to model symptom structure and (b) to model seven neurocognitive domains hypothesized as important transdiagnostic features in ADHD and associated disorders. The structure of psychopathology domains was similar across statistical approaches with internalizing, externalizing, and neurocognitive performance clusters. Neurocognition remained a distinct domain according to both methods, showing small to moderate associations with internalizing and externalizing domains in latent variable models and high connectivity in network analyses. Overall, the latent variable and network approaches yielded more convergent than discriminant findings, suggesting that both may be complementary tools for evaluating the utility of transdiagnostic constructs for psychopathology research.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)697-710
Number of pages14
JournalResearch on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
Volume49
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2021

Keywords

  • ADHD
  • Bifactor
  • Network analysis
  • Neurocognition
  • p-factor

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Evaluating the Viability of Neurocognition as a Transdiagnostic Construct Using Both Latent Variable Models and Network Analysis'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this