Measuring wellness change in undergraduate students.

STUDY PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to establish if the Holistic Wellness Assessment (HWA) can detect intra-individual changes following a 12-week undergraduate course in holistic wellness (N = 235). METHODS: A single-group pretest post-test non-experimental design was used to evaluate changes in the eight HWA factors; concurrent collection of demographic variables enabled a limited moderation analysis. RESULTS: Dependent t-tests adjusted for a false discovery rate revealed significant changes in six of the eight HWA factors indicating curriculum sensitivity in these HWA factors. CONCLUSIONS: Interpretations are offered at the HWA factor level that discuss relationships between curriculum activities and student artifacts with changes in factor and item responses over time. Using the HWA as a pre/post-test instrument helps instructors and students evaluate the changes that have been made as a result of the curriculum.

Associations of polygenic risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with general and specific dimensions of childhood psychological problems and facets of impulsivity.

A polygenic risk score (PRS) for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been found to be associated with ADHD in multiple studies, but also with many other dimensions of problems. Little is known, however, about the processes underlying these transdiagnostic associations. Using data from the baseline and 1-year follow-up assessments of 9- to 10-year-old children in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development™ (ABCD©) Study, associations were assessed between an ADHD PRS and both general and specific factors of psychological problems defined in bifactor modeling. Additionally, prospective mediated paths were tested from the ADHD PRS to dimensions of problems in the follow-up assessment through baseline measures of executive functioning (EF) and two facets of impulsivity: lower perseverance and greater impulsiveness in the presence of surgent positive emotions. Previous findings of modest but significant direct associations of the ADHD PRS with the general factor of psychological problems were replicated in both assessments in 4,483 children of European ancestry. In addition, significant statistical mediation was found from the ADHD PRS to the general factor, specific ADHD, and conduct problems in the follow-up assessment through each of the two facets of impulsivity. In contrast, EF did not statistically mediate associations between the ADHD PRS and psychological problems. These results suggest that polygenic risk transdiagnostically influences both psychological problems and facets of impulsivity, perhaps partly through indirect pathways via facets of impulsivity.

Variations in 2-Minute Walk Test outcomes for people with lower limb amputation in the outpatient clinic and research settings.

BACKGROUND: This study determined the differences in 2-Minute Walk Test (2MWT) distances between people with lower limb amputations in clinical and research settings and described variations in test administration in various clinical settings. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective Cross-sectional design. METHODS: The 2MWT for 290 patients with lower limb amputations were obtained from a medium-sized prosthetic company with locations within the central United States. Data on 12 prosthetists' 2MWT administration decisions were obtained from the results of an administrative questionnaire. Patient 2MWT distances were compared with published distances. Multiple regression was used to examine the impact of test settings on 2MWT outcomes. Descriptive statistics were used to present prosthetists' variations in test administration. RESULTS: Clinical 2MWT distances were significantly less than distances obtained in a research setting. Clinical facilities reported inconsistent path dimensions and potential obstacles in proximity to the test area. Variations in test administration by prosthetists with respect to path length, instructions, turn marker, and overage measurement may contribute to the differences. CONCLUSIONS: Prosthetists should be aware that comparisons of patients' 2MWT distance in a clinical environment may differ from published results. Although variations in clinical environments are usually nonmodifiable characteristics of the clinical facility, test administration and scoring could be modified.

Direct and Indirect Associations of Widespread Individual Differences in Brain White Matter Microstructure With Executive Functioning and General and Specific Dimensions of Psychopathology in Children.

BACKGROUND: Executive functions (EFs) are important partly because they are associated with risk for psychopathology and substance use problems. Because EFs have been linked to white matter microstructure, we tested the prediction that fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) in white matter tracts are associated with EFs and dimensions of psychopathology in children younger than the age of widespread psychoactive substance use. METHODS: Parent symptom ratings, EF test scores, and diffusion tensor parameters from 8588 9- to 10-year-olds in the ABCD Study (Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study) were used. RESULTS: A latent factor derived from EF test scores was significantly associated with specific conduct problems and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder problems, with dimensions defined in a bifactor model. Furthermore, EFs were associated with FA and MD in 16 of 17 bilateral white matter tracts (range: ß = .05; SE = .17; through ß = -.31; SE = .06). Neither FA nor MD was directly associated with psychopathology, but there were significant indirect associations via EFs of both FA (range: ß = .01; SE = .01; through ß = -.09; SE = .02) and MD (range: ß = .01; SE = .01; through ß = .09; SE = .02) with both specific conduct problems and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in all tracts except the forceps minor. CONCLUSIONS: EFs in children are inversely associated with diffusion tensor imaging measures in nearly all tracts throughout the brain. Furthermore, variance in diffusion tensor measures that is shared with EFs is indirectly shared with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and conduct problems.

Dispositional Negative Emotionality in Childhood and Adolescence Predicts Structural Variation in the Amygdala and Caudal Anterior Cingulate During Early Adulthood: Theoretically and Empirically Based Tests.

Substantial evidence implicates the amygdala and related structures in the processing of negative emotions. Furthermore, neuroimaging evidence suggests that variations in amygdala volumes are related to trait-like individual differences in neuroticism/negative emotionality, although many questions remain about the nature of such associations. We conducted planned tests of the directional prediction that dispositional negative emotionality measured at 10-17 years using parent and youth ratings on the Child and Adolescent Dispositions Scale (CADS) would predict larger volumes of the amygdala in adulthood and conducted exploratory tests of associations with other regions implicated in emotion processing. Participants were 433 twins strategically selected for neuroimaging during wave 2 from wave 1 of the Tennessee Twins Study (TTS) by oversampling on internalizing and/or externalizing psychopathology risk. Controlling for age, sex, race-ethnicity, handedness, scanner, and total brain volume, youth-rated negative emotionality positively predicted bilateral amygdala volumes after correction for multiple testing. Each unit difference of one standard deviation (SD) in negative emotionality was associated with a .12 SD unit difference in larger volumes of both amygdalae. Parent-rated negative emotionality predicted greater thickness of the left caudal/dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ß = 0.28). Associations of brain structure with negative emotionality were not moderated by sex. These results are striking because dispositions assessed at 10-17 years of age were predictive of grey matter volumes measured 12-13 years later in adulthood. Future longitudinal studies should examine the timing of amygdala/cingulate associations with dispositional negative emotionality to determine when these associations emerge during development.

Correction to Moore et al. (2020).

Reports an error in "Criterion validity and relationships between alternative hierarchical dimensional models of general and specific psychopathology" by Tyler M. Moore, Antonia N. Kaczkurkin, E. Leighton Durham, Hee Jung Jeong, Malerie G. McDowell, Randolph M. Dupont, Brooks Applegate, Jennifer L. Tackett, Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez, Omid Kardan, Gaby N. Akcelik, Andrew J. Stier, Monica D. Rosenberg, Donald Hedeker, Marc G. Berman and Benjamin B. Lahey (Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Advanced Online Publication, Jul 16, 2020, np). In the article (http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/abn0000601), an acknowledgment is missing from the author note. The missing acknowledgement is included in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2020-50590-001.) Psychopathology can be viewed as a hierarchy of correlated dimensions. Many studies have supported this conceptualization, but they have used alternative statistical models with differing interpretations. In bifactor models, every symptom loads on both the general factor and 1 specific factor (e.g., internalizing), which partitions the total explained variance in each symptom between these orthogonal factors. In second-order models, symptoms load on one of several correlated lower-order factors. These lower-order factors load on a second-order general factor, which is defined by the variance shared by the lower-order factors. Thus, the factors in second-order models are not orthogonal. Choosing between these valid statistical models depends on the hypothesis being tested. Because bifactor models define orthogonal phenotypes with distinct sources of variance, they are optimal for studies of shared and unique associations of the dimensions of psychopathology with external variables putatively relevant to etiology and mechanisms. Concerns have been raised, however, about the reliability of the orthogonal specific factors in bifactor models. We evaluated this concern using parent symptom ratings of 9-10 year olds in the ABCD Study. Psychometric indices indicated that all factors in both bifactor and second-order models exhibited at least adequate construct reliability and estimated replicability. The factors defined in bifactor and second-order models were highly to moderately correlated across models, but have different interpretations. All factors in both models demonstrated significant associations with external criterion variables of theoretical and clinical importance, but the interpretation of such associations in second-order models was ambiguous due to shared variance among factors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Criterion validity and relationships between alternative hierarchical dimensional models of general and specific psychopathology.

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 129(7) of Journal of Abnormal Psychology (see record 2020-72912-001). In the article (http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/abn0000601), an acknowledgment is missing from the author note. The missing acknowledgement is included in the erratum.] Psychopathology can be viewed as a hierarchy of correlated dimensions. Many studies have supported this conceptualization, but they have used alternative statistical models with differing interpretations. In bifactor models, every symptom loads on both the general factor and 1 specific factor (e.g., internalizing), which partitions the total explained variance in each symptom between these orthogonal factors. In second-order models, symptoms load on one of several correlated lower-order factors. These lower-order factors load on a second-order general factor, which is defined by the variance shared by the lower-order factors. Thus, the factors in second-order models are not orthogonal. Choosing between these valid statistical models depends on the hypothesis being tested. Because bifactor models define orthogonal phenotypes with distinct sources of variance, they are optimal for studies of shared and unique associations of the dimensions of psychopathology with external variables putatively relevant to etiology and mechanisms. Concerns have been raised, however, about the reliability of the orthogonal specific factors in bifactor models. We evaluated this concern using parent symptom ratings of 9-10 year olds in the ABCD Study. Psychometric indices indicated that all factors in both bifactor and second-order models exhibited at least adequate construct reliability and estimated replicability. The factors defined in bifactor and second-order models were highly to moderately correlated across models, but have different interpretations. All factors in both models demonstrated significant associations with external criterion variables of theoretical and clinical importance, but the interpretation of such associations in second-order models was ambiguous due to shared variance among factors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Sex differences in associations of socioemotional dispositions measured in childhood and adolescence with brain white matter microstructure 12 years later.

Predictive associations were estimated between socioemotional dispositions measured at 10-17 years using the Child and Adolescent Dispositions Scale (CADS) and future individual differences in white matter microstructure measured at 22-31 years of age. Participants were 410 twins (48.3% monozygotic) selected for later neuroimaging by oversampling on risk for psychopathology from a representative sample of child and adolescent twins. Controlling for demographic covariates and total intracranial volume (TICV), each CADS disposition (negative emotionality, prosociality, and daring) rated by one of the informants (parent or youth) significantly predicted global fractional anisotropy (FA) averaged across the major white matter tracts in brain in adulthood, but did so through significant interactions with sex after false discovery rate (FDR) correction. In females, each 1 SD difference in greater parent-rated prosociality was associated with 0.43 SD greater FA (p < 0.0008). In males, each 1 SD difference in greater parent-rated daring was associated with 0.24 SD lower FA (p < 0.0008), and each 1 SD difference in greater youth-rated negative emotionality was associated with 0.18 SD greater average FA (p < 0.0040). These findings suggest that CADS dispositions are associated with FA, but associations differ by sex. Exploratory analyses suggest that FA may mediate the associations between dispositions and psychopathology in some cases. These associations over 12 years could reflect enduring brain-behavior associations in spite of transactions with the environment, but could equally reflect processes in which dispositional differences in behavior influence the development of white matter. Future longitudinal studies are needed to resolve the causal nature of these sex-moderated associations.

The Effectiveness of the DoD/VA Mobile Device Outcomes-Based Rehabilitation Program for High Functioning Service Members and Veterans with Lower Limb Amputation.

INTRODUCTION: The objective was to determine if the Mobile Device Outcomes-based Rehabilitation Program (MDORP) improved strength, mobility, and gait quality in service members (SMs) and Veterans with lower limb amputation (LLA). METHODS: Seven SMs and 10 Veterans with LLA enrolled and were trained to use a mobile sensor system, called Rehabilitative Lower Limb Orthopedic Analysis Device (ReLOAD). ReLOAD provided participants with real-time assessment of gait deviations, subsequent corrective audio feedback, and exercise prescription for normalizing gait at home and in the community. After baseline testing, prosthetic gait and exercise training, participants took ReLOAD home and completed an 8-week walking and home exercise program. Home visits were conducted every 2 weeks to review gait training and home exercises. RESULTS: Significant improvements in hip extensor strength, basic and high-level mobility, musculoskeletal endurance, and gait quality (P < 0.05) were found at the completion of the 8-week intervention. CONCLUSION: Preliminary MDORP results are promising in its ability to improve basic and high-level mobility, lower limb strength, and gait quality in a group of SMs and Veterans with LLA. In addition, "booster" prosthetic training may be justified in an effort helps maintain an active lifestyle, promotes prosthetic use, and mitigates secondary health effects.

Socioemotional dispositions of children and adolescents predict general and specific second-order factors of psychopathology in early adulthood: A 12-year prospective study.

We previously hypothesized that the ubiquitous, but patterned correlations among all dimensions of psychopathology reflect a hierarchy of progressively more nonspecific causal influences, with a general factor of psychopathology-also dubbed the p factor-reflecting the most transdiagnostic causal influences. We further hypothesized that the general factor is a manifestation of individual differences in 1 or more trait-like dispositions, particularly negative emotionality, that are nonspecifically associated with risk for essentially every dimension of psychopathology. We tested the hypothesis that this and other dispositions measured in childhood/adolescence significantly predict general and specific second-order dimensions of psychopathology in early adulthood. The latent general factor of psychopathology itself was correlated over time from 10-17 to 23-31 years of age even though it was defined by different informants and different dimensions of symptoms. Using a measure of dispositions that minimizes item contamination with psychopathology symptoms, parent-rated negative emotionality in childhood and adolescence predicted the general factor of psychopathology based on self-reported symptoms in early adulthood, whereas parent-rated daring predicted the specific adult externalizing psychopathology factor after correction for multiple tests. In addition, youth-rated negative emotionality and daring predicted specific adult externalizing psychopathology. These results over a span of 12 years suggests that the general factor is relatively stable over time and that associations of dispositional traits with second-order dimensions of psychopathology are enduring, sometimes across informants. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

White matter microstructure correlates of general and specific second-order factors of psychopathology.

Increasing data indicate that prevalent forms of psychopathology can be organized into second-order dimensions based on their correlations, including a general factor of psychopathology that explains the common variance among all disorders and specific second-order externalizing and internalizing factors. Nevertheless, most existing studies on the neural correlates of psychopathology employ case-control designs that treat diagnoses as independent categories, ignoring the highly correlated nature of psychopathology. Thus, for instance, although perturbations in white matter microstructure have been identified across a range of mental disorders, nearly all such studies used case-control designs, leaving it unclear whether observed relations reflect disorder-specific characteristics or transdiagnostic associations. Using a representative sample of 410 young adult twins oversampled for psychopathology risk, we tested the hypothesis that some previously observed relations between white matter microstructure properties in major tracts and specific disorders are related to second-order factors of psychopathology. We examined fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD). White matter correlates of all second-order factors were identified after controlling for multiple statistical tests, including the general factor (FA in the body of the corpus callosum), specific internalizing (AD in the fornix), and specific externalizing (AD in the splenium of the corpus callosum, sagittal stratum, anterior corona radiata, and internal capsule). These findings suggest that some features of white matter within specific tracts may be transdiagnostically associated multiple forms of psychopathology through second-order factors of psychopathology rather with than individual mental disorders.

The development and internal consistency of the comprehensive lower limb amputee socket survey in active lower limb amputees.

BACKGROUND:: Prosthetic socket fit is an important element associated with successful ambulation and use of a prosthesis. Prosthetists and rehabilitation clinicians would benefit from an assessment tool that discriminates between and quantifies the multiple determinants that influence the lower limb amputee's performance and satisfaction of a prosthetic socket. OBJECTIVES:: To determine the internal consistency of the comprehensive lower limb amputee socket survey, a new self-report measure of prosthetic socket satisfaction that quantifies suspension, stability, comfort, and appearance. STUDY DESIGN:: Cross-sectional sample of active amputees. METHODS:: Interviews were conducted with prosthetists, physical therapists, and lower limb amputees to identify clinical concerns and common activities influencing socket fit. An expert panel of five clinicians reviewed the items and constructed the original version of the comprehensive lower limb amputee socket survey which was then administered to a convenience sample of 47 active lower limb amputees. Item analysis and Cronbach's alpha were used to determine the final version of the comprehensive lower limb amputee socket survey. RESULTS:: Following item raw score-to-total score correlation with Cronbach's alpha for comprehensive lower limb amputee socket survey determinants, internal consistency improved when nine questions were eliminated. CONCLUSION:: The comprehensive lower limb amputee socket survey is a self-report measure of prosthetic socket satisfaction with very good internal consistency. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: When socket problems occur, the ability to determine the specific cause can reduce modification time, enhance socket fit, and promote patient satisfaction. A standardized multi-dimensional assessment measure of socket satisfaction enables prosthetists to quantify the multiple determinants of socket satisfaction, improve patient communication, and demonstrate the value of socket interventions.

Right Fronto-Subcortical White Matter Microstructure Predicts Cognitive Control Ability on the Go/No-go Task in a Community Sample.

Go/no-go tasks are widely used to index cognitive control. This construct has been linked to white matter microstructure in a circuit connecting the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), subthalamic nucleus (STN), and pre-supplementary motor area. However, the specificity of this association has not been tested. A general factor of white matter has been identified that is related to processing speed. Given the strong processing speed component in successful performance on the go/no-go task, this general factor could contribute to task performance, but the general factor has often not been accounted for in past studies of cognitive control. Further, studies on cognitive control have generally employed small unrepresentative case-control designs. The present study examined the relationship between go/no-go performance and white matter microstructure in a large community sample of 378 subjects that included participants with a range of both clinical and subclinical nonpsychotic psychopathology. We found that white matter microstructure properties in the right IFG-STN tract significantly predicted task performance, and remained significant after controlling for dimensional psychopathology. The general factor of white matter only reached statistical significance when controlling for dimensional psychopathology. Although the IFG-STN and general factor tracts were highly correlated, when both were included in the model, only the IFG-STN remained a significant predictor of performance. Overall, these findings suggest that while a general factor of white matter can be identified in a young community sample, white matter microstructure properties in the right IFG-STN tract show a specific relationship to cognitive control. The findings highlight the importance of examining both specific and general correlates of cognition, especially in tasks with a speeded component.

Measuring the hierarchical general factor model of psychopathology in young adults.

There is evidence that models of psychopathology specifying a general factor and specific second-order factors fit better than competing structural models. Nonetheless, additional tests are needed to examine the generality and boundaries of the general factor model. In a selected second wave of a cohort study, first-order dimensions of psychopathology symptoms in 499 23- to 31-year-old twins were analyzed. Using confirmatory factor analysis, a bifactor model specifying a general factor and specific internalizing and externalizing factors fit better than competing models. Factor loadings in this model were sex invariant despite greater variances in the specific internalizing factor among females and greater variances in the general and specific externalizing factors among males. The bifactor structure was robust to the exclusion of any single first-order dimension of psychopathology. Furthermore, the results were essentially unchanged when all overlapping symptoms that define multiple disorders were excluded from symptom dimensions. Furthermore, the best-fitting bifactor model also emerged in exploratory structural equation modeling with freely estimated cross-loadings. The general factor of psychopathology was robust across variations in measurement and analysis.

Prospective test of the developmental propensity model of antisocial behavior: from childhood and adolescence into early adulthood.

BACKGROUND: The developmental propensity model of antisocial behavior posits that several dispositional characteristics of children transact with the environment to influence the likelihood of learning antisocial behavior across development. Specifically, greater dispositional negative emotionality, greater daring, and lower prosociality-operationally, the inverse of callousness- and lower cognitive abilities are each predicted to increase risk for developing antisocial behavior. METHODS: Prospective tests of key predictions derived from the model were conducted in a high-risk sample of 499 twins who were assessed on dispositions at 10-17 years of age and assessed for antisocial personality disorder (APD) symptoms at 22-31 years of age. Predictions were tested separately for parent and youth informants on the dispositions using multiple regressions that adjusted for oversampling, nonresponse, and clustering within twin pairs, controlling demographic factors and time since the first assessment. RESULTS: Consistent with predictions, greater numbers of APD symptoms in adulthood were independently predicted over a 10-15 year span by higher youth ratings on negative emotionality and daring and lower youth ratings on prosociality, and by parent ratings of greater negative emotionality and lower prosociality. A measure of working memory did not predict APD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support future research on the role of these dispositions in the development of antisocial behavior.

Predictors of adolescent outcomes among 4-6-year-old children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Children who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with functional impairment in at least one setting at 4-6 years of age were followed prospectively through age 18 years. On average, the 125 children (107 boys) with ADHD at baseline improved over time, but still continued to exhibit more symptoms, functional impairment, and risky behavior through adolescence than demographically matched healthy comparison children. These findings support the predictive validity of the diagnosis of ADHD at younger ages by demonstrating that the symptoms and impairment are enduring. Nonetheless, there were marked variations in developmental outcomes. Among children with ADHD, higher numbers of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms and higher number of concurrent symptoms (oppositional, conduct disorder, anxiety, and depression) measured at baseline each predicted higher future levels of the same dimension of symptoms. In addition, higher baseline levels of inattention, oppositional, conduct disorder, and anxiety symptoms predicted greater future functional impairment. Among children with ADHD, girls and children from families with lower family incomes had relatively poorer outcomes. Although outcomes varied along a continuum, approximately 10% of the children with ADHD at 4-6 years could be classified as functioning in the normative range on multiple measures during 15-18 years. Although this finding awaits replication, lower levels of hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms at 4-6 years predicted more normative functioning during adolescence. These findings suggest that ADHD identified in early childhood predicts an increased likelihood of functional impairment through adolescence for most, but not all, children.

Holistic wellness assessment for young adults: psychometric analysis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop the Holistic Wellness Assessment (HWA) that incorporates conventional dimensions of wellness with a new dimension of wellness influencing young adults: financial wellness that is psychometrically sound and developmentally appropriate. DESIGN OF THE STUDY: The study design to establish the initial psychometrics of the HWA was the single-group design. The cross-sectional nature of this design allowed for the postclassification of the participants into different demographic groups facilitating comparisons of the instrument's derived subscales. METHOD: From 5,075 university students, 2,090 participants completed an online 285-item HWA and 2,086 respondents provided demographic information. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis of the HWA revealed eight dimensions: Self-Regard, Self-Awareness and Responsibility, Sustainability, Relational, Risk Prevention, Spirituality, Physical Health, and Health Care Maintenance. FINDINGS: Four of the eight factors were consistent with existing models of wellness. Three new dimensions of wellness- Self-Regard, Self-Awareness and Responsibility, and Sustainability-emerged from the comprehensive item set that included financial wellness and will set the stage for the development and expansion of wellness models and theories. CONCLUSION: Initial psychometric analysis suggests that this instrument may prove useful in the young adult population for measuring wellness awareness curriculum and behavior change outcomes.

Is there a general factor of prevalent psychopathology during adulthood?

The patterns of comorbidity among prevalent mental disorders in adults lead them to load on "externalizing," "distress," and "fears" factors. These factors are themselves robustly correlated, but little attention has been paid to this fact. As a first step in studying the implications of these interfactor correlations, we conducted confirmatory factor analyses on diagnoses of 11 prevalent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) mental disorders in a nationally representative sample. A model specifying correlated externalizing, distress, and fears factors fit well, but an alternative model was tested in which a "general" bifactor was added to capture what these disorders share in common. There was a modest but significant improvement in fit for the bifactor model relative to the 3-factor oblique model, with all disorders loading strongly on the bifactor. Tests of external validity revealed that the fears, distress, and externalizing factors were differentially associated with measures of functioning and potential risk factors. Nonetheless, the general bifactor accounted for significant independent variance in future psychopathology, functioning, and other criteria over and above the fears, distress, and externalizing factors. These findings support the hypothesis that these prevalent forms of psychopathology have both important common and unique features. Future studies should determine whether this is because they share elements of their etiology and neurobiological mechanisms. If so, the existence of common features across diverse forms of prevalent psychopathology could have important implications for understanding the nature, etiology, and outcomes of psychopathology.

Using confirmatory factor analysis to measure contemporaneous activation of defined neuronal networks in functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Functional neuroimaging often generates large amounts of data on regions of interest. Such data can be addressed effectively with a widely-used statistical technique based on measurement theory that has not yet been applied to neuroimaging. Confirmatory factor analysis is a convenient hypothesis-driven modeling environment that can be used to conduct formal statistical tests comparing alternative hypotheses regarding the elements of putative neuronal networks. In such models, measures of each activated region of interest are treated as indicators of an underlying latent construct that represents the contemporaneous activation of the elements in the network. As such, confirmatory factor analysis focuses analyses on the activation of hypothesized networks as a whole, improves statistical power by modeling measurement error, and provides a theory-based approach to data reduction with a robust statistical basis. This approach is illustrated using data on seven regions of interest in a hypothesized mesocorticostriatal reward system in a sample of 262 adult volunteers assessed during a card-guessing reward task. A latent construct reflecting contemporaneous activation of the reward system was found to be significantly associated with a latent construct measuring impulsivity, particularly in males.

Child and adolescent conduct disorder substantially shares genetic influences with three socioemotional dispositions.

In a representative sample of twin children and adolescents, we tested the hypothesis that a substantial proportion of the genetic and environmental influences underlying conduct disorder (CD) are shared with three socioemotional dispositions: Prosociality, Negative Emotionality, and Daring. Caretaker ratings of each dispositional dimension were uniquely associated with a latent CD dimension that included both caretaker- and youth-reports of CD as indicators. Behavior genetic analyses indicated that moderate-to-high additive genetic and moderate nonshared environmental influences underlie all three dispositions and CD, with modest shared environmental influences on Prosociality. Forty percent of the additive genetic influences and all of the nonshared environmental influences on the latent CD dimension were shared in common with the three socioemotional dispositions. The finding that CD shares a substantial proportion of its genetic influences with three distinct socioemotional dispositions suggests new perspectives on the heterogeneous etiology of CD and new approaches to exploring its specific etiological mechanisms.