Adaptive and maladaptive correlates of repetitive behavior and restricted interests in persons with down syndrome and developmentally-matched typical children: a two-year longitudinal sequential design.

David W Evans,Mylissa M Slane,F Lee Kleinpeter,K B Boomer,Karen Lidzba

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093951

David W Evans, Mylissa M Slane + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0093951

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Abstract

We examined the course of repetitive behavior and restricted interests (RBRI) in children with and without Down syndrome (DS) over a two-year time period. Forty-two typically-developing children and 43 persons with DS represented two mental age (MA) levels: “younger” 2–4 years; “older” 5–11 years. For typically developing younger children some aspects of RBRI increased from Time 1 to Time 2. In older children, these aspects remained stable or decreased over the two-year period. For participants with DS, RBRI remained stable or increased over time. Time 1 RBRI predicted Time 2 adaptive behavior (measured by the Vineland Scales) in typically developing children, whereas for participants with DS, Time 1 RBRI predicted poor adaptive outcome (Child Behavior Checklist) at Time 2. The results add to the body of literature examining the adaptive and maladaptive nature of repetitive behavior.

Highlights

Diverse neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders share many features in their respective behavioral phenotypes, and even their possible underlying genotypes [1]
The first set of analyses examines the stability of the Childhood Routines Inventory. (CRI) variables as well as the Vineland and Child Behavior Checklist. (CBCL) scales across the two time periods
None of the Vineland scales were correlated across T1 and T2 but both the Internalizing and Externalizing CBCL scales were positively correlated from T1 to T2. (For this mental age (MA) Level, not all CBCL narrow band scales are directly comparable from T1 to T2 since the CBCL has two slightly different versions for preschool and school age children)

Summary

Introduction

Diverse neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders share many features in their respective behavioral phenotypes, and even their possible underlying genotypes [1]. Sharp boundaries have historically divided the study of normative and pathological behavior, but developmental psychologists have long noted the benefit of a continuous approach to development and psychopathology [2,3,4]. Such approaches rely on quantitative measures that capture the clinical severity of a given class of behaviors while maintaining sufficient sensitivity so as to examine their distribution in the general population. In this study we examine the similarities and differences in repetitive behaviors and restricted interests (RBRI) in typically developing children and children with Down syndrome (DS). We highlight both the normative nature of RBRI, and important differences in the functions and developmental trajectory of RBRI in typically-developing (TD) children and children with a genetically-distinct subtype of intellectual disability – Down syndrome

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