Statistical modeling of sensitive period effects using the structured life course modelling approach (SLCMA)

Smith, Brooke J.; Smith, Andrew D.A.C.; Dunn, Erin C.

Abstract

Sensitive periods are times during development when life experiences can have a greater impact on outcomes than at other periods during the life course. However, a dearth of sophisticated methods for studying time-dependent exposure-outcome relationships means that sensitive periods are often overlooked in research studies in favor of more simplistic and easier-to-use hypotheses such as ever being exposed, or the effect of an exposure accumulated over time. The structured life course modeling approach (SLCMA; pronounced “slick-mah”) allows researchers to model complex life course hypotheses, such as sensitive periods, to determine which hypothesis best explains the amount of variation between a repeated exposure and an outcome. The SLCMA makes use of the least angle regression (LARS) variable selection technique, a type of least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) estimation procedure, to yield a parsimonious model for the exposure-outcome relationship of interest. The results of the LARS procedure are complemented with a post-selection inference method, called selective inference, which provides unbiased effect estimates, confidence intervals, and p-values for the final explanatory model. In this chapter, we provide a brief overview of the genesis of this sensitive period modeling approach and provide a didactic step-by-step user’s guide to implement the SLCMA in sensitive- period research. R code to complete the SLCMA is available on our GitHub page at: https://github.com/thedunnlab/SLCMA-pipeline.

• Online Publication Date: Apr 23, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022
• Deposit Date: Apr 28, 2022
• Publisher: Springer
• Pages: 215-234
• Series Title: Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences
• Series Number: CTBN, Volume 53
• Series ISSN: 1866-3389; 1866-3370
• Edition: 1st
• Book Title: Sensitive Periods of Brain Development and Preventive Interventions
• Chapter Number: 9
• ISBN: 978-3-031-04472-4
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2021_280
• Keywords: ALSPAC, Childhood adversity, Life course modeling, Sensitive periods, SLCMA
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/9425823
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/7854_2021_280
• Related Public URLs: https://www.springer.com/series/7854