Development and temporal organization of repetitive behavior in an animal model

Despite repetitive behaviors being a common feature of a number of clinical disorders and ubiquitous in normative development, little attention has been given to their ontogeny or temporal dynamics. We characterized these features in a mouse model of repetitive behavior to identify discrete trajectories of development and developmental changes in temporal dynamics. Three qualitatively distinct trajectory groups were identified which allowed for an examination of the interaction between temporal organization and developmental trajectory. Significant differences in temporal dynamics were found across development and among trajectory groups. Significant interactions of trajectory group and developmental period on temporal organization were also found. The combination of group-based trajectory modeling and a novel method for analysis and graphic depiction of temporal organization allowed for the exploration of the interplay between these two fundamental behavioral processes. Such methods may be useful tools in the assessment and treatment of repetitive behavior in clinical populations.