摘要

The present study assessed the impact of sample size on the power and fit of structural equation modeling applied to functional brain connectivity hypotheses. The data consisted of time-constrained minimum norm estimates of regional brain activity during performance of a reading task obtained with magnetoencephalography. Power analysis was first conducted for an autoregressive model with 5 latent variables (brain regions), each defined by 3 indicators (successive activity time bins). A series of simulations were then run by generating data from an existing pool of 51 typical readers (aged 7.5-12.5 years). Sample sizes ranged between 20 and 1,000 participants and for each sample size 1,000 replications were run. Results were evaluated using chi-square Type I errors, model convergence, mean RMSEA (root mean square error of approximation) values, confidence intervals of the RMSEA, structural path stability, and D-Fit index values. Results suggested that 70 to 80 participants were adequate to model relationships reflecting close to not so close fit as per MacCallum et al.%26apos;s recommendations. Sample sizes of 50 participants were associated with satisfactory fit. It is concluded that structural equation modeling is a viable methodology to model complex regional interdependencies in brain activation in pediatric populations.

  • 出版日期2014-10