Minor Physical Anomalies in Schizophrenia

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the value of using physical anomalies (PAs) to evaluate early prenatal injury in schizophrenia. PAs are minor abnormalities in development of the head, hands, and feet that are presumably associated with insult during the first trimester. Sixty-seven schizophrenic inpatients and 88 normal controls were evaluated for PAs. The schizophrenic patients showed significantly more anomalies than the controls. The difference remained significant even when patients were compared to controls of low socioeconomic status. Both male and female patients showed a high incidence of mouth abnormalities, and female patients showed a high incidence of abnormalities in head circumference. Patients with early age of onset (less than or equal to 18 years) had more physical anomalies than did later onset patients. This relationship was most noticeable for males. Physical anomalies were not associated with deficits on measures of vigilance, selective attention, or orientation.

Dissecting the genetic complexity of schizophrenia

“…Recent studies have started providing additional information regardmental retardation were also prevalent. This study extends previous studies that have reported an neurological disorders is known to arise from the expansion of trinucleotide repeats between generations increased prevalence of certain minor physical abnormalities in schizophrenic patients [22][23][24][25] and suggests of affected individuals. 150 The evidence for dominant inheritance and anticipation, the apparent prevalence that other microdeletions (among other potential etiologies) may be causing the dysmorphic features of dominant genes in schizophrenia as well as the high frequency of human brain genes containing trinucleoidentified.…”

The neurodevelopmental basis of sex differences in schizophrenia

“…Green et al (1989) found that males with poor pre-morbid functioning were particularly likely to exhibit dysmorphic features, while Waddington et al (1990) reported an association between such anomalies and male sex, cognitive dysfunction, and obstetric complications.…”

Neurodevelopmental risk factors in schizophrenia

“…Several neurological disorders like epilepsy, mental retardation and learning disabilities are associated with the presence of these anomalies. Studies comparing schizophrenic patients with normal controls also found an excess of MPAs in schizophrenics (15,16). In a study correlating MPAs with Wechsler Scale performance a strong correlation of MPAs with lower verbal IQ and poor premorbid adjustment was observed (16).…”

“…Green et al (15), in a non-controlled study, found MPAs associated with early onset of illness (before age 18). A later study comparing patients with schizophrenic and bipolar disease and family controls found increased prevalence of MPAs among schizophrenic patients, confirming previous associations of these markers with earlier age of onset and lower premorbid adjustment.…”

“…MPA found in the cephalic area, hands, and feet can indicate a neurodevelopmental problem dating back to the first gestational quarter. DM consists of digital and palmar line alterations and indicates second-trimester developmental problems (13)(14)(15)(16)(17).…”