Severity of Minor Physical Anomalies as a Possible Trait Marker in Schizophrenia

Ob-jec-ti-ve: To investigate, 1- whether siblings of patients with schizophrenia had higher minor physical anomalies (MPAs) than controls, 2- whether symptom ratings were associated with MPAs in patients with schizophrenia.Met-hods: The sample included 38 subjects with schizophrenia, their 34 unaffected siblings and 38 healthy controls. Semi-structured interview was used to make schizophrenia diagnosis and screen other DSM-IV disorders. Patients with substance abuse, affective psychosis and head trauma were excluded from the study. Siblings and healthy controls with DSM-IV Axis I diagnosis were excluded from the study. Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANNS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) to evaluate psychotic, depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Waldrop scale was used to assess MPAs.Re-sults: PANNS, BDI, BAI and Waldrop scores were significantly higher in the schizophrenia group when compared with the siblings and the healthy control group. Waldrop score was higher in the siblings than healthy controls. PANNS, BDI and BAI scores were not significantly different in this two groups. PANNS, BDI and BAI scores were significantly correlated in the healthy controls but not in the schizophrenia and the siblings group. Discussion: In a more homogeneous sample consisting only of unaffected siblings; our results showed that patients with schizophrenia had higher MPAs then their siblings who had higher MPAs then healthy controls. These results argue in favor of MPAs as risk markers for schizophrenia. (Arc-hi-ves of Neu-ropsy-chi-atry 2012; 49: 188-191)