Comparison of the Schizotypal Features of First-Degree Relatives of Schizophrenic Patients with Those of Healthy Controls

Background: We aimed to compare the schizotypal features of first-degree relatives of schizophrenic patients with those of healthy controls. Methods: Ninety-six first-degree relatives of schizophrenic patients without any psychiatric diagnosis (Group 1) and 98 healthy controls without any history of psychiatric diagnosis and family history (Group 2) were recruited to the study. The subjects were requested to fill out all four scales: The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, Physical Anhedonia Scale, Perceptual Aberration Scale and the Magical Ideation Scale.Results: Physical Anhedonia and Perceptual Aberration scores in Group 1 were significantly higher. Additionally, scores of ideas of reference, social anxiety, unusual perceptual experiences, no close friends, constricted affect subscales were significantly higher than those of Group 2. Scores of cognitive perceptual schizotypy and interpersonal schizotypy were higher in Group 1, whereas scores of disorganized schizotypy did not differ between the two groups. Both positive and negative schizotypy scores were significantly higher in Group 1 than in Group 2. Discussion: This study supports that higher score in the Physical Anhedonia and Magical Ideation scales and higher cognitive-perceptual schizotypy and interpersonal schizotypy scores in relatives of patients might be related to familial and genetic features of schizophrenia. In this study, it is supported that the disorganization dimension is not associated with familial or genetic feature in schizophrenia. (Archives of Neuropsychiatry 2012; 49: 266-271)