Refraction and eye anterior segment parameters in schizophrenic patients

To evaluate the difference in terms of refractive errors and anterior segment parameters between schizophrenic patients and healthy volunteers.

This study compared 70 patients (48 men) who were diagnosed with schizophrenia with a control group of 60 (35 men) who were similar in terms of age, gender, education, and socioeconomic level. Anterior segment examination was performed using a Scheimflug system. Axial length and lens thickness (LT) were measured using optic biometry. The following tests were administered to the psychiatric patient group: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), and Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS).

Mild myopia was detected in both the schizophrenic and control groups, with no statistically significant difference (p>0.005). Corneal volume (CV), anterior chamber volume (ACV), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and central corneal thickness (CCT) values were lower in the schizophrenic group, and there was a statistically significant between-group difference (p=0.026, p=0.014, p=0.048, and p=0.005, respectively). LT was greater in schizophrenics, and the difference was found to be statistically significant (p=0.006). A statistically significant negative correlation was found between SAPS and cylinder values (p=0.008). The axial eye length, cylinder value, pupil diameter, mean keratometric value, and anterior chamber angle revealed no statistically significant difference between the groups (p>0.05).

No statistically significant difference was detected in terms of refraction disorders between schizophrenics and the healthy control group, while some differences in anterior chamber parameters were present. These results demonstrate that schizophrenics may exhibit clinical and structural differences in the eye.