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Fluctuating dermatoglyphic asymmetry in psychotic twins
1Dept. of Zoology, Arizona State University, Tempe 85287.
Psychiatry Research
|July 1, 1989
Summary
Greater fluctuating asymmetry in finger ridge counts was observed in twins with schizophrenia, suggesting increased prenatal developmental instability in individuals with higher genetic liability for this complex disorder.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Genetics
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in bilateral traits indicates prenatal developmental instability.
- Increased FA is linked to homozygous genotypes and higher genetic liability.
- Schizophrenia is a complex disorder with a polygenic basis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between genetic liability for schizophrenia and FA.
- To test if greater liability for schizophrenia in concordant twins correlates with higher FA compared to discordant twins.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of fluctuating asymmetry in finger ridge counts from fingerprints.
- Comparison of asymmetry between concordant (both twins affected) and discordant (one twin affected) twin pairs for schizophrenia.
Main Results:
- Twin pairs concordant for schizophrenia exhibited greater FA in finger ridge counts than discordant pairs.
- This finding supports the prediction that higher genetic liability for schizophrenia is associated with increased prenatal developmental instability.
Conclusions:
- The study provides indirect evidence for polygenic transmission in schizophrenia.
- Results suggest a role for prenatal epigenetic vulnerability in the development of schizophrenia.