Platelet MAO activity and psychosis proneness in college students

A population of individuals potentially at risk for psychiatric disorders was identified by screening 633 college students using the Wisconsin Scales for psychosis proneness. Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was measured in high-scoring individuals and controls using 14C-benzylamine. Males with deviant scores on the Perceptual Aberration-Magical Ideation Scale showed a bimodal distribution of platelet MAO activity. Kinetic analysis of platelets from probands with the highest and lowest levels of MAO activity in this group revealed differences in Vmax but not in Km. Since abnormal platelet MAO activity has been linked to psychiatric vulnerability, the results provide further support for the validity of the Wisconsin Scales as predictors of psychopathology.