title: Dermatoglyphic anomalies in psychometrically identified schizotypic young adults.
abstract: Dermatoglyphic anomalies are hypothesized to indicate disruptions in the second trimester of prenatal development, a time period that appears to be critical in the etiology of schizophrenia. The present study examined the presence of dermatoglyphic anomalies in psychometrically identified schizotypic young adults (n = 51) and control participants (n = 63) selected based upon their scores on the Perceptual Aberration [J. Abnorm. Psychology 87 (1978) 399] and Magical Ideation Scales [J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 51 (1983) 215]. It was hypothesized that schizotypic participants would exhibit higher rates of dermatoglyphic anomalies than control participants. The Perceptual Aberration-Magical Ideation group exhibited lower total and absolute finger ridge counts and less complex pattern types than control participants--findings consistent with anomalies reported in patients with schizophrenia. These findings encourage future examination of these anomalies in individuals at-risk for schizophrenia and related disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, P.O. Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA. jtchok@uncg.edu
authors.forename: James T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Chok
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Kwapil
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scheuermann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003878:Dermatoglyphics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology