Craniofacial dysmorphology in Swedish schizophrenia patients.
OBJECTIVE
To perform detailed assessments of craniofacial dysmorphology in individuals with schizophrenia and controls in Sweden, in order to further elucidate the neurodevelopmental origins of schizophrenia.


METHODS
We performed detailed, anthropometric assessments of craniofacial dysmorphology in male patients with schizophrenia (n=24), healthy controls (n=16), and patients' siblings with schizophrenia (n=2) in Sweden, while remaining as blind as possible to schizophrenia/control status.


RESULTS
Individuals with schizophrenia evidenced significantly more craniofacial dysmorphology than controls, especially in the ears and mouth. At a group level, there was a dose-response type relationship between total dysmorphology score and patient/control status.


CONCLUSIONS
The consistency of results across multiple studies supports the hypothesis that individuals with schizophrenia have increased rates of prenatal developmental disturbances. The presence of a dose-response type relationship between total dysmorphology score and patient/control status supports the importance of neurodevelopmental disturbance as a contributory cause of schizophrenia.
Kelly
B D
BD
Stanley Research Unit, St John of God Psychiatric Service, Stillorgan, Co Dublin, Ireland.
Lane
A
A
Agartz
I
I
Henriksson
K M
KM
McNeil
T F
TF
D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D019465:Craniofacial Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs