Prevalence and score of minor physical anomalies in patients with schizophrenia and their first degree relatives: a Tunisian study

Abstract

Minor physical anomalies (MPAs) have been consistently reported to be more frequent in schizophrenia subjects. Limited research has been conducted on these anomalies among biological relatives of patients with schizophrenia. The aims of this study were to investigate the MPAs in a Tunisian population: subjects with schizophrenia, their healthy siblings and control subjects. This study hypothesized that the mean MPAs score would be greater in patients than controls and that siblings would have intermediate scores. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that MPAs scores would be associated with negative and disorganised symptoms of schizophrenia.

Methods: We assessed 93 subjects with schizophrenia, 59 of their healthy siblings and 71 healthy controls, matched on gender and age. MPAs were assessed through use of a standardized scale derived from the Waldrop Scale [D. Gourion, G. Viot, C. Goldberger, M. Cartier, M.C. Bourdel, M.F. Poirier, J.P. Olié, H. Lôo, M.O. Krebs, 2001. French validation of a Minor Morphologic Anomalies Scale in schizophrenic patients and their parents. Encephale 27, 143-147]. The schizophrenia psychopathology was evaluated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S).

Results: Subjects with schizophrenia showed significantly higher MPAs score than siblings (4.6 ± 2.8 vs. 3.0 ± 2.1, p<0.0001) and controls groups: 1.9 ± 1.5 (p<0.0001). Siblings had significantly higher score than control subjects (p=0.02). MPAs were correlated negatively with age of onset of the disease, and age of first hospitalisation, and positively with number of hospitalisations. Positive correlations were found between MPAs and PANSS total score, PANSS negative sub-score and CGI-S score.

Comments: Results of this study showed that MPAs are more frequent in subjects with schizophrenia and their siblings compared to control subjects. Positive correlations were found between MPAs, age of onset, severity of illness, and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, suggesting that those anomalies are correlated to severe form of schizophrenia.