Dermatoglyphics in female schizophrenia

Summary

Dermatoglyphic analysis was performed on the prints obtained from 82 schizophrenic female patients at Utica State Hospital. These were compared with those of a control population of 295 healthy white women. Discriminant analysis revealed that separation of the two groups on the basis of the dermatoglyphic features was possible with a level of discrimination of 82%. The individual features of the prints which appeared to contribute most importantly to this discrimination were: the occurrence of abnormal creases in 24% of the schizophrenic group as compared to 2.7% of the controls; an increased frequency in the number of arches on the fingers—10.4% of all schizophrenic fingerprints, versus 4.9% of controls; an increased number of individuals with one or more arches among the schizophrenics—32% against 18% among the controls; deficiency of the main line C of some degree among the schizophrenics; and a decreased frequency of radial loops on the index finger among the schizophrenics. Numerous other differences of lesser frequency were also noted.