Fingertip Pattern in Schizophrenic Patients: A Dermatoglyphics Study

Introduction: Association of dermatoglyphics with innumerable physical, behavioral, and pathological traits is studied recently. In this study, we have attempted to evaluate fingertip pattern in schizophrenic patients. Methods: The rolled fingertip prints of 100 schizophrenic patients of both the sexes (50 males and 50 females) clinically diagnosed under DSM-III-R criteria aged between 15 and 65 years were collected for the study from the Department of Psychiatry, Government General Hospital, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh from September 2009 to July 2010. These fingertip patterns were compared with age-and sex-matched 100 controls selected from teaching and non-teaching staff and students of same teaching hospital. Results: There was a decrease in the percentage of arch patterns in schizophrenics when compared with controls. There was a decrease in the percentage of ulnar loops in schizophrenics when compared with controls. There was no much difference in the percentage of radial loops in schizophrenics when compared with controls. However, whorl patterns are found to be of higher percentage in schizophrenics when compared to controls. Conclusion: In our study, we have noted that schizophrenic patients have a particular pattern of epidermal ridges with lower frequencies of arches, ulnar loops, and higher frequency of whorls. The clinical use of such data has to be validated in the days to come.