The Relations Among Putative Biorisk Markers in Schizotypal Adolescents: Minor Physical Anomalies, Movement Abnormalities, and Salivary Cortisol

Vijay A. Mittal*, Shivali Dhruv, Kevin D. Tessner, Deborah J. Walder, Elaine F. Walker

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

83 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Evidence suggests that prenatal insult may play a role in the etiology of psychotic disorders. Minor physical anomalies (MPA) are an indicator of abnormal fetal development and are elevated in individuals at genetic and behavioral risk for psychosis. Yet, there has been little empirical research on the relationships between MPAs and other neurobiological risk indicators. We hypothesized that the frequency of MPAs (an external marker of prenatal central nervous system [CNS] disruption) would be associated with two other biomarkers suggestive of disruptions in fetal neurodevelopment: movement abnormalities (an indicator of striatal abnormalities) and heightened cortisol secretion (an indicator of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal [HPA]/hippocampal function). Methods: Participants with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD; n = 39) and both normal (n = 47) and other personality disorders (n = 28) control subjects were administered structured diagnostic interviews and assessed for MPAs, movement abnormalities, and salivary cortisol. Results: Schizotypal personality disorder participants showed significantly greater MPAs and movement abnormalities and higher cortisol than both the normal and other personality disorders groups. Hierarchal linear regression analyses revealed that higher rates of MPAs were linked with greater movement abnormalities and salivary cortisol. Conclusions: The findings suggest that MPAs serve as a marker of neurodevelopmental abnormalities that affect striatal and hippocampal regions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1179-1186
Number of pages8
JournalBiological psychiatry
Volume61
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - May 15 2007

Funding

This research was supported by Grant # RO1 MH4062066 awarded to EFW by the National Institute of Mental Health.

Keywords

  • Cortisol
  • MPA
  • minor physical anomalies
  • movement abnormality
  • prodromal
  • schizotypal

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biological Psychiatry

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