精神分裂症患者
轻微身体异常(MPAs)是发育偏差的轻微症状。已有研究发现，在精神分裂患者中，MPAs频率有所升高。这些颅面部地区及四肢的较小形态异常在胎儿发育期间出现，并标志着精神分裂症的危险信号。大量实验证明，在精神分裂症患者身上比控制组被试身上更多地发现MPAs，并且，MPAs可能指示出潜在的精神分裂症的内在表型。未解决的问题有：相比较健康的控制者而言，MPAs是否在未患病的亲属中更常见；以及哪种具体的MPAs和精神分裂症联系最紧密。
中国科学院心理健康重点实验室神经心理学与应用认知神经科学实验室（NACN实验室）陈楚侨研究员的工作团队用元分析的方法，量化定义精神分裂症患者和健康者之间MPAs的差异量级，并试图确定较之于患者和控制组，MPAs在未患病的一级亲属中的表现程度，以及探究MPAs各项目之间的敏感程度。
陈楚侨研究员等发现：14个包含1207个精神分裂患者和1007个健康被试的研究，检验发现巨大差异 (d=0.95, 95% CI = 0.63, 1.27)；6个包含精神分裂症亲属的研究，呈现了病人和亲属间存在中等的效应(d=0.45, 95% CI = 0.29,0.62)，但亲属和健康者间呈现了较小且不显著效应(d=0.45, 95% CI = 0.29,0.62)。患者和健康被试相比，大多数MPAs项目呈现了显著的优势比（1.26-9.86）。
以上研究结果显示，与健康被试相比，在精神分裂患者身上表现出了中等效应值的MPAs，与未患病的亲属相比，效应较小。本研究结果与MPAs可能代表着假定的精神分裂症的内在表型这一观念相吻合。然而，需要更多的涉及一级亲属的研究。
本研究受到以下支持：中国科学院心理研究所心理健康重点实验室，百人计划项目(O7CX031003)，中国科学院知识创新工程项目（KSCX2- YW - R- 131），由中国国家自然科学基金资助的国家杰出青年科研基金(81088001)，中国国家基础研究发展计划(973 Program) (2007CB512302)。
本研究已发表于《公共科学图书馆—综合》（PLoS ONE）。
相关英文论文摘要：
Minor Physical Anomalies in Patients with Schizophrenia, Unaffected First-Degree Relatives, and Healthy Controls: A Meta-Analysis
Background
Minor physical anomalies (MPAs) have been found to be more prevalent in schizophrenia than control participants in numerous studies and may index a potential endophenotype for schizophrenia.
Aim
To quantitatively define the magnitude of the difference in total MPA scores between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls; to determine the degree of manifestation in unaffected first-degree relatives compared to patients and controls; and to investigate the degree of sensitivity among individual MPA items.
Methods
A systematic search was conducted on the literature pertaining to MPAs in patients with schizophrenia and unaffected relatives. Effect sizes (Cohen's d and odds ratios) and corresponding confidence intervals were combined using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software package.
Results
A large difference was found when examining 14 studies comprising 1207 patients with schizophrenia and 1007 healthy controls (d = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.63, 1.27). Six studies involving relatives of individuals with schizophrenia showed a medium effect size (d = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.29,0.62) between patients and relatives, but a small and non-significant effect size (d = 0.32, 95% CI = −0.08, 0.73) between relatives and controls. The majority of MPAs items showed significant odds ratios (1.26–9.86) in comparing patients and controls.
Conclusions
The findings indicate that medium effect size of MPAs have been demonstrated in patients with schizophrenia as compared to healthy controls, and to a lesser extent in unaffected relatives. These findings are consistent with the idea that MPAs may represent a putative endophenotype for schizophrenia. However, more research including first-degree family members is warranted.
英文论文链接：https://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0024129
