I - Excessive secundary creases [Schizophrenia hand sign 4-6: LOR = +3.40]
II - Pinky: imobility (ankylosis) [Schizophrenia hand sign 7-1: LOR = +3.02]
III - Lack of expression / rigid expression [Schizophrenia hand sign 1-2: LOR = +2.77]
IV - Visible nail fold plexus [Schizophrenia hand sign 6-1: LOR = +2.74]
V - Sydney line [Schizophrenia hand sign 4-2: LOR = +2.45]
VI - Nails: small & underdeveloped (rudimentary) [Schizophrenia hand sign 2-1: LOR = +2.43]
VII - Chaotic arrangement of secundary creases [Schizophrenia hand sign 4-7: LOR = +2.32]
VIII - Simian crease [Schizophrenia hand sign 4-1: LOR = +2.27]
IX - Atypical handedness [Schizophrenia hand sign 7-3: LOR = +1.80]
X - Nails: excessively curved outwards (hyperconcex nails) [Schizophrenia hand sign 2-2: LOR = +1.74]
This TOP 10 shows that the fingertips play a key-role in recognizing Schizophrenia (see hand signs I, IV, VI & X), involving the accessory creases on the fingertips, nail fold plexus visibility (concerning blood stream papillaries) & nail shape.
NOTICE: Log Odds Ratios are calculated from the prevalence (%) among Schizophrenia patients & controls; more details are presented in the right column at the bottom of this page.
- 37 Hand Signs in Schizophrenia -
Schizophrenia is a rather complex psychiatric disorder. The result of many studies indicate that there is no single hand sign that can be described as 'typical' for schizophrenia [log odds ratio statistics are always below 3.5].
Nevertheless, the result of many studies do show that various (combinations of) hand signs signal the presence of unusual biological mechanisms that are featured with Schizophrenia.
Rather remarkable: quite some of these hand signs relate to the tips of the fingers!
How to make a Palm Reading Assessment for SCHIZOPHRENIA?
The following guidelines should be applied solely to hands of persons who exhibit psychotic symptoms - in thought, emotion or behavior - that are associated with pschizophrenia
Key-elements of the hand in schizophrenia in a nutshell: combination of inborn hand markers & 'dynamic' hand markers, combined with special attention for the fingertips.
[Phantom picture for Schizophrenia will become available soon]
An advanced hand diagnosis for Schizophrenia requires a person to have multiple significant hand markers that follow the MAJOR REQUIREMENT + the 4 additional requirements as described below:
MAJOR REQUIREMENT: The person requires to have significant hand markers for Schizophrenia in at least 4 dimensions of the hand
- ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT A: The person requires to have three 'dynamic hand markers' (= not inborn) that relate to one or both of the following two sub-requirements:
REQUIREMENT A-1 - a lack of expression through: the back of the hand, thumb, nails, dermatoglyphics or mobility problems (see hand perspectives: 1 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 7);
REQUIREMENT A-2 - too much expression through: skin colour, secundary creases (see hand perspective: 2 - 4 - 6).
- ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT B: The person requires to have at least one hand marker that relates to the CREASES (= hand perspective 4).
- ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT C: The person requires to have at least three hand markers that relate to the DERMATOGLYPHICS (= hand perspective 5).
- ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT D: The person requires to have at least two hand markers in the palm + at least two hand markers in the fingers.
IMPORTANT: Even when all above REQUIREMENTS are fullfilled, then one can still speak of a 'speculative' hand diagnosis for Schizophrenia!
Some of the 37 significant hand markers for Schizophrenia that are listed below became known in medical science as a 'physical minor anomaly' (such as the simian crease & the Sydney line).
But in general all these individual hand markers can usually be described as harmless body characteristics.
And even when 'constellations' of two or more of these hand markers are observed in one perspective of the hand, these hand markers should not be recognized as suspicious - UNLESS each of both hands display such constellations in 2 or more perspectives of the hand.
- List of 37 hand markers for Schizophrenia -
Hand perspective 1 - HAND SHAPE:
- 1-1: Conic handshape: long & narrow;
- 1-2: Back of hand: lack of expression / rigid expression;
- 1-3: Relatively small mount of venus (thenar hypotrophy).
Hand perspective 3 - FINGER MORPHOLOGY:
- 3-1: Spatulate fingertips;
- 3-2: Small distal phalanages (microphalangia);
- 3-3: Thumbs: small + short;
- 3-4: Thumb: lack of expression / rigid expression;
- 3-5: Thumb: extraordinary long (above 2nd knuckl);
- 3-6: Index finger: extraordinary long - equal or longer than middle finger;
- 3-7: 'Female' finger ratio (2D:4D digit ratio > 1);
- 3-8: Pinky: curved inwards (clinodactyly);
- 3-9: Pinky: extraordinary long;
- 3-10: Pinky: extraordinary short.
Hand perspective 4 - MAJOR LINES:
- 4-1: Simian crease;
- 4-2: Sydney line;
- 4-3: Broken head line (broken proximal transverse crease)
- 4-4: Broken heart line (broken distal transverse crease)
- 4-5: Indistinct / fragmented primary creases;
- 4-6: MINOR LINES: Excessive secundary creases;
- 4-7: MINOR LINES: Chaotic arrangement of secondary creases.
Hand perspective 5 - DERMATOGLYPHICS:
- 5-1: Fingers: fingerprint type asymmetries (at least 3 out of 5 fingers);
- 5-2: Fingers: extralimital triradii;
- 5-3: Palm: ridge dissociation ('string of pearl type').
- 5-4: Palm: pattern on the mount of venus / mouse thumb (thenar);
- 5-5: Palm: pattern on mount of mars;
- 5-6: Palm: Whorl or multiple loops on hypothenar;
- 5-7: Palm: multiple triradii on the hypothenar;
- 5-8: Palm: missing c triradius / merging of triradius b and triradius c;
- 5-9: Palm: abortive c line;
- 5-10: Palm: large ab ridge count fluctuating asymmetry: [LABRC-RABRC] > 5.
Hand perspective 6 - SKIN QUALITY:
- 6-1: Nail fold: visible nail fold plexus (subpapillary plexus);
- 6-2: Red/blue coloured + cold.
Hand perspective 7 - MOTORICS:
- 7-1: Pinky: imobility (ankylosis);
- 7-2: Impaired hand movement;
- 7-3: Atypical handedness.
NOTICE: About 0.5% of the world population suffers on symptoms that relate to Schizophrenia.
The 4 schizophrenia sub-types are not treated individually, because in the near future (likely in 2013) those are probably no longer included in the DSM V classification system for mental disorders.
Additionally, there are two case studies available:
Various studies around the world have proven that the simian line is more often seen among schizophrenics than in the general population (about 3% of the healthy population has a simian line in at least one hand).
This implicates that the simian line is much more important in the genetic syndromes (e.g. Down syndrome & Fragile-X syndrome) than in Schizophrenia - but still, combined with other relevant hand markers the simian line can play a role in a (speculative) hand diagnosis for Schizophrenia, but only when an individual suffers on symptoms that can be associated with schizophrenia.
This raises the question: 'how can the simian line serve as a diagnostic marker specific for Schizophrenia?'
'Phantom picture' of the hand in Schizophrenia.
NOTICE: Later the author will present a more comprehensive 'phantom picture' for the most typical hand-characteristics in Schizophrenia.
HAND SIGNS & DIAGNOSTICS:
