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Dermatoglyphics in juvenile epilepsy. I. Finger patterns and ridge counts

M.A.B. Mattos-Fiore; P.H. Saldanha

Unidade de Aconselhamento Genético, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 11461, 05422-970 São Paulo, SP, Brasil. Send correspondence to P.H.S.

ABSTRACT

Fingerprints of 136 patients with generalized (GE) or focal (FE) epilepsy, aged from 6 to 15 years, were compared with those of 136 non-epileptic normal controls (NC), matched for sex, age, ethnic group and socio-economic status. Finger patterns in the three groups were compared and the result revealed significant differences in loop frequencies in the left hand among male white subjects (GE > NC > FE). Considering separately each fingertip, the comparison between epileptic groups (GE vs. FE) exhibited highly significant differences (P < 0.01) in loop frequencies in the right finger I and in the left finger III, the values being higher among G epileptics; otherwise, whorls had higher proportions in the right finger I among male FE patients. In female epileptics, loop frequencies were significantly higher in the right finger III of group GE, all discrepancies being restricted to the white subjects. Comparisons between epileptics (GE + FE) and their respective controls displayed highly significant differences of loop proportions in left finger III among white males (higher in group GE) and females (lower in group FE). The remaining differences which are described below were significant at the 5% level, but not at the 1% level. Among males, whorls were more frequent in the left finger I of the non-white FE patients and in left finger I, II, III of non-white G epileptics. Among females, loops had lower proportions in the left fingers II and III of white FE patients and whorls occurred more often in the left finger III of white and non-white F epileptics. The largest statistical differences were detected in finger III between epileptics and controls, and in finger I between the two epileptic groups. This suggests an epigenetic connection between embryonic regions I-III and normal physiology of the CNS. The differences of total ridge counts between patients and controls were not statistically significant.

Keywords: dermatoglyphics; juvenile epilepsy; finger patterns; ridge counts.

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