Am J Psychiatry 1984; 141:1541-1546
Copyright © 1984 by American Psychiatric Association
Symptoms and the genetics of schizophrenia: implications for diagnosis
RH Dworkin and MF Lenzenweger
To determine whether genetic influences in schizophrenia are related to the
symptoms specified by diagnostic criteria, the case histories of 151 pairs
of monozygotic twins from five twin studies of schizophrenia were rated for
positive and negative symptoms. Concordance rates in monozygotic twins were
significantly higher when probands had a greater number of negative
symptoms; no evidence of a similar relationship was found for positive
symptoms. The data indicate that negative symptoms may be characteristic of
schizophrenia in which there is a greater genetic component. The results
have important implications for determining diagnostic criteria and
understanding the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
