Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder in which people abnormally interpret reality, causing a combination of hallucinations, delusions, and serious disturbances of thought and behavior, impairing daily functions.
According to the “Russia Today” website, according to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of schizophrenia in adolescents are similar to those in adults, but it is difficult to notice because the early symptoms of this psychological disorder in adolescents are similar to the usual behavior of adolescents at this age.
But a new study reveals that fingerprint photos may be predictive of schizophrenia.
The study, led by Spanish researchers, used a type of machine learning called a convolutional neural network (CNN) to find abnormalities in the fingerprints of people known to have schizophrenia, which were not present in people without the condition.
“Our results indicate that fingerprints are valuable sources for the diagnosis of non-affective psychosis and that convolutional neural networks are a feasible tool to achieve this goal,” said the study, conducted by the FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation in Barcelona.
The American Psychological Association defines affective psychosis as a mood disorder with delusions or hallucinations, which is common in schizoaffective disorders or forms of depression.
Based on algorithms developed using convolutional neural networks, a type of computing system used to analyze visual images, the researchers reviewed fingerprint samples from 612 patients with non-affective psychosis and 844 healthy individuals. The right thumb proved to be the strongest indicator, with an accuracy rate of 68%.
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The team noted: “Although the maximum accuracy of 70% does not provide sufficient accuracy for an unequivocal diagnosis, fingerprint images may still be valuable, especially if combined with other sources of information that have already shown some predictive power in schizophrenia such as genetics.” and brain imaging data.
Fingerprints as predictors of schizophrenia have been the subject of several studies in recent years.
The latest study comes shortly after scientists reported a possible genetic basis linking schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, a mental health condition that causes severe mood swings.