Relationship Between Body Build and Mental Illness

Verghese, Abraham; Large, Pamela; Chiu, Edmond

doi:10.1192/s0007125000282883

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…confirmed by others and in other ethnic groups (Langfeldt 1937, 1939, Astrup et al 1962, Astrup & Noreik 1966, Price 1969, Singer 1972, Verghese et al 1978. The relation is less clear cut, although there is a persistent difference in body build between MDP and S. The proportion of mixed type or unclassifiable is rising and that of true leptosomic is significantly falling.…”

Section: Kretschmer's Observations Have Beenmentioning

confidence: 74%

Mental illness and cognition in relation to age at puberty: a hypothesis

Saugstad¹

1989

Clinical Genetics

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Onset of puberty is usually considered to coincide with the last major step in brain development: the elimination of some 40% of neuronal synapses. Mean pubertal age has declined by some 4 years during the last 100 years. There is a relation between age at puberty and body build, and between body build and mental illness. The difference in body build between schizophrenia (S) and manic‐depressive psychosis (MDP) is similar to that between late and early maturers. It is suggested that S affects late‐maturing individuals and MDP very early maturers. The observed marked rise in MDP and decline in the most malignant forms of S (non‐paranoid) are in agreement with MDP and S as neurodevelopmental disorders occurring at the extremes of maturation. Maturational irregularities are most likely to occur at the extremes, and it is suggested that abbreviation of the regressive process may have led to persistent redundancy of neuronal synapses in MDP and that prolongation of the process past the optimal has yielded an inadequate synaptic density in S. The lack of cerebral abnormality in the majority of MDP and the presence of only subtle structural deficits in S, are in agreement with this. The two disorders are probably as old as mankind, and early puberty is the necessary factor for the development of MDP and late puberty is the necessary factor for that of S. There is an inverse relation between spatial ability and rate of maturation, whereas verbal ability is unaffected by maturational rate. From a previous predominance in both sexes, spatial ability (Performance IQ scores) has been reduced to below verbal ability (Verbal IQ scores) in the female sex and in early maturing males.

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Section: Kretschmer's Observations Have Beenmentioning

confidence: 74%

Mental illness and cognition in relation to age at puberty: a hypothesis

Saugstad¹

1989

Clinical Genetics

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Zerssen¹

1980

Psychiatrie Der Gegenwart

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Age at Puberty and Mental Illness

Saugstad¹

1989

Br J Psychiatry

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The hypothesis of a neurodevelopmental aetiology of manic-depressive psychosis and schizophrenia is based on the relation between onset of puberty and the final regressive events in the central nervous system (elimination of 40% of neuronal synapses), and the discrepancy in body build in the two disorders which is similar to that between early- and late-maturing individuals. The marked rise in manic-depressive psychoses and decline in schizophrenia, particularly the non-paranoid categories, accompanying the decline in mean pubertal age by some four years during the past hundred years are taken as evidence that manic-depressive psychosis affects early maturers and schizophrenia particularly affects late maturers. Gender differences and social differentials accord with this theory. Redundancy of neuronal synapses characterises manic-depressive psychosis, and reduced density of synapses is a characteristic of schizophrenia, whereas 'normality', with optimal synaptic density, is in between.

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Relationship Between Body Build and Mental Illness

Cited by 3 publications

References 7 publications

Mental illness and cognition in relation to age at puberty: a hypothesis

Mental illness and cognition in relation to age at puberty: a hypothesis

Konstitution

Age at Puberty and Mental Illness

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