Abstracts

Epilepsy is a heterogeneous disorder caused by genetic,intrauterine and other causes.The study of dermatoglyphic variations in epileptics and undertaken to determine whether chracteristic variations of dermatoglyphic traits exist in relation to epilepsy. Finger and Palmar prints were obtained from 400 epileptic patients(200 idiopathic,200 symptomatic) attending Neurology OPD, PGIMER, Chandigarh. A sample of 100 healthy individuals was studied as a control group. The prints were obtained on a drawing sheet with the help of printers black ink. The comparison of finger ball pattern type revealed statistically significant differences between idiopathic and symptomatic epileptics for digits 1,3 and 5; between idiopathic epileptics and controls for digits 1,2,4 and 5;while between symptomatic and control for digits 1,2 and 4.Pattern Intensity Index(PII) was higher in epileptics than controls.The comparison of palmar pattern types revealed significant differences between symptomatic and controls for right second interdigital area and left hypothenar area. No significant differences were observed for other palmar areas pattern types. Digital pattern frequencies are better indicators than palmar pattern frequencies in determining association between dermatoglyphics and epileptic seizures caused by different etiological factors. There seems to be no differences between idiopathic and symptomatic types of Epilepsy for dermatoglyphic variations. The group deviations are observed between Epileptics and controls suggesting a possible genetic predisposition in the origins of both symptomatic and idiopathic types of Epilepsy