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. 2007 Feb;90(1-3):221-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2006.11.014. Epub 2007 Jan 8.

Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) perception in patients with schizophrenia and first-degree family members: relationship to clinical symptomatology and psychophysical olfactory performance

Paul J Moberg  1 , Colleen McGue, Stephen J Kanes, David R Roalf, Catherine C Balderston, Raquel E Gur, Christian G Kohler, Bruce I Turetsky
Affiliations

Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) perception in patients with schizophrenia and first-degree family members: relationship to clinical symptomatology and psychophysical olfactory performance

Paul J Moberg et al. Schizophr Res. 2007 Feb.

Abstract

The inability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC; "taste-blindness") has been associated with a number of medical and neurological illnesses not typically related to taste. We examined PTC sensitivity in 67 schizophrenia patients, 30 healthy controls, and 30 first-degree relatives to determine whether taster status could represent a simple vulnerability marker. A higher prevalence of non-tasters was seen in patients and family members relative to healthy controls. Among patients, non-tasters exhibited increased levels of negative and first-rank symptoms as well as poorer right nostril odor identification skills relative to PTC tasters. These differences were not explained by age, sex, education, smoking, or intensity differences. Phenotypic variation in PTC sensitivity is thought to be genetic in origin and suggests greater illness risk for those subjects with recessive taster alleles.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of taster and non-taster status across patients, controls and first-degree family members.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparisons of tasters and nontasters of PTC on symptom factor scores in patients with schizophrenia.
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