Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom.
Am J Psychiatry. 2012 Aug;169(8):822-30. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.11081173.
Poor prenatal nutrition has been associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorders in the Netherlands and China, and it has been suggested that perinatal and postnatal nutritional factors lead to the development of schizophrenia and the exhibition of schizotypal traits later in life. There appears to be no prior research on the existence of possible factors that may mediate the relationship between malnutrition and schizophrenia spectrum disorders or whether this association is a direct one. The authors tested the hypothesis that low IQ mediates the relationship between early childhood malnutrition and adult schizotypal personality.
Participants were drawn from a birth cohort of 1,795 boys and girls who were followed prospectively. Objective indicators of malnutrition (anemia and stunting) were assessed at age 3. Verbal and performance intelligence were assessed at age 11, and schizotypal personality was assessed at age 23.
Both stunting and anemia at age 3 were associated with low IQ at age 11. Low performance IQ at age 11 was associated with increased interpersonal and disorganized features of schizotypal personality at age 23. Poor performance IQ was found to mediate the relationship between poor nutrition at age 3 and interpersonal and disorganized features of schizotypy at age 23. Findings in female participants were replicated in male participants.
Given that poor nutrition is an alterable risk factor, these findings suggest that nutritional enhancements may improve brain functioning and possibly reduce some features of schizotypal personality disorder.
在荷兰和中国，产前营养不足与精神分裂症谱系障碍有关，有人提出围产期和产后营养因素导致精神分裂症的发展，并导致精神分裂症特质在以后的生活中表现出来。目前似乎还没有关于可能的中介因素是否存在的研究，这些因素可能会影响营养不良与精神分裂症谱系障碍之间的关系，或者这种关联是否是直接的。作者测试了这样一个假设，即低智商会调节儿童早期营养不良与成年精神分裂症特质之间的关系。
参与者来自一个前瞻性的 1795 名男孩和女孩的出生队列。在 3 岁时评估营养不良的客观指标（贫血和发育迟缓）。在 11 岁时评估言语和表现智力，在 23 岁时评估精神分裂症特质。
3 岁时的发育迟缓症和贫血症都与 11 岁时的低智商有关。11 岁时的低表现智商与 23 岁时人际和组织混乱特征的精神分裂症特质有关。发现低表现智商在 3 岁时的营养不良与 23 岁时的人际和组织混乱特征之间存在中介关系。在男性参与者中也复制了女性参与者的发现。
鉴于营养不良是一个可改变的风险因素，这些发现表明营养增强可能改善大脑功能，并可能减少精神分裂症特质障碍的一些特征。
