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Benjamin Seltzer, MD; Ira Sherwin, MD

Arch Neurol. 1986;43(7):665-668.

Abstract
• The frequency distribution of major fingerprint patterns (ulnar or radial loops, arches, and whorls) was studied in 47 men with early-onset (aged, 64 years), 35 men with late-onset primary degenerative dementia (aged, 65 years), and 100 control subjects (aged, 29 to 78 years). Patients with an early, but not those with a late, onset of dementia had significantly more ulnar loops than the control group. This finding, along with other data, is interpreted as indicating that there may be a biologic basis for distinguishing these two forms of dementia.

Author Affiliations
From the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (Dr Seltzer), and the Neurophysiology Unit, Research Service (Dr Sherwin), Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial (ENRM) Veterans Hospital, Bedford, Mass, and the Departments of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine (Dr Seltzer) and Harvard Medical School, Boston (Drs Seltzer and Sherwin).

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Jan 2, 1986.

Reprint requests to ENRM Veterans Hospital, 200 Springs Rd, Bedford, MA 01730 (Dr Seltzer).