Document Type

Article

Article Version

Publisher's PDF

Publication Date

2007

Abstract

A functional polymorphism of the gene coding for Catechol-O-methyltrasferase (COMT), an enzyme responsible for the degradation of the catecholamine dopamine (DA), epinephrine, and norepinephrine, is associated with cognitive deficits. However, previous studies have not examined the effects of COMT on context processing, as measured by the AX-CPT, a task hypothesized to be maximally relevant to DA function. 32 individuals who were either healthy, with schizotypal personality disorder, or non-cluster A, personality disorder (OPD) were genotyped at the COMT Val158Met locus. Met/Met (n = 6), Val/Met (n = 10), Val/Val (n = 16) individuals were administered a neuropsychological battery, including the AX-CPT and the N-back working memory test. For the AX-CPT, Met/Met demonstrated more AY errors (reflecting good maintenance of context) than the other genotypes, who showed equivalent error rates. Val/Val demonstrated disproportionately greater deterioration with increased task difficulty from 0-back to 1-back working memory demands as compared to Met/Met, while Val/Met did not differ from either genotypes. No differences were found on processing speed or verbal working memory. Both context processing and working memory appear related to COMT genotype and the AX-CPT and N-back may be most sensitive to the effects of COMT variation.

Comments

Copyright 2007 Dove Medical Press

The final publisher PDF has been archived here under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License with permission from the copyright holder.

Link to publisher version: https://www.dovepress.com/catechol-o-methyltransferase-val158met-genotype-in-healthy-and-persona-peer-reviewed-article-NDT

Publication Title

Neuropsychiatric Disease & Treatment

Published Citation

Leung, W. W., McClure, M. M., Barch, D. M., Harvey, P. D., & Siever, L. J. (2007). Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met genotype in healthy and personality disordered individuals: An examination of cognitive tests hypothetically differentially sensitive to dopamine functions. Neuropsychiatric Disease & Treatment, 3, no. 6, 925-934.

DOI

10.2147/NDT.S1500

Peer Reviewed

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