Background: The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene codes for an enzyme that degrades prefrontal cortex (PFC) synaptic dopamine. Of two identified alleles (Met and Val), the Met allele results in COMT activity that is up to 4 times less pronounced than that conferred by the Val allele, resulting in greater PFC dopamine concentrations. Met-Met homozygotes perform better than individuals who possess the Val allele on PFC-mediated cognitive tasks. These genotypic variations and their associations with executive functions have been described in adults and prepubescent children, but there is a paucity of research assessing these relations in adolescent samples.
Methods: In this study, 70 children aged 9-17 were genotyped for COMT and completed measures of working memory, attention, fine motor coordination, and motor speed.
Results: COMT genotype modulated all but the motor speed measures. The Val-Met genotype was optimal for performance in this adolescent sample.
Conclusions: Results are discussed within the context of developmental changes in the dopaminergic system during adolescence.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.05.045 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Association of COMT rs4680 Genotype With Chronic Neuropathic Pain Experience in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease.
Pain Manag Nurs
December 2024
College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. Electronic address:
Purpose: The pain experience of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) frequently consists of episodes of acute exacerbation. However, recent studies suggest that many patients who suffer from SCD have symptoms of chronic neuropathic pain. Additional research is needed to determine what role genotype plays in the patient's pain phenotype experience in SCD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImpact of SCN10A Polymorphism on Abdominal Pain Perception and Visceral Hypoalgesia in Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.
Clin Transl Gastroenterol
December 2024
Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.
Introduction: Hypoalgesic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may provide critical insights into human abdominal pain. This condition was previously associated with homozygosity for a polymorphism (rs6795970, A1073V; 1073 val/val ) related to Na v 1.8, a voltage-gated sodium channel preferentially expressed on nociceptors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClinical implications of the SERPINA1 variant, M, and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency in Türkiye.
BMC Pulm Med
December 2024
School of Medicine, Department of Chest Diseases, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, Turkey.
Background: Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is associated with increased susceptibility to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). AATD results from mutations in the SERPINA1 gene and over 500 rare mutations have been identified. Despite these findings and recommendations from major healthcare organizations, testing of COPD patients and their family members for AATD remains inadequate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGender-modulated influence of BDNF concentration and Val66Met polymorphism on cognitive outcomes in chronic limb ischemia patients.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)
December 2024
Chair and Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Introduction: While numerous studies have established associations between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cognitive functioning, limited research has delved into the role of BDNF concerning cognitive outcomes in atherosclerosis-related conditions. This study aimed to investigate the correlations between cognitive performance, serum BDNF levels, and the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in individuals diagnosed with chronic limb ischemia (CLI).
Participants And Procedure: The study encompassed 159 CLI patients (52 females, 107 males) aged 59-73 years.
Longitudinal markers of cognitive procedural learning in fronto-striatal circuits and putative effects of a BDNF plasticity-related variant.
NPJ Sci Learn
November 2024
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
Procedural learning and automatization have widely been studied in behavioral psychology and typically involves a rapid improvement, followed by a plateau in performance throughout repeated training. More recently, brain imaging studies have implicated frontal-striatal brain circuits in skill learning. However, it is largely unknown whether frontal-striatal activation during skill learning and behavioral changes follow a similar learning curve pattern.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!