Within the cognitive domain, neuroscience and cognitive psychology researchers have investigated the relationship between handedness and cognitive skills. However, there have been few studies of the three-way association between manual asymmetry, its genetic components, and cognition even though this line of research could further an understanding of asymmetry. One enzyme involved in cognitive functions related to the dopaminergic system and to the prefrontal cortex is the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), and it has a trimodal activity distribution in the human population due to its functional polymorphism known as Val158Met. This study investigated whether this COMT polymorphism is associated with asymmetries in the performance of a manual dexterity task. Forty-two right-handed undergraduate students ( M = 25.12, SD = 5.84; 15 women, 27 men) performed two trials each of place and remove conditions of the Grooved Pegboard Test with each hand (right and left), counterbalancing the order of the initial or starting hand. We calculated the mean time to perform the task for both hands on both trials and found, as hypothesized, that the Met/Met group gave a more asymmetrical performance than the Val/Met group under the place condition because dopamine levels reduced flexible behavior for the Val/Met group. We suspect that the place condition requires greater interhemispheric connectivity, as it requires a greater cognitive flexibility, and highly asymmetrical individuals are said to be less flexible. The findings of this study suggest a significant association between the COMT polymorphism and manual asymmetry in healthy populations.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0031512519834738 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Executive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease: From neurochemistry to circuits, genetics and neuroimaging.
Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry
January 2025
Department of Rehabilitation, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Qingdao University, Yantai, China; Department of Neurology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Qingdao University, Yantai, China; Department of Clinical Medical Research Center, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Qingdao University, Yantai, China. Electronic address:
Cognitive decline is one of the most significant non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), with executive dysfunction (EDF) being the most prominent characteristic of PD-associated cognitive deficits. Currently, lack of uniformity in the conceptualization and assessment scales for executive functions impedes the early and accurate diagnosis of executive dysfunction in PD. The neurobiological mechanisms of executive dysfunction in PD remain poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDopamine genetic risk scores and psychiatric symptoms: Interacting risk factors for impulse control behaviours in de novo Parkinson's disease.
J Neuropsychol
January 2025
Department of Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Up to 45% of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience impulse control disorders (ICDs), characterized by a loss of voluntary control over impulses, drives or temptations. This study aimed to investigate whether previously identified genetic and psychiatric risk factors interact towards the development of ICDs in PD. A total of 278 de novo PD patients (ICD-free at enrollment) were selected from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative database.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmacogenetic Testing for Predicting Methylphenidate Treatment Outcomes in Childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Turkey: Focus on Carboxylesterase 1, Latrophilin-3, and Catechol-O-Methyltransferase.
Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet
January 2025
Biruni University Research Center (B@MER), Biruni University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Pharmacogenetic studies involving Carboxylesterase 1 (CES1), Latrophilin-3 (LPHN3), and Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) revealed individual differences regarding therapeutic response in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) under methylphenidate (MPH) treatment. This study aimed to evaluate MPH's association with the adverse effect status in children and its relationship with CES1, LPHN3, and COMT in the Turkish population. The study included 102 children and adolescents with ADHD, who were categorized as responders, or the adverse effect group based on their treatment response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInhibition of mPFC norepinephrine improved chronic post-thoracotomy pain in adult rats.
Ann Med
December 2025
Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
Background: Chronic post-thoracotomy pain (CPTP) is characterized by high incidence, long duration, and severity of pain. Medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a brain region closely associated with chronic pain, and norepinephrine is involved in pain regulation. But the role of mPFC norepinephrine in CPTP and its possible mechanism is unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOpicapone as adjunct to levodopa in treated Parkinson's disease without motor complications: A randomized clinical trial.
Eur J Neurol
January 2025
Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Background: Catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitors are routinely used to manage motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease (PD). We assessed the effect of opicapone on motor symptom severity in levodopa-treated patients without motor complications.
Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, 24-week, placebo-controlled study of opicapone 50 mg as adjunct to levodopa (NCT04978597).
Want 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!