A functional polymorphism in the COMT gene and performance on a test of prefrontal cognition

AK Malhotra, LJ Kestler, C Mazzanti… - American Journal of …, 2002 - Am Psychiatric Assoc
AK Malhotra, LJ Kestler, C Mazzanti, JA Bates, T Goldberg, D Goldman
American Journal of Psychiatry, 2002Am Psychiatric Assoc
OBJECTIVE: In the prefrontal cortex, the enzyme catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) is
critical in the metabolic degradation of dopamine, a neurotransmitter hypothesized to
influence human cognitive function. The COMT gene contains a functional polymorphism,
Val158Met, that exerts a fourfold effect on enzyme activity. The current study investigated
whether prefrontal cognition varies with COMT genotype. METHOD: Val158Met was
genotyped in 73 healthy volunteers. A task of prefrontal cognition, the Wisconsin Card …
OBJECTIVE
In the prefrontal cortex, the enzyme catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) is critical in the metabolic degradation of dopamine, a neurotransmitter hypothesized to influence human cognitive function. The COMT gene contains a functional polymorphism, Val158Met, that exerts a fourfold effect on enzyme activity. The current study investigated whether prefrontal cognition varies with COMT genotype.
METHOD
Val158Met was genotyped in 73 healthy volunteers. A task of prefrontal cognition, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, was also administered.
RESULTS
Subjects with only the low-activity met allele made significantly fewer perseverative errors on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test than did subjects with the val allele.
CONCLUSIONS
These data are consistent with those of previous studies, suggesting that a functional genetic polymorphism may influence prefrontal cognition.
American Journal of Psychiatry