Genetic variation in catechol-O-methyltransferase: effects on working memory in schizophrenic patients, their siblings, and healthy controls.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) val(108/158)met (rs4680) is thought to affect dopamine regulated prefrontal cortical activity during working memory (WM) tasks, and to weakly increase risk for developing schizophrenia. Recently, other single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the gene have emerged as additional risk factors for schizophrenia: namely rs737865, rs165599, and rs2097603. In a large sample, we examined whether these SNPs affect WM.

Methods

Schizophrenic probands (n = 325), their nonpsychotic siblings (n = 359), and normal control subjects (n = 330) completed tests of WM function. Data were analyzed with a series of mixed model analyses of variance (ANOVAs).

Results

Val homozygotes performed most poorly on all conditions of the n-back, irr

SUBMITTER: Diaz-Asper CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3708610 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature