Frontoparietal cortical thickness mediates the effect of COMT Val¹⁵⁸Met polymorphism on age-associated executive function.

ABSTRACT: Proper dopamine (DA) signaling is likely necessary for maintaining optimal cognitive performance as we age, particularly in prefrontal-parietal networks and in fronto-striatal networks. Thus, reduced DA availability is a salient risk factor for accelerated cognitive aging. A common polymorphism that affects DA D1 receptor dopamine availability, COMT Val¹⁵⁸Met (rs4680), influences enzymatic breakdown of DA, with COMT Val carriers having a 3- to 4-fold reduction in synaptic DA compared to COMT Met carriers. Furthermore, dopamine receptors and postsynaptic availability are drastically reduced with aging, as is executive function performance that ostensibly relies on these pathways. Here, we investigated in 176 individuals aged 20-94 years whether: (1) COMT Val carriers differ from

SUBMITTER: Miranda GG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6251730 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature