Investigating interactive effects of worry and the catechol-o-methyltransferase gene (COMT) on working memory performance.

ABSTRACT: Extant research indicates that worry is associated with reduced working memory. It remains unclear, however, what mechanisms contribute to impaired performance in worriers. Critically, dopamine in the prefrontal cortex heavily influences the stability of mental representations during working memory tasks, yet no research has probed its role in associations between worry and working memory. To address this gap, the current study was designed to examine the moderating role of dopamine on the association between worry and working memory, using the catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) gene as a proxy for basal levels of dopamine. Across four assessments, we examined within- and between-person variation in worry and its interactive effects with COMT to predict working memory performance. Within-

SUBMITTER: Louis CC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9063526 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature