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Associations between COMTVal158Met polymorphism and cognition: direct or indirect effects?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

Lydia Krabbendam ,
Pilar Isusi ,
Paloma Galdos ,
Elena Echevarria ,
José Ramón Bilbao ,
Ainhoa Martin-Pagola ,
Sergi Papiol ,
Luis Castaño  and
Jim Van Os
Lydia Krabbendam*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University, PO BOX 616 (VIJV), 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Pilar Isusi
Affiliation:
Centro de Salud Mental de LLodio, Llodio, Spain
Paloma Galdos
Affiliation:
Centro de Salud Mental de LLodio, Llodio, Spain
Elena Echevarria
Affiliation:
Centro de Salud Mental de LLodio, Llodio, Spain
José Ramón Bilbao
Affiliation:
Unidad de Investigaciόn, Universidad del Paίs Vasco/Hospital de Cruces, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
Ainhoa Martin-Pagola
Affiliation:
Unidad de Investigaciόn, Universidad del Paίs Vasco/Hospital de Cruces, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
Sergi Papiol
Affiliation:
Unitat d’Antropologia, Departament Biologia Animal, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 645, 08028Barcelona, Spain
Luis Castaño
Affiliation:
Unidad de Investigaciόn, Universidad del Paίs Vasco/Hospital de Cruces, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
Jim Van Os
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University, PO BOX 616 (VIJV), 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London, UK
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail address: l.krabbendam@sp.unimaas.nl (L. Krabbendam).
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Abstract

Background:

Previous work suggests that reaction time variability (RTV) in attentional tasks, as a measure of cognitive stability, is associated with degree of Val loading in COMT Val158Met genotype, and that this association may be relevant for the aetiology of schizophrenia. This study examined (i) to what degree RTV pertaining to tasks of varying cognitive complexity would be associated with increased risk for schizophrenia and (ii) to what degree this would be mediated by Val loading.

Methods:

COMT genotyping was investigated in a sample of 23 patients with schizophrenia, 33 first-degree relatives, and 21 controls. All participants performed the Flanker continuous performance test.

Results:

Schizophrenia liability was associated with number of correct trials of the Flanker test, but not with RTV, and this association was not mediated by COMT Val158Met genotype. Similarly, Met loading was associated with number of correct trials and with RTV, but this was not mediated by schizophrenia liability.

Conclusions:

Associations between COMT Val158Met genotype and RTV do not appear to reflect transmission of schizophrenia liability in families. Differential associations with Val and Met alleles across studies suggest indirect effects through gene–gene interactions or the influence of a functional polymorphism near COMT Val158Met.

Keywords

SchizophreniaRelativesCOMTCognitionReaction time variability
Type
Original articles
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 21 , Issue 5 , July 2006 , pp. 338 - 342
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier SAS 2006

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