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Effect of COMT Val158Met polymorphism on the Continuous Performance Test, Identical Pairs Version: tuning rather than
Nicholas C Stefanis1, Jim van Os, Dimitrios Avramopoulos
1Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Eginition Hospital, 74 Vas. Sofias Ave., Athens 11528, Greece. nistefan@med.uoa.gr
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|September 2, 2005
Summary
Individuals with the Met genotype of catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) showed improved cognitive stability. This suggests the Met genotype may enhance performance on tasks requiring sustained attention and working memory.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme activity varies with COMT Val158Met genotypes.
- This variation may influence cognitive performance, impacting cognitive stability and flexibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between COMT Val158Met genotypes and cognitive stability.
- To confirm if Met loading correlates with performance on a cognitive stability measure.
Main Methods:
- COMT genotyping was performed on 527 young men (mean age 21).
- Reaction time variability was measured using the Continuous Performance Test, Identical Pairs Version.
Main Results:
- A significant association was found between Met loading and reduced reaction time variability.
- This indicates enhanced cognitive stability in individuals with Met genotype loading.
Conclusions:
- Met genotype loading may enhance cognitive stability, potentially by stabilizing neural representations in the prefrontal cortex.
- This finding has implications for understanding working memory tasks and individual cognitive differences.