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Related Experiment Videos

COMT genotype and cognitive ability: a longitudinal aging study.

John M Starr1, Helen Fox, Sarah E Harris

  • 1Department of Geriatric Medicine, Royal Victoria Hospital, Craigleith Road, Edinburgh EH4 2DN, UK. jstarr@staffmail.ed.ac.uk

Neuroscience Letters
|June 6, 2007
PubMed
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The Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met gene variation impacts cognitive function. Individuals with the Val/Val genotype showed poorer cognitive performance in later life, unlike Met/Met carriers.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Cognitive Psychology

Background:

  • Dopaminergic neurotransmission in the pre-frontal cortex (PFC) is crucial for cognitive differences.
  • The Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme regulates dopamine levels in the PFC.
  • A common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the COMT gene, Val158Met, affects enzyme activity and dopamine concentrations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the long-term effects of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism on cognitive function in older adults.
  • To determine if the COMT Val158Met genotype influences cognitive performance across different testing waves in later life.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 473 community volunteers with validated childhood IQ data was studied.
  • Repeated measures mixed general linear modeling was applied over three testing waves (ages 64-68).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Cognitive performance was analyzed in relation to COMT Val158Met genotype, adjusting for childhood IQ and testing wave.

    • Main Results:

    • The COMT Val158Met genotype significantly affected overall cognitive performance (p<.001).
    • Individuals with the Val/Val genotype exhibited lower mean cognitive scores compared to Val/Met and Met/Met genotypes.
    • Adjusted cognitive scores were: Val/Val 33.0, Val/Met 34.9, and Met/Met 34.9.

    Conclusions:

    • The Val/Val COMT Val158Met polymorphism is associated with a detrimental effect on cognitive function in older adults.
    • This finding extends the age range for which the negative impact of the Val/Val genotype on cognition has been observed.
    • COMT genotype is a significant factor influencing cognitive variability across the lifespan.