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Effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor-catecholamine-O-methyltransferase gene interaction on schizophrenic
Doug Hyun Han1, Doo Byung Park, Tae Young Choi
1Department of Psychiatry College of Medicine, Daegu Catholic University, Daegu, Seoul, South Korea.
Abstract:
The methionine variant of Val66Met brain-derived neurotrophic factor BDNF met and catecholamine-O-methyltransferase (COMT L) is associated with a deficit in attention and aggravation of delusions in schizophrenia. We hypothesized that the BDNF-COMT gene interaction would affect the symptoms and cognition in schizophrenia. Ninety-six schizophrenic patients and 79 control participants were recruited. The patients who were BDNF met/met x COMT L carriers had the highest scores of delusion of Positive Symptoms and the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms, word reading of the color word test, and trail-making test B time, compared with the other three genotype interactions. The current results suggest that patients with the BDNF met/met x COMT L allele had more delusional symptoms and poorer cognitive flexibility, compared with the other three genotype interactions.
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