Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype affects cognitive control during total sleep deprivation

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Genetics

Background:

• Total sleep deprivation (TSD) significantly impairs adaptive decision-making abilities.
• Fronto-striatal pathways, crucial for cognitive control, are implicated in TSD-induced deficits.
• Dopamine, a key neuromodulator in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), is regulated by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism on adaptive decision-making performance during TSD.
• To examine how genetic variations in COMT affect cognitive control under conditions of sleep deprivation.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-six healthy young adults underwent TSD (38-62 hours) or served as well-rested controls.
• Participants performed a go/no-go reversal learning (GNGr) task at baseline and after the sleep manipulation.
• Performance was assessed using discriminability (d') before and after stimulus-response reversals.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in GNGr task performance were observed between COMT genotypes when well-rested.
• TSD revealed a significant impairment in adaptive decision making for individuals carrying the Val allele.
• The Val allele of the COMT polymorphism confers vulnerability to TSD-induced cognitive control deficits.

Conclusions:

• Sleep deprivation degrades cognitive control through fronto-striatal dopaminergic mechanisms.
• The COMT Val158Met polymorphism modulates the impact of TSD on adaptive decision making.
• Genetic predisposition influences susceptibility to sleep deprivation-related cognitive impairments.