Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 9, 2026

Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Connection Between Sleep Disorders and Cognitive Symptoms in Depression
Published on: April 26, 2024
Association of COMT Val158Met Polymorphism with Psychopathological Symptoms in Patients with Eating Disorders
G Gervasini1, L M Gonzalez1, S Mota-Zamorano1
1Department of Medical and Surgical Therapeutics, Medical School, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain.
Background:
Dopamine physiological functions make dopaminergic genes suitable candidates for association studies in eating disorders (ED). A Val158Met polymorphism in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, which is involved in dopamine degradation, has been studied in relation to ED.
Objective:
We aimed to analyze the association between this polymorphism and general psychopathological symptoms that are often coupled to these disorders.
Method:
A total of 303 ED patients, diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria, completed the SCL-90R questionnaire and were genotyped for the Val158Met polymorphism.
Results:
There were significant differences in the global indices of the SCL-90R inventory between the three ED groups (Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and binge-eating disorder; ANOVA-p < 0.05). Females with BN showed the highest scores (worse symptomatology) of all participants. In this group, a gene-dose effect was observed on the psychometric evaluation of the patients, as Val/Val carriers displayed the highest scores for all the SCL-90R scales, followed by Val/Met and then Met/Met carriers. Significant differences between genotypes were observed in the Obsessive- Compulsive (p = 0.018), Paranoid Ideation (p = 0.0005) and Psychoticism (p = 0.039) scales, as well as in the PSDI (p = 0.014) general index.
Conclusion:
The results taken together suggest that COMT genetic variability may contribute to general psychopathological symptoms in patients with BN.
Related Concept Videos
Binge Eating Disorders
Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs
Association Areas of the Cortex
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Associative Learning
Classical conditioning, also known...

