Correlations between COMT polymorphism and brain structure and cognition in elderly subjects: An observational study.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Aging Research

Background:

• The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is implicated in aging variations.
• COMT gene polymorphism may influence cognitive function and brain networks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between COMT polymorphism and white matter network cognition in healthy elderly individuals.
• To determine if methionine (Met) allele loading correlates with enhanced cognitive performance.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 34 healthy elderly participants.
• Determined COMT genotype for each participant.
• Administered the Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K) and performed diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Main Results:

• Met carriers exhibited lower mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity in key brain regions (hippocampus, thalamus, uncinate fasciculus, caudate nucleus) compared to valine homozygotes.
• Met carriers achieved higher scores in executive function and attention on the MoCA-K.
• COMT Met allele carriers demonstrated superior cognitive performance and white matter integrity.

Conclusions:

• The COMT Met allele appears to have a protective effect against cognitive decline in aging.
• COMT polymorphism contributes to individual differences in cognitive function during late life.
• This suggests a potential genetic influence on cognitive aging trajectories.