Association Between COMT rs4680 (Val158Met) Polymorphism and Academic Performance among Medical Students

To examine the association between the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) rs4680 polymorphism - a common genetic variation in the gene, which regulates dopamine metabolism in the prefrontal cortex - and academic performance among medical students at a public-sector medical college in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

A cross-sectional analytical study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Pharmacology, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, in collaboration with the Institute of Biomedical and Genetic Engineering, Islamabad, Pakistan, from January to March 2025.

One hundred MBBS students were included. Academic performance was categorised into high (≥80% marks), average (60-79%), and low (<60%). COMT genotyping was performed using allele-specific PCR, and the relationship with academic performance was analysed using the Chi-square tests in SPSS.

Genotype distribution of the COMT rs4680 polymorphism was consistent with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p = 0.16), with observed frequencies of 30% Val/Val, 43% Val/Met, and 27% Met/Met. A significant association was found between COMT genotype and academic performance (p = 0.003), with Met/Met carriers (10/20) dominating the high-performance group compared to Val/Val (3/30) and Val/Met (7/43). Female students significantly outperformed males (p = 0.021), with 16 out of 20 high achievers being female. Maternal education level strongly predicted academic success (p = 0.013), whereas paternal education showed no significant association (p = 0.992).

The Met/Met genotype was linked to superior academic performance, particularly among females, suggesting a gene- gender interaction. Maternal education emerged as a key environmental predictor, underscoring the interplay of genetic and socio- familial factors in academic achievement.

COMT rs4680 polymorphism, Academic performance, Medical education, Dopamine metabolism, Genetic influences, Maternal education.