Association of the Catechol O-Methyltransferase Val158-Met Polymorphism and Reduced Interference Control in Korean Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

OBJECTIVE We tested for association of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val(158)-Met (rs4680) polymorphism with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using family-based test in Korean trios. METHODS A total of 181 subjects with ADHD along with both of their biological parents were recruited from University Hospitals in Korea. We performed a transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) on 181 trios. RESULTS In the TDT, we found the over-transmission of the Val allele in children with ADHD (χ(2)=4.21, p=0.040). CONCLUSION These results suggest that the COMT Val158-Met polymorphism is associated with ADHD among the Korean population. However, this study must be replicated in larger populations.