Dopamine neurotransmissin is thought to play a relevant role in behavioral reinforcement system. Polymorphism of the genes involved in dopamine system has been reported for association with psychological traits related to impulsive and sensation seeking behaviors. The study was aimed at a search for association of catechol-O-metyltransferase (COMT) and dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene polymorph...

Genetic variability related to the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene (Val158Met polymorphism) has received increasing attention as a possible modulator of cognitive control functions. Recent evidence suggests that the Val158Met genotype may differentially affect cognitive stability and flexibility, in such a way that Val/Val homozygous individuals (who possess low prefrontal dopamine lev...

PURPOSE Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme plays a central role in estrogen-induced carcinogenesis. Emerging evidence from association studies has revealed that the functional Val158Met polymorphism (rs4680 G>A) of the Catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT) has been implicated in susceptibility to breast cancer in the Chinese population, while results of individual published studies r...

There is much evidence that schizophrenia patients have an increased risk for aggression and violent behavior, including homicide. The neurobiological basis and correlates of this risk have not been much studied. While genome-wide association studies are lacking, a number of candidate genes have been investigated. By far, the most intensively studied is the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) g...

Cognitive functioning differs between males and females, likely in part related to genetic dimorphisms. An example of a common genetic variation reported to have sexually dimorphic effects on cognition and temperament in humans is the Val/Met polymorphism in catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). We tested male and female wild-type mice ((+/+)) and their COMT knockout littermates ((+/-) and (-/-)...

Objective: Several studies have shown that some polymorphisms of genes encoding catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), the key enzyme in degrading dopamine, and norepinephrine and the human brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), a nerve growth factor, are strong candidates for risk of schizophrenia (SCZ). In the present study, we aimed at examining the effects of COMT Val158Met (G>A) and BDNF V...

INTRODUCTION Rumination is a multidimensional trait which is a proven risk factor in the vulnerability to depression. The aim to identify the main risk genes for depression in addition to the gene-environment interactions pointed to the importance of intermediate phenotypes, like rumination, to improve our understanding of the biological mechanisms of depression. Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (C...

There have been several reports on the association between the Val(158)Met genetic polymorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, as well as the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4), and frontolimbic region volumes, which have been suggested to underlie individual differences in emotion processing or susceptibility ...

The present study was aimed to investigate the modulatory role of plasma folate and eight putatively functional polymorphisms of one-carbon metabolism on catecholamine methyltransferase (COMT)-mediated oxidative DNA damage and breast cancer risk. Plasma folate and 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) were estimated by commercially available kits, while polymorphisms were screened by PCR-RFLP and P...

BACKGROUND White matter lesions can be easily observed on T2-weighted MR images, and are termed white matter hyperintensities (WMH). Their presence may be correlated with cognitive impairment; however, the relationship between regional WMH volume and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism in healthy populations remains unclear. METHODS We recruited 315 ethnic Chinese adult...