Interaction of COMT (Val(108/158)Met) genotype and olanzapine treatment on prefrontal cortical function in patients with schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
Deficits in working memory and in prefrontal cortical physiology are important outcome measures in schizophrenia, and both have been associated with dopamine dysregulation and with a functional polymorphism (Val(108/158)Met) in the catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene that affects dopamine inactivation in the prefrontal cortex. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate in patients with schizophrenia the effect of COMT genotype on symptom variation, working memory performance, and prefrontal cortical physiology in response to treatment with an atypical antipsychotic drug.


METHODS
Thirty patients with acute untreated schizophrenia were clinically evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, underwent COMT Val/Met genotyping, and entered an 8-week prospective study of olanzapine treatment. Twenty patients completed two 3-T functional magnetic resonance imaging scans at 4 and 8 weeks during performance of N-back working memory tasks.


RESULTS
There was a significant interaction of COMT genotype and the effects of olanzapine on prefrontal cortical function. Met allele load predicted improvement in working memory performance and prefrontal physiology after 8 weeks of treatment. A similar effect was found also for negative symptoms assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that a genetically determined variation in prefrontal dopamine catabolism impacts the therapeutic profile of olanzapine.
Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche e Psichiatriche, Universita' degli Studi di Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare-9, 70124, Bari, Italy. bertolia@psichiat.uniba.it.
Alessandro
A
Bertolino
Grazia
G
Caforio
Giuseppe
G
Blasi
Mariapia
M
De Candia
Valeria
V
Latorre
Vittoria
V
Petruzzella
Mario
M
Altamura
Gaetano
G
Nappi
Sergio
S
Papa
Joseph H
JH
Callicott
Venkata S
VS
Mattay
Antonello
A
Bellomo
Tommaso
T
Scarabino
Daniel R
DR
Weinberger
Marcello
M
Nardini
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D000077152:Olanzapine; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014633:Valine / Q000235:genetics
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D008715:Methionine; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase; D014633:Valine; D000077152:Olanzapine; D004298:Dopamine