Is there an association between the COMT gene and P300 endophenotypes?
P300 wave anomalies correlate with genetic risk for schizophrenia and constitute a plausible endophenotype for the disease. The COMT gene is thought to influence cognitive performance and to be a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia. Unlike two previous studies, we found no significant influence of the COMT gene on P300 amplitude or latency in 189 individuals examined. The well-supported role of the COMT gene both in dopamine catabolism as well as in prefrontal cognition makes a strong theoretical case for the influence of COMT Val158Met polymorphism on P300 endophenotypes. However, the available neurophysiologic evidence suggests that any such association, if present, must be very subtle.
Bramon
E
E
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. e.bramon@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Dempster
E
E
Frangou
S
S
McDonald
C
C
Schoenberg
P
P
MacCabe
J H
JH
Walshe
M
M
Sham
P
P
Collier
D
D
Murray
R M
RM
D000328:Adult; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300 / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*
D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase