title: Prefrontal-hippocampal coupling during memory processing is modulated by COMT val158met genotype.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies in humans and in animals have demonstrated that a network of brain regions is involved in performance of declarative and recognition memory tasks. This network includes the hippocampal formation (HF) as well as the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC). Studies in animals have suggested that the relationship between these brain regions is strongly modulated by dopamine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using fMRI in healthy humans matched for a series of demographic and genetic variables, we studied the effect of the COMT val158met polymorphism on function of HF and VLPFC as well as on their functional coupling during recognition memory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The COMT Val allele was associated with: relatively poorer performance at retrieval; reduced recruitment of neuronal resources in HF and increased recruitment in VLPFC during both encoding and retrieval; and unfavorable functional coupling between these two regions at retrieval. Moreover, functional coupling during retrieval was predictive of behavioral accuracy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results shed new light on individual differences in responsivity and connectivity between HF and VLPFC related to genetic modulation of dopamine, a mechanism accounting at least in part for individual differences in recognition memory performance.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Neuroscience Group, Section on Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatric and Neurological Sciences, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. bertolia@psiciat.uniba.it
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertolino
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rubino
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sambataro
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blasi
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Latorre
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fazio
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caforio
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Petruzzella
authors.forename: Bhaskar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kolachana
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hariri
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meyer-Lindenberg
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nardini
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Weinberger
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Scarabino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007206:Individuality; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D014633:Valine / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D008715:Methionine; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase; D014633:Valine; D010100:Oxygen