title: Differential effect of catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met genotype on emotional recognition abilities in healthy men and women.
abstract: The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism modulates executive functions and working memory and recent neuroimaging studies implicate an association with emotional processing. We examined the relationship between the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and facial emotion recognition and differentiation in 100 healthy individuals. Compared to Met homozygosity, Val homozygosity was associated with better and faster recognition of negative facial expressions such as anger and sad. Our study provides evidence for a possible influence of the COMT polymorphism on emotion recognition abilities in healthy subjects. Additional research is needed to further define the neurocognitive phenotypes associated with COMT polymorphisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Innsbruck Medical, Innsbruck, Austria. elisabeth.weiss@uibk.ac.at
authors.forename: Elisabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stadelmann
authors.forename: Christian G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Kohler
authors.forename: Colleen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Brensinger
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oberacher
authors.forename: Walther
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Parson
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pitterl
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niederstätter
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kemmler
authors.forename: Hartmann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hinterhuber
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marksteiner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014633:Valine / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D008715:Methionine; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase; D014633:Valine