title: Role of serotonin transporter polymorphisms in the behavioural and psychological symptoms in probable Alzheimer disease patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alzheimer disease (AD) patients commonly suffer from behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). A genetic component to BPSD development in AD has been demonstrated. This is an investigation of whether the linked polymorphic region and variable number tandem repeat variants of the serotonin transporter (SERT) are associated with BPSD.
  
  
  METHODS
  The longitudinal measures of BPSD of our large cohort of 367 AD patients were assessed by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Measures with good evidence of serotonergic involvement (delusions, hallucinations, depression, anxiety, agitation/aggression and irritability) were related to genotype and allele frequencies of the linked polymorphic region and variable number tandem repeat variants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis revealed significant relationships between the linked polymorphic region variant long allele with irritability and the variable number tandem repeat 10-repeat allele with psychosis, but no associations were found with depression, anxiety or agitation/aggression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data and review of previous studies suggest SERT could play a minor role in development of psychosis and aggressive/irritable tendencies; however, further investigations are required in large, well-characterized cohorts.
authors: Molecular Psychiatry Group, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Herston, Brisbane, Australia. Antonia.Pritchard@qimr.edu.au
authors: Antonia L
authors: AL
authors: Pritchard
authors: Colin W
authors: CW
authors: Pritchard
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Bentham
authors: Corinne L
authors: CL
authors: Lendon
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium / Q000235:genetics; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins