title: Impact of catechol-O-methyltransferase Val(108/158) Met genotype on hippocampal and prefrontal gray matter volume.
abstract: A variation in catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene (Val(108/158)Met) affects the physiological response of hippocampal-prefrontal circuits, predicts variation in human memory and is associated with increased risk for psychiatric disorders. Using optimized voxel-based morphometry we studied the effect of this functional polymorphism on the anatomy of the hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex. Fifty-seven healthy participants were investigated (nine had Met/Met, 30 Val/Met, and 14 Val/Val). Voxel-based morphometry showed that individuals who are homozygous for the Val-COMT allele had greater gray matter volume of the prefrontal cortex bilaterally, whereas Met-COMT carriers were associated with increased tissue volume of the hippocampus bilaterally. This study provides evidence that the Val(108/158)Met polymorphism of the COMT gene might be responsible for individual variation in the human brain morphology.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurological Sciences, National Research Council, Piano Lago di Mangone 87050, Cosenza, Italy. a.cerasa@isn.cnr.it
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerasa
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gioia
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Labate
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liguori
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lanza
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quattrone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution / Q000235:genetics; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004298:Dopamine / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000235:genetics; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D005820:Genetic Testing; D005838:Genotype; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D014633:Valine / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D008715:Methionine; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase; D014633:Valine; D004298:Dopamine