Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype biases neural correlates of empathy and perceived personal distress in schizophrenia.
BACKGROUND
The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val(108/158)Met polymorphism (rs4680) influences enzyme activity with valine (Val) allele associated with higher enzymatic activity. Several studies suggest that factors influencing dopaminergic transmission could control response to stressful situations. Empathy is an essential element of human behavior, requires the ability to adopt another person's perspective, and has been found to be dysfunctional in schizophrenia.


METHODS
Twenty-eight schizophrenic patients underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging performing an empathy task. Perceived empathy has been evaluated with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index.


RESULTS
An effect of COMT on perceived distress subscale has been shown, with methionine (Met)/Met subjects reporting lower rates of stress compared with Val/Val. Moreover, imaging results showed an effect of genotype on empathy processing in the anterior cingulate with Val/Val subjects showing the lowest activation.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study of the effect of rs4680 on interpersonal distress and neural correlates of empathy in schizophrenia. We found a decrease in neural responses in areas that ensure a cognitive control of emotion that is paralleled by perceived distress in interpersonal situation; this functional pattern seems to be influenced by rs4680 COMT polymorphism.
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, San Raffaele Scientific Institute and University Vita-Salute, Milan, Italy. poletti.sara@hsr.it
Sara
S
Poletti
Daniele
D
Radaelli
Roberto
R
Cavallaro
Marta
M
Bosia
Cristina
C
Lorenzi
Adele
A
Pirovano
Enrico
E
Smeraldi
Francesco
F
Benedetti
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D004645:Empathy / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012938:Social Perception; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology
D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase