COMT val158met predicts reward responsiveness in humans.
A functional variant of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene [val158met (rs4680)] is frequently implicated in decision-making and higher cognitive functions. It may achieve its effects by modulating dopamine-related decision-making and reward-guided behaviour. Here we demonstrate that individuals with the met/met polymorphism have greater responsiveness to reward than carriers of the val allele and that this correlates with risk-seeking behaviour. We assessed performance on a reward responsiveness task and the Balloon analogue risk task, which measure how participants (N = 70, western European, university and postgraduate students) respond to reward and take risks in the presence of available reward. Individuals with the met/met genotype (n = 19) showed significantly higher reward responsiveness, F2,64 = 4.02, P = 0.02, and reward-seeking behaviour, F(2,68) = 4.52, P = 0.01, than did either val/met (n = 25) or val/val (n = 26) carriers. These results highlight a scenario in which genotype-dependent reward responsiveness shapes reward-seeking, therefore suggesting a novel framework by which COMT may modulate behaviour.
School of Medical Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2AS, UK.
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TM
Lancaster
MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and GenomicsInstitute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences.|School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
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DE
Linden
School of Psychology, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2AS, UK.
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EA
Heerey
D000328:Adult; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006580:Genetic Carrier Screening; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D012201:Reward; D012309:Risk-Taking; D014633:Valine / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
D008715:Methionine; C588010:COMT protein, human; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase; D014633:Valine; D004298:Dopamine