title: The interaction between Comt and Bdnf variants influences obsessive-compulsive-related dysfunctional beliefs.
abstract: Cognitive models emphasize the importance of dysfunctional beliefs as overimportance/need to control thoughts, perfectionism, intolerance of uncertainty, responsibility, and overestimation of threat in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Twin studies suggest that these beliefs are significantly heritable, but candidate genes associated with them have not been analyzed. We genotyped the Val158Met in the COMT gene and Val66Met variant in the BDNF gene in 141 OCD patients and analyzed their single and interactive effects on the obsessive beliefs questionnaire (OBQ-44). Variability in dysfunctional beliefs was not affected by the COMT or BDNF genotype in isolation, but we detected a significant COMT×BDNF interaction effect on responsibility/overestimation of threat and overimportance/need to control thoughts scores. Subjects with the BDNF Met-present and the COMT Met-present genotype showed higher scores on responsibility/overestimation of threat. An interaction between dopaminergic and neurotrophic functional gene variants may influence dysfunctional beliefs hypothesized to contribute to the development of OCD.
authors.affiliation: OCD Clinical and Research Unit, Psychiatry Department, Hospital de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain. mpalonso@bellvitgehospital.cat
authors.forename: Pino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: López-Solà
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gratacós
authors.forename: Miquel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fullana
authors.forename: Cinto
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Segalàs
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Real
authors.forename: Narcís
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cardoner
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soriano-Mas
authors.forename: Ben J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Estivill
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Menchón
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C579455:BDNF protein, human; C588010:COMT protein, human; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase