title: Does adult ADHD interact with COMT val (158) met genotype to influence working memory performance?
abstract: Both attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype have been linked to altered dopaminergic transmission and possible impairment in frontal lobe functioning. This study offers an investigation of a possible interaction between ADHD diagnosis and COMT genotype on measures of working memory and executive function. Thirty-five adults with ADHD, who were recruited from the ADHD outpatient clinic at the Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, and thirty-five matched healthy controls completed the Digit Span test and the Stroop Color Word Test. While there were no main effects of ADHD or COMT, the two factors interacted on both Digit Span subtests with the two groups' met/met carriers showing significantly different performance on the Digit Span Forward subtest and the val/val carriers showing significantly different performance on the Digit Span Backward subtest. Findings provide preliminary support for a differential impact of COMT genotype on working memory measures in adult patients with ADHD compared to healthy controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Füchsleinstraße 15, 97080, Würzburg, Germany, s.biehl@abdn.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Stefanie C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Biehl
authors.forename: Kathrin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Gschwendtner
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guhn
authors.forename: Laura D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reichert
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heupel
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reif
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deckert
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Christian P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Jacob
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000235:genetics*; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014633:Valine / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008715:Methionine; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase; D014633:Valine