Catechol-O-methyl transferase Val158Met gene polymorphism in schizophrenia: working memory, frontal lobe MRI morphology and frontal cerebral blood flow

Abstract

The catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) gene is considered a leading schizophrenia candidate gene. Although its role in increasing schizophrenia susceptibility has been conflicting, recent studies suggest the valine allele may contribute to poor cognitive function in schizophrenia. V¹⁵⁸M COMT genotype was obtained on 159 schizophrenia patients and 84 healthy controls. The effects of COMT genotype on four measures of working memory/executive functions (Wisconsin Card Sorting, digit span backward, Trail Making and N-back tests) and on MRI frontal brain volumes were examined. Genotype distributions were not significantly different between patients and controls. There were no significant genotype or genotype-by-group effects on any working memory/executive function measures. No genotype or genotype-by-diagnosis interaction effects were found with MRI frontal lobe volumes. Randomization analyses using [¹⁵O]H₂O positron emission tomography (PET) cerebral blood flow data found Val/Val patients had higher frontal lobe activation than Met/Met patients while performing the one-back task. Overall, these findings do not support a major role for COMT in increasing susceptibility for schizophrenia or in mediating frontal lobe function. Age-related changes and phenotypic heterogeneity of schizophrenia may influence the complex relationships between COMT genotype and cognition.