Associations between the COMT Val/Met polymorphism, early life stress, and personality among healthy adults

Karin F Hoth; Robert H Paul; Leanne M Williams; Carol Dobson-Stone; Elizabeth Todd; Peter R Schofield; John Gunstad; Ronald A Cohen; Evian Gordon

doi:10.2147/nedt.2006.2.2.219

Back

Associations between the COMT Val/Met polymorphism, early life stress, and personality among healthy adults

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Associations between the COMT Val/Met polymorphism, early life stress, and personality among healthy adults

Karin F Hoth, Robert H Paul, Leanne M Williams, Carol Dobson-Stone, Elizabeth Todd, Peter R Schofield, John Gunstad, Ronald A Cohen and Evian Gordon

Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, Vol.2(2), pp.219-225

06/2006

DOI: 10.2147/nedt.2006.2.2.219

PMID: 19412467

Files and links (1)

url

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/2671786View

Open Access

Abstract

Efforts to identify genetic factors that confer an increased risk for the expression of psychiatric symptoms have focused on polymorphisms in variety of candidate genes, including the catechol-O-methyltransferase (\nCOMT\n) gene. Results from previous studies that have examined associations between the functional\nCOMT\npolymorphism (\nVal158Met\n) and mental health have been mixed. In the present study, we examined the relationships between\nCOMT\n, early life stress, and personality in a healthy adult sample. Consistent with previous studies, we hypothesized that individuals with the low-activity genotype would have higher neuroticism and lower extraversion and that this effect would be more pronounced in females. In addition, we extended the previous literature by investigating the potential influence of early life stress. A total of 486 healthy adults underwent genetic testing and personality assessment. Results revealed that individuals homozygous for the\nCOMT\nlow enzyme activity allele had lower extraversion on the NEO-FFI and demonstrated a trend toward greater neuroticism. These relationships were not influenced by sex or the presence of reported early life stress. The finding that\nCOMT\ngenotype was associated with extraversion, and more weakly with neuroticism, is consistent with previous studies. Future research to clarify the influence of sex and gene–environmental interactions is warranted.

anxiety

depression

Original Research

early life stress

gene-environment interaction

Details

Title: Subtitle: Associations between the COMT Val/Met polymorphism, early life stress, and personality among healthy adults
Creators: Karin F Hoth - Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Providence, RI, USA
Robert H Paul - Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Providence, RI, USA
Leanne M Williams - Brain Dynamics Centre and Discipline of Psychological Medicine, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, Sydney, Australia
Carol Dobson-Stone - Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
Elizabeth Todd - Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
Peter R Schofield - Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
John Gunstad - Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Providence, RI, USA
Ronald A Cohen - Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School, Providence, RI, USA
Evian Gordon - Brain Resource Company & Brain Resource International Database, Sydney, Australia
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, Vol.2(2), pp.219-225
DOI: 10.2147/nedt.2006.2.2.219
PMID: 19412467
NLM abbreviation: Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat
ISSN: 1176-6328
eISSN: 1178-2021
Publisher: Dove Medical Press
Language: English
Date published: 06/2006
Academic Unit: Psychiatry; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Record Identifier: 9984066133602771

Metrics

42 Record Views

See more details