COMT Val158Met Polymorphism and Social Impairment Interactively Affect Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Symptoms in Healthy Adolescents

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Universität Heidelberg
  • Universität Leipzig
  • Trinity College Dublin
  • Universität Hamburg
  • King's College London (KCL)
  • Universität Mannheim
  • Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)
  • University of Vermont
  • University of Nottingham
  • Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
  • Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
  • INSERM - Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale
  • Service Hospitalier Frederic Joliot
  • University of Toronto
  • Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Abstract

The dopaminergic system has been shown to have substantial effects on the etiology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, while some studies found a significant direct effect, others did not. In this context, social behavior might play an important role as a factor that is related both to the dopaminergic system and ADHD. In a large epidemiological sample of adolescents (N = 462; 16–17 years), we assessed the level of ADHD symptoms using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, social behavior using the Social Responsiveness Scale, and the allelic distribution of the dopaminergic catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism. We found a significant association between COMT and social impairment, insofar as Met-allele carriers showed increased levels of social impairment. Moreover, social impairment significantly determined an association between COMT and ADHD (explained variance: 19.09%). This effect did not significantly differ between males and females. COMT and social impairment might interactively affect ADHD symptomatology, and could thus represent significant gene-phenotypic risk factors for ADHD symptomatology. This might have interesting implications for prevention and intervention strategies with a focus on social behavior in genetically at-risk individuals.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer284
FachzeitschriftFrontiers in genetics
Jahrgang9
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 31 Juli 2018
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-5398-5569/work/161890753
ORCID /0000-0002-8493-6396/work/161891665

Schlagworte

Schlagwörter

  • ADHD, adolescence, COMT, moderation, social impairment