engleski

The association of catechol-o-methyl transferase Val108/158Met polymorphism with cognition and agitation in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma and stressor related disorder characterized by re-experiencing, avoidance, negative alterations in mood and cognition and hyperarousal, but also with agitation and psychosis. Polymorphism in the catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, COMT Val108/158Met, might be associated with the risk for development of these symptoms, since it was associated with traumatic load, symptom severity and hippocampal volume in PTSD subjects. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism with various symptoms in PTSD. PTSD was diagnosed in 585 male patients using SCID and DSM-5 criteria, while symptoms and exposure to childhood trauma were evaluated using the Clinician Administered PTSD scale (CAPS), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). COMT Val108/158Met was significantly associated with cognition (evaluated using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, and PANSS cognition subscale scores), but was not significantly associated with early traumatic experience (CTQ scores) or severity of PTSD (CAPS scores). COMT Val108/158Met was significantly associated with PANSS excitement, PANSS psychotic and PANSS positive subscale scores. The Val carriers had significantly worse symptoms, than Met/Met homozygotes. These results reveal that the Val variant of the COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism, associated with higher COMT activity and lower dopamine availability, was significantly associated with cognitive decline, and presence of psychotic symptoms and agitation. These results offer new easy available biomarkers of cognitive decline and agitation in PTSD. This research was supported in part by the Croatian Science Foundation, project No. IP-2014-09-4289

PTSD ; Val108/158Met ; cognition ; COMT ; polymorphism

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