Performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in schizophrenia and genes of dopaminergic inactivation (COMT, DAT, NET)

Psychiatry Res. 2006 Jun 30;143(1):13-9. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2005.10.008. Epub 2006 May 18.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to test an association between polymorphisms of genes connected with dopaminergic inactivation in prefrontal cortex [catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), dopamine transporter (DAT), norepinephrine transporter (NET)], and performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), in schizophrenic patients. The number of perseverative errors (WCST-P), non-perseverative errors (WCST-NP), completed corrected categories (WCST-CC), conceptual level responses (WCST-%CONC) and set to the first category (WCST-1st CAT) were measured. Genotyping was done for the Val108(158)Met polymorphism of the COMT gene (79 patients), the 3'UTR VNTR polymorphism of the DAT gene (124 patients) and the 1287 A/G polymorphism of the NET gene (63 patients). Male schizophrenic patients with Val/Val genotype of COMT obtained better results on WCST-P, while female patients had worse results on the WCST-NP compared with the remaining genotypes. There was a slight trend for patients with the A9/A9 genotype of DAT and with the A/A genotype of NET to perform better on some domains of the WCST, compared with other genotypes. A limitation to the interpretation of results could be small number of patients studied as well as variable psychopathological state and medication during cognitive testing.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Catechol O-Methyltransferase / genetics*
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Cognition Disorders / epidemiology
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / genetics*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression / genetics*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Norepinephrine / genetics*
  • Polymorphism, Genetic / genetics
  • Schizophrenia / epidemiology
  • Schizophrenia / genetics*

Substances

  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Catechol O-Methyltransferase
  • Norepinephrine