There is strong evidence for a genetic contribution to the pathogenesis of depression, with the functional catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) val158met polymorphism having been suggested as a potential susceptibility factor. In the present study, the effect of COMT val158met on response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was analyzed in a sample of 104 Caucasian patients (f = 71, m = 33) with pharmacologically treatment-resistant Major Depression. The higher active COMT 158val allele was found to be associated with (1) higher pre-ECT severity of depression and (2) better treatment response to ECT particularly regarding the core symptoms of depression as well as sleep-related symptoms. These findings were restricted to the female subgroup of patients. In summary, the present study supports a potentially gender-specific significant impact of COMT gene variation on electroconvulsive therapy response, with COMT 158val risk allele carriers suffering from more severe, pharmacologically less efficiently treatable depression and thus possibly deriving greater benefit from ECT in the first place.
(c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.