Lack of Association Between COMT Polymorphisms and Apathy in Alzheimer's Disease

J Alzheimers Dis. 2011;27(1):155-61. doi: 10.3233/JAD-2011-110491.

Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) are associated with apathy in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). We analyzed a cohort of 105 Caucasian individuals with AD (age = 79.3 ± 7.03 years; MMSE = 20.2 ± 4.4) according to the presence of apathy, as defined either by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory or the Apathy Inventory. Polymorphisms in seventeen SNPs in COMT were examined. A replication cohort consisting of 176 Caucasian AD subjects in the ADNI database was also analyzed. None of the candidate gene SNPs were significantly associated with the presence of apathy in either cohort. We did not find any SNPs in COMT that were consistently associated with apathy in individuals with AD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alzheimer Disease / genetics*
  • Alzheimer Disease / physiopathology*
  • Apathy / physiology*
  • Catechol O-Methyltransferase / genetics*
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Cohort Studies
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / genetics*
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales

Substances

  • Catechol O-Methyltransferase