Relations between catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met genotype and inhibitory control development in childhood |
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| Authors: | Maureen E. Bowers George A. Buzzell Virginia Salo Sonya V. Troller-Renfree Colin A. Hodgkinson David Goldman Elena Gorodetsky Jennifer Martin McDermott Heather A. Henderson Nathan A. Fox |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA;2. Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA;3. Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Intramural Research Program, The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA;4. Office of Research on Women's Health, The National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA;5. Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Masssachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA;6. Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada;7. Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA |
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| Abstract: | The Val158Met rs4680 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, primarily involved in dopamine breakdown within prefrontal cortex, has shown relations with inhibitory control (IC) in both adults and children. However, little is known about how COMT genotype relates to developmental trajectories of IC throughout childhood. Here, our study explored the effects of the COMT genotype (Val/Val, Val/Met, and Met/Met) on IC trajectories between the ages of 5 and 10 years. Children (n = 222) completed a Go/Nogo task at ages 5, 7, and 10; IC was characterized using signal detection theory to examine IC performance (d′) and response strategy (RS) (criterion). COMT genotype was not related to initial levels of IC performance and RS at age 5 or change in RS from ages 5 to 10. In contrast, COMT genotype was related to change in IC performance between 5 and 10 years. While Val/Val children did not differ from Val/Met children in development of IC performance, children with the Met/Met genotype exhibited more rapid development of IC performance when compared with Val/Met peers. These results suggest that COMT genotype modulates the development of IC performance in middle childhood. |
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| Keywords: | childhood development COMT Go/Nogo task inhibitory control rs4680 signal detection theory |
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