Relations between catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met genotype and inhibitory control development in childhood

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.

Keywords: COMT; Go/Nogo task; childhood development; inhibitory control; rs4680; signal detection theory.

Figure 1.

Conditional latent growth curve model predicting intercept and slope of IC performance and response strategy from COMT genotype. COMT genotype is dummy coded with Val/Met as the reference group. Unstandardized betas are presented. Paths not pictured: covariances between latent variables and between errors of 5 yr IC and 5 yr RS. *p < .05.