Sensorimotor gating of schizophrenia patients depends on catechol O-methyltransferase ValMet polymorphism

It has been recently shown that Catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val(158)Met polymorphism strongly influences prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response (ASR) in healthy human volunteers. Given that schizophrenia patients exhibit impairment in PPI and that COMT is a putative susceptibility gene for schizophrenia, we investigated the impact of the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphisms on PPI in schizophrenic inpatients. We analyzed COMT Val(158)Met polymorphisms and assessed startle reactivity, habituation, and PPI of ASR in 68 Caucasian schizophrenia inpatients. Clinical symptoms were measured with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Patients carrying the Val(158)Met Met/Met allele showed elevated PPI levels whereas startle reactivity and habituation did not differ from the other two genotypes. These preliminary results imply that PPI is influenced by COMT Val(158)Met genotype in schizophrenia as well. In concert with other findings, our data suggest that PPI is a polygenic trait. COMT Val158Met polymorphism affects PPI in schizophrenia Quednow et al. Sensorimotor gating of schizophrenia patients depends on catechol O-methyltransferase ValMet polymorphism Boris B. Quednow, Michael Wagner, Rainald Mössner, Wolfgang Maier, Kai-Uwe Kühn 1) Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Germany 2) University Hospital of Psychiatry, Experimental Psychopathology and Brain Imaging, University of Zurich, Switzerland Manuscript Statistic: Abstract word count: 141 Text word count (without citations): 2400 Number of tables: 2 Number of figures: 2 2. Revision: June 18, 2008 Corresponding Author: Boris B. Quednow, Ph.D., Dipl.-Psych. University Hospital of Psychiatry Clinical Research Lenggstrasse 31 CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland Tel.: 0041-44-384-2777 Fax: 0041-44-384-3396 E-Mail: [email protected]