Key result
The COMT Val158Met polymorphism showed no significant independent or interactional associations with cognitive decline in cognitively normal older adults.
Why the study?
The COMT Val158Met polymorphism has been linked to altered cognition, but its independent and interactional effects alongside neocortical Aβ-amyloid accumulation and APOE ε4 on cognitive performance in preclinical Alzheimer disease were not established.
Does the COMT Val158Met polymorphism influence cognitive decline in cognitively normal older adults?
Cohort (n=598)
Does the COMT Val158Met polymorphism influence cognitive decline in cognitively normal older adults?
The COMT Val158Met variant does not appear to influence cognitive decline or modify the effects of Aβ-amyloid or APOE ε4 in cognitively normal older adults.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
COMT Val158Met may modify Aβ effects on cognition; leaves open whether genotyping informs risk stratification in preclinical AD.
The non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), Val158Met within the Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene has been associated with altered levels of cognition and memory performance in cognitively normal adults. This study aimed to investigate the independent and interactional effects of COMT Val158Met on cognitive performance. In particular, it was hypothesised that COMT Val158Met would modify the effect of neocortical Aβ-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation and carriage of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele on cognition in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In 598 cognitively normal older adults with known neocortical Aβ levels, linear mixed modelling revealed no significant independent or interactional associations between COMT Val158Met and cognitive decline. These findings do not support previous associations between COMT Val158Met and cognitive performance and suggest this variant does not influence Aβ-amyloid or APOE ε4 driven cognitive decline in a well characterised cohort of cognitively normal older adults.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Porter et al. (2019) conducted a cohort in Cognitively normal older adults (n=598). COMT Val158Met polymorphism was evaluated on cognitive decline. The COMT Val158Met polymorphism showed no significant independent or interactional associations with cognitive decline in cognitively normal older adults.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: