Catechol O -methyltransferase val 158 -met genotype and individual variation in the brain response to amphetamine

Monamines subserve many critical roles in the brain, and monoaminergic drugs such as amphetamine have a long history in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders and also as a substance of abuse. The clinical effects of amphetamine are quite variable, from positive effects on mood and cognition in some individuals, to negative responses in others, perhaps related to individual variations in monaminergic function and monoamine system genes. We explored the effect of a functional polymorphism (val(158)-met) in the catechol O-methyltransferase gene, which has been shown to modulate prefrontal dopamine in animals and prefrontal cortical function in humans, on the modulatory actions of amphetamine on the…

• NA
  National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression
• NI
  National Institutes of Health
• NI
  National Institute of Mental Health