Lack of Association Between COMT Polymorphisms and Apathy in Alzheimer's Disease

Article type: Research Article

Authors: David, Renaud^{a; b; *} | Friedman, Leah^{b; c} | Mulin, Emmanuel^a | Noda, Art^b | Le Duff, Franck^e | Kennedy, Quinn^b | Garcia, Rene^d | Robert, Philippe H.^a | Yesavage, Jerome A.^{b; c} | Zeitzer, Jamie M.^{b; c} | and for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

Affiliations: [a] Centre Mémoire de Ressources de Recherche - EA CoBTeK, CHU University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France | [b] Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA | [c] Psychiatry Service, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA | [d] Laboratoire de Neurobiologie et Psychotraumatologie, University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Nice, France | [e] Public Health Department, Nice University Hospital, Nice, France

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Renaud David, Centre Mémoire de Ressources et de Recherche, CHU Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Hôpital Cimiez, 4 avenue Reine Victoria, 06002 Nice, France. Tel.: +33 4 92034770; Fax: +33 4 92034772; E-mail: [email protected].

Note: [1] Data used in preparation of this article were obtained from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database (www.loni.ucla.edu/ADNI). As such, the investigators within the ADNI contributed to the design and implementation of ADNI and/or provided data but did not participate in analysis or writing of this report. ADNI investigators include (complete listing available at http://www.loni.ucla.edu/ADNI/Collaboration/ADNI_Manuscript_Citations.pdf).

Abstract: We tested the hypothesis that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) are associated with apathy in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). We analyzed a cohort of 105 Caucasian individuals with AD (age = 79.3 ± 7.03 years; MMSE = 20.2 ± 4.4) according to the presence of apathy, as defined either by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory or the Apathy Inventory. Polymorphisms in seventeen SNPs in COMT were examined. A replication cohort consisting of 176 Caucasian AD subjects in the ADNI database was also analyzed. None of the candidate gene SNPs were significantly associated with the presence of apathy in either cohort. We did not find any SNPs in COMT that were consistently associated with apathy in individuals with AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, apathy, catechol-O-methyltransferase, dopamine, single nucleotide polymorphisms

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2011-110491

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 155-161, 2011