Catechol-O-methyltransferase Activity Does Not Influence Emotional Processing in Men

Overview

Journal J Psychopharmacol

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Pharmacology

Date 2022 Apr 21

PMID 35443830

Authors

Marieke Ag Martens

Nina Dalton

Jessica Scaife

Catherine J Harmer

Paul J Harrison

Elizabeth M Tunbridge

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) regulates cortical dopaminergic transmission and prefrontal-dependent cognitive function. However, its role in other cognitive processes, including emotional processing, is relatively unexplored. We therefore investigated the separate and interactive influences of COMT inhibition and ValMet (rs4680) genotype on performance on an emotional test battery.

Methods: We recruited 74 healthy men homozygous for the functional COMT ValMet polymorphism. Volunteers were administered either a single 200 mg dose of the brain-penetrant COMT inhibitor tolcapone or placebo in a double-blind, randomised manner. Emotional processing was assessed using the emotional test battery, and mood was rated using visual analogue scales and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire across the test day.

Results: There were no main or interactive effects of ValMet genotype or tolcapone on any of the emotional processing measures or mood ratings.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that, at least in healthy adult men, COMT has little or no effect on emotional processing or mood. These findings contrast with several neuroimaging studies that suggest that COMT modulates neural activity during emotional processing. Thus, further studies are required to understand how COMT impacts on the relationship between behavioural output and neural activity during emotional processing. Nevertheless, our data suggest that novel COMT inhibitors under development for treating cognitive dysfunction are unlikely to have acute off target effects on emotional behaviours.

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