• Chiho Yatsuga, Daiki Toyohisa, Takashi X Fujisawa, Shota Nishitani, Kazuyuki Shinohara, Naomi Matsuura, Shinobu Ikeda, Masaaki Muramatsu, Akinobu Hamada, and Akemi Tomoda.
• Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
• Brain Dev. 2014 Aug 1; 36 (7): 620-5.

ObjectiveThis study ascertained the association between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Japanese children and a polymorphism of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), a dopamine-control gene. The secondary aim of the study was the evaluation of a putative association between methylphenidate (MPH) effect/adverse effects and the COMT genotype.MethodsTo ascertain the distribution of the Val158Met variant of COMT, 50 children meeting ADHD inclusion criteria were compared with 32 healthy children. Clinical improvement and the occurrence of adverse effects were measured before and 3 months after MPH administration in children with ADHD, and analyzed for genotype association. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III), age, MPH dose were included as co-variables.ResultsThe occurrence of the COMT Val/Val genotype was significantly higher in children with ADHD (χ(2)(1)=7.13, p<0.01). However, there was no significant difference in the Val/Val genotype according to disorder, and WISC and ADHD rating scale scores, after correcting for the interaction between disorder and COMT genotype. Furthermore, no significant difference in MPH effect/adverse effects was observed in association with the COMT genotype in the ADHD group.ConclusionsThese results showed a lack of association between the COMT Val/Val genotype and ADHD in Japan.Copyright © 2013 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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