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V al158 M et COMT polymorphism and risk of aggression in alcohol dependence
Author(s) -
Soyka Michael,
Zill Peter,
Koller Gabi,
Samochowiec Agnieszka,
Grzywacz Anna,
Preuss Ulrich W.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
addiction biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.445
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1369-1600
pISSN - 1355-6215
DOI - 10.1111/adb.12098
Subject(s) - aggression , delirium tremens , psychology , psychiatry , clinical psychology , poison control , medicine , medical emergency
Aggression, violence and antisocial behavior are common in alcoholism, but their biological basis is poorly understood. Several studies and recent meta‐analyses indicate that in schizophrenia the catecholamine‐ O ‐methyltransferase ( COMT ) V al158 M et genotype may be associated with aggression, most often in methionine allele carriers. We tested this hypothesis in a sample of treatment‐seeking alcohol‐dependent in‐patients (293 G erman patients and 499 controls, and additional 190 P olish patients as replication sample). As expected, patients with a history of violent or non‐violent crime were more often male, had an earlier onset of alcoholism and more withdrawal seizures and delirium tremens, and were more likely to have a history of suicide attempts. COMT genotype was not associated with a history of violent or non‐violent crime. More studies are needed on the neurobiological basis of aggression and violence in alcoholism.