Abstract
Reduced concentrations of dopamine in prefrontal brain structures may play a role in alexithymia. Dopamine degradation in the orbitofrontal cortex is regulated by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), and a functional single nucleotide polymorphism of the COMT gene, Val158Met, has been related to psychiatric illness. This study examines the association between the COMT Val158Met gene polymorphism, and alexithymia. 120 healthy students and 120 patients with mental disorders were genotyped for the COMT Val158Met polymorphism. Additionally, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was administered. COMT genotype did not show a significant correlation with the TAS-20 in either group. COMT Val158Met polymorphism alone does not seem to be a major factor in alexithymia in healthy students. This is true even if patients with mental disorders covering a broader range of alexithymia are included. Thus, other genes, possibly interacting with cultural, environmental, and developmental factors, may be implicated.
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