TaqI-A polymorphism linked to the DRD2 gene and P300 in alcoholic patients
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Miguel Ángel Jiménez-Arriero [1] ; Guillermo Ponce Alfaro [1] ; Roberto Rodríguez Jiménez [1] ; M. Aragués [1] ; A. Galvan ; G. Rubio [1] ; Janet J. Hoenicka ; T. Palomo [1]
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[1] Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre
Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre
Madrid, España
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- Localización: European journal of psychiatry, ISSN 0213-6163, Vol. 20, Nº 1, 2006, págs. 45-53
- Idioma: inglés
- Enlaces
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Resumen
Background and Objectives:
Different studies carried out mainly in young non-consuming children of alcoholics show an association of P300 abnormalities with alcoholism and with the T aqI- A1 allele. Since the relationship between P300 and the T aqI- A1 allele has not been specifically studied in alcoholic patients, our objective was to investigate whether the association exits in this population.
Methods:
Our sample consisted of 176 recently detoxified male alcohol-dependent patients. These patients had been alcohol dependent from a mean age of 22.6 years and consumed on average 164.63 (± 142.99) cm 3 of alcohol daily. P300 was studied using an auditory paradigm.
T aqI -A polymorphism genotyping was performed. The association between P300 and T aqI- A, and correlation with age and alcohol consumption, was studied.
Results:
The T aqI- A1 allele was found in 38.6% of our patients (n = 68). The latency and amplitude of P300 were 361.64 milliseconds and 17.53 microvolts, respectively. P300 wave latency in alcoholic patients was longer than the reference value obtained from a sample of healthy men of the Event-Related Potentials Unit (p < 0.001). Alcoholic patients who carried the T aqI -A1 allele showed more prolonged P300 latency than non-carriers, and these in turn more than the control subjects. P300 characteristics varied according to age, but an associa- tion with amount of alcohol or number of years consuming was not found.
Conclusions:
There is a relationship between the T aqI -A polymorphism and P300 wave characteristics in alcoholic patients. Further investigations need to be carried out in non- consuming alcoholic patients and in healthy control subjects to confirm this association and to clarify the possible influence of the neurotoxic effects of alcohol on P300 physiology.
