Study of the Catechol‐O‐Methyltransferase (COMT) Gene with High Aggression in Children
Abstract
The etiology of childhood‐onset aggression (COA) is poorly understood, but early COA can be considered as a strong risk factor for adult delinquency and criminal behavior. Callous‐unemotional (CU) traits have been proposed as a developmental model of antisocial behavior. Catechol O‐methyltransferase (COMT) has been associated with aggression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other psychiatric disorders. We report an association study between COMT single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), childhood aggression, and the CU trait in our sample of 144 children with scores at or exceeding the 90th percentile on the aggression subscale of the parent‐reported Child Behavior Checklist and the Teacher's Report Form. The genotype analysis of rs6269 showed nominally significant association (P = .019) and rs4818 showed a trend (P = .064) with COA. Trends were observed for rs6269 and rs4818 with CU scores (P< .10) as well. The analyses stratified by ADHD, or gender showed no significant results. This is the first report to our knowledge evaluating COMT SNPs with the phenotype of high aggression in children with a possible role for the COMT marker in CU traits. Given the importance of CU traits in antisocial behavior, further investigation of COMT is warranted. Aggr. Behav. 39:45‐51, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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rs6269 was significantly associated with high aggression in children (p = 0.019).
“Significant rs6269 (p = 0.019)”
From Genetics of child aggression, a systematic review (2024) · cites this paper as Hirata [63]
There was a trend for association of rs4818 with high aggression in children (p = 0.064).
“trend for rs4818 (p = 0.064)”
From Genetics of child aggression, a systematic review (2024) · cites this paper as Hirata [63]
The majority of studies included only participants of European ancestry in order to limit spurious findings due to population stratification, and the results may not be generalizable to participants of other ancestries.
“While the majority of the studies included only participants of European ancestry (Table S2) in order to limit spurious findings due to population stratification, the results may not be generalizable to participants of other ancestries [63, 133].”
From Genetics of child aggression, a systematic review (2024) · cites this paper as [63]
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- Authors
- Hirata, Y., Zai, C. C., Nowrouzi, B., Beitchman, J. H., & Kennedy, J. L.
- Affiliations
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CA)
- Department of Psychiatry Child Psychiatry Section Centre for Addiction and Mental Health University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Corresponding author
- Beitchman, Joseph H.
- Kennedy, James L.
- Venue
- Aggressive Behavior
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2012-09-12
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 45-51
- ISSN
- 0096-140X (ISSN-L)
- 1098-2337
- OpenAlex
- W1931050183
- Cited by
- 65
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 4.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Aggressive Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- Eli Lilly and Company
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Keywords
- catechol-O-methyltransferase, COMT gene, callous-unemotional traits, single nucleotide polymorphisms, antisocial behavior, genetic association, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, child aggression
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Aggression, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Catechol O-Methyltransferase, Child, Child Behavior, Female, Gene Frequency, Genotype, Humans, Male, Sex Factors, Conduct Disorder, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Genetic Association Studies
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