Performance variability in Self-regulation: influence of the Val158Met COMT polymorphism, performance stability, and related outcomes
Year: 2017
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Self-regulation allows people to make plans, choose from alternatives, control impulses, inhibit unwanted thoughts, and regulate appetitive behavior. To study factors associated with self-regulation performance variability and related outcomes is critical for advancing in understanding one of the most adaptive human functions. Here, we sought to investigate the association of the Val158Met COMT polymorphism with two cognitive aspects of self-regulation. We also investigated behavioral features of self-regulation and biological and academic outcomes. Four papers were presented. 1) We investigated the association between the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism and working memory and arithmetic performance in 50 Neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) individuals. A significant association of the COMT polymorphism was observed with verbal working memory with an advantageous performance for Met/Met carriers. 2) We investigated the influence of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism on Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) performance depending on sex in a healthy adult sample. Participants were 192 healthy adults (84 men and 108 women). The results revealed a sex-dependent effect of COMT Va l158Met polymorphism on decision-making as measured by the IGT. Val/Val women showed the best performance in the last trials of the IGT. 3) We evaluated the telomere length (TL) of 61 ADHD children and their parents. We found general heritability to be the major mechanism explaining interindividual TL variation in ADHD, and hyperactive-impulsive dimension of ADHD was related with children’s TL. TL was shown to be a potential biomarker of the ADHD symptoms burden in families affected by this neurodevelopmental disorder. 4) Four distinct developmental groups regarding Executive Functions from 8 to 18 years of age were described in 180 children born extremely preterm. Academic performance in adolescence was related to EF stability, with those with typical and remitting EF profiles showing better outcomes. In conclusion, there was evidence of self-regulation complexity, emphasizing the adaptive role of impulsive control through cognitive and affective-motivational mechanisms.
Author: Danielle de Souza Costa
Language: Portuguese
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7119387899