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Study: The Lack of Significant Association of the Catechol-O-Methyl Transferase (COMT) Gene Polymorphism in Violent Offenders with Mental Retardation

NCJ Number
229708
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 55 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2010 Pages: 225-228
Author(s)
Aysun Baransel Isir, M.D.; Alper Ibrahim Dai, M.D.; Muradiye Nacak, M.D.; Senay Gorucu, Ph.D.
Date Published
January 2010
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Little is known about the criminality of cognitively impaired people, and also there have been no reports on the relationship between catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) and committed mental retardation (MR) subjects. In the present study, the association between committed (violent offenses) MR subjects and genetic variants of COMT were investigated by using polymerase chain reaction and based restriction fragment length polymorphism methods.
Abstract
During 6 years of follow-up, 36 violent offenders with mild MR were investigated. Thirty-six control volunteers were included in the study as a control group. H/L polymorphism of the COMT gene was investigated in these two groups. In conclusion, the COMT gene genotype distribution and allele frequency is not significantly different between the two groups (p greater than 0.05). This result suggests that the H/L polymorphism of the COMT gene does not show an association with the potential of "commits-violent offense" of Turkish subjects with mental retardation, compared with the control group. 1 figure, 2 tables, and 34 references (Published abstract)