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Interaction between MAO-A genotype and maltreatment in the risk for conduct disorder: failure to confirm in adolescent patients.

Young SE, Smolen A, Hewitt JK, Haberstick BC, Stallings MC, Corley RP, Crowley TJ

Institute for Behavioral Genetics, UCB 447, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80301, USA.

OBJECTIVE: Childhood maltreatment is a potent risk factor for subsequent aggressive and criminal behavior. A recent study suggested that the relationship between maltreatment and antisocial behavior may be moderated by a genetic vulnerability conferred by a functional polymorphism in the MAO-A gene. The authors investigated whether these findings would generalize to a clinical cohort of adolescents, examining whether there was a stronger association between maltreatment and conduct disorder severity in patients carrying the low MAO-A activity allele. METHOD: Male adolescent patients (N=247) entering residential or intensive day treatment for persistent conduct and substance use problems were examined. Conduct disorder severity was indexed by a lifetime count of DSM-IV criteria obtained through structured psychiatric interviews. Maltreatment scores were derived from summing neglect and abuse events reported to have occurred before age 11. RESULTS: Neglect, verbal/psychological abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse were prevalent among patients. Although level of maltreatment and lifetime conduct disorder symptoms were significantly correlated, no genetic-environmental interaction with genotype for maltreatment was found. CONCLUSION: The results of the current study do not support the hypothesis that a polymorphism in the gene encoding MAO-A contributes to the genetic risk for conduct disorder.

Published 2 June 2006 in Am J Psychiatry, 163(6): 1019-25.
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