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Sexual dimorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene in narcolepsy is associated with response to modafinil

The Pharmacogenomics Journal volume 2, pages 65–68 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

The gene for catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays a key modulatory role in dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission. Recent evidence suggests that modafinil, like other stimulants, might act through the dopaminergic system. We have reported a sexual dimorphism and a strong effect of the COMT genotype on narcolepsy symptoms and hypothesized that response to modafinil treatment may be associated with the COMT genotype. Here we confirm that COMT genotype distribution between men and women narcoleptics is associated with response to modafinil. In addition, the optimal daily dose of modafinil is approximately 100 mg lower in women narcoleptics and lower in all narcoleptics with low activity COMT genotype. Our results suggest that a sexual dimorphism in COMT activity affects the response to modafinil and probably to other dopaminergic stimulants.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the participants and their families. The work was supported by the Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (Geneva, Switzerland) and the Association pour l'Etude du Sommeil (Montpellier, France).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurologie B, Hôpital Gui-de-Chauliac, Montpellier, France

    Y Dauvilliers & M Billiard

  2. Département de Psychiatrie, Unité de Biochimie et Neurophysiologie Clinique, Université de Genève, Switzerland

    Y Dauvilliers, E Neidhart & M Tafti

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  1. Y Dauvilliers
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  2. E Neidhart
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  3. M Billiard
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  4. M Tafti
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Correspondence to M Tafti.

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Dauvilliers, Y., Neidhart, E., Billiard, M. et al. Sexual dimorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene in narcolepsy is associated with response to modafinil. Pharmacogenomics J 2, 65–68 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.tpj.6500088

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