Effect of MAOA promoter polymorphism and neuropsychological performance on psychopathy traits

Abstract

Introduction: Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by affective and antisocial traits. The defining features of psychopathy are risk factors to present violent behavior. It has been suggested that both orbitofrontal neuropsychological performance and genetic factors are fundamental for the development of psychopathy. Objective: To assess the moderating role of MAOA genotype on the relationship between orbitofrontal function and psychopathy traits. Methods: 66 adult male inmate subjects were assessed by an executive functions battery and the MAOA-uVNTR polymorphism was obtained. Multiple regression analysis was carried out to compare the group slopes according to the genetic variation of MAOA and to assess the effect of this variation in the relationship between orbitofrontal functioning and psychopathy traits. Results: The relationship between low orbitofrontal neuropsychological performance and the presence of antisocial traits of psychopathy was stronger among the low activity of MAOA allele carriers. Discussion: These findings were according to the previous studies about abnormal emotional processing and behavioral inhibition failures reported in subjects with genetic risk for violence, as well as with studies about neuropsychological performance in psychopaths. Further the MAOA genotype moderates the relationship between orbitofrontal functioning and antisocial traits of psychopathy which is a risk factor for violence.

Keywords

• Monoamine oxidase A
• Neuropsychology
• Psychopathic personality
• Violence