Psychosis and aggression in Alzheimer's disease: the effect of dopamine receptor gene variation
- aUniversity of Southampton, Community Clinical Sciences Research Division, Memory Assessment and Research Centre, Moorgreen Hospital, Botley Road, West End, Southampton SO30 3JB, UK, bInstitute of Psychiatry, London, UK
- Dr C Holmesch4{at}soton.ac.uk
- Received 22 November 2000
- Revised 1 June 2001
- Accepted 4 June 2001
Abstract
This study investigated possible associations between selected polymorphisms in the dopamine receptor genes DRD1 and DRD3 with the presence of psychotic phenomena or aggressive behaviour in a community based cohort of 134 patients with late onset Alzheimer's disease. An association was found between the presence of psychotic symptoms and aggressive behaviour and the DRD1 polymorphism and between the presence of psychosis, but not aggression, and the DRD3 polymorphism. Specifically, carriers of the DRD1 B2 allele were more likely to be aggressive or experience hallucinations whereas homozygous carriers of the DRD3 1 allele were more likely to experience delusions.
