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rs4680(A) = Worrier. Met, more exploratory, lower COMT enzymatic activity, therefore higher dopamine levels; lower pain threshold, enhanced vulnerability to stress, yet also more efficient at processing information under most conditions

rs4680(G) = Warrior. Val, less exploratory, higher COMT enzymatic activity, therefore lower dopamine levels; higher pain threshold, better stress resiliency, albeit with a modest reduction in executive cognition performance under most conditions

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Val158 alleles may be associated with an advantage in the processing of aversive stimuli (warrior strategy), while Met158 alleles may be associated with an advantage in memory and attention tasks (worrier strategy). Under conditions of increased dopamine release (eg, stress), individuals with Val158 alleles may have improved dopaminergic transmission and better performance, while individuals with Met158 alleles may have less efficient neurotransmission and worse performance. Some evidence suggests that Val158 alleles are associated with schizophrenia, while Met158 alleles are associated with anxiety.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3951746&forum_id=2#35860061)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3951746&forum_id=2#35860174)

not easy, i know, but it's not any easier for G/G people to buckle down and focus for extended periods of time when we're burning through our dopamine as fast as we can use it

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3951746&forum_id=2#35860280)

https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/worrier-warrior-explaining-rs4680comt-v158m-gene/

The Good

Gets more pleasure out of life – AA’s had twice the positive emotion towards a pleasant event than GG’s. GG people subjectively viewed a very pleasurable event on the same level that AA would view a slightly pleasurable event. AG had a mid -level. Effect for this was “quite large”.

More Creative (divergent thinking fluency – more of an effect with other genes). Dopamine in the Prefrontal cortex promotes cognitive stability by being more resistant to distractions.

Higher IQ (tested in people with schizophrenia).

Better working memory. (R, R2) – during an N-back task and a go-no-go task there was increased activation in the right posterior cingulate cortex for healthy adults with AG and AA compared to GG. (R) Also better verbal working memory(letter-number sequencing) in AA and AG compared to GG.

Better reading comprehension

More plasticity in older age – better responses to N-back brain training.

Better cognitive function when not under stress: Better attention and processing of information (executive function). However, realize that this one gene only accounts for 4% of the difference in executive function. The FAB exam tests executive function. GG scored an average of 16.0, GA 15.7 and AA 15.3. These scores are statistically significant, but not large.

More Exploratory

Have a better response to placebos. – Dopamine is thought to link to reward and ‘confirmation bias’ which enhance the sense that the treatment is working. More prominent in studies with subjective conditions such as pain and fatigue rather than objective physiological measurements. The response of patients with AG fell in the middle.

Higher cognitive stability? but comparatively lowcognitive flexibility. (R)

Increased verbal fluency for males (but decreased it for females). (R)

Better fine motor skills(AA vs GG) (control of small muscles in the fingers for grasping and manipulation).

Better ability to Aim.

AA’s focus more when they realize they have made an error.

Better absorption of tea polyphenols/EGCG.

AA’s had a lower risk for alcoholism.

AA’s had Better response to paxil/paroxetin.

The Bad

Worse handling of stress or pain. Researchers found when viewing unpleasant pictures, the startle response of women with AA was about six times stronger compared to those with only one A or none at all.

Anxiety: Studies have correlated AA allele with OCD, panic disorder, phobic anxiety.

Lower emotional resilience/more negative emotions/less able to handle negative events well.

More impulsive (AA vs GG). More significant in people who had AA for this gene AND TT for rs6313.

More depression – but relationship is complex.

Less Cooperative, Helpful and Empathic (AA, in females)

Less Extroverted

More neurotic (trended).

Higher Homocysteine – 10.4% in AA.

Higher risk of ADHD and ADHD severity

Higher sensitivity to mercury – boys (but not girls) with AA had impaired cognitive performance when exposed to mercury.

Fibromyalgia people with AA showed higher sensitivity to heat and pressure pain stimuli

It has also been linked with breast cancer risk — Asian-American women who have an AA or one A who also drink black or green tea appear to have a decreased chance of developing the disease.

44% Increased risk for cocaine dependence.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3951746&forum_id=2#35860330)

The Good

Better handling of stress and pain.

Better at learning languages.

More Cooperative, Helpful and Empathic (GG, in females)

Higher emotional resilience/able to handle negative events well.

Increased verbal fluency for females (also decreased for males).

Better working memory and higher hippocampal volume – in healthy chinese. As you can see AA is not always smarter than GG and it depends on other factors.

GG deprived of sleep responded well to modafinil in terms of improved vigor and well-being, and maintained baseline performance with respect to executive functioning. AA individuals barely responded to the drug at all.

Can more easily get into hypnosis.

GG results in more methylation in the gut

The Bad

Less pleasure out of life – AA’s had twice the positive emotion towards an event than GG’s. GG people subjectively viewed a very pleasurable event on the same level that AA would view a slightly pleasurable event.

Lower IQ (tested in people with schizophrenia)

Worse executive function/processing information, but better under stress. However, realize that this one gene only accounts for not more than 4% of the difference in executive function. The FAB exam tests executive function. GG scored an average of 16.0, GA 15.7 and AA 15.3. These scores are statistically significant, but not large.

Worse fine motor skills (AA vs GG) (control of small muscles in the fingers for grasping and manipulation).

Less Exploratory

More childhood depressive symptoms for GG.

2X Increased risk for breast cancer.

GG has 11X Higher risk of getting schizophreniform disorder from smoking pot as a teenager. AG has a 2.5X likelihood. However, a later study did not find this.

Increased risk for endometrial cancer.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3951746&forum_id=2#35861534)