The human dopamine transporter gene SLC6A3 is involved in substance use disorders (SUDs) among many other common neuropsychiatric illnesses but allelic association results including those with its classic genetic markers 3'VNTR or Int8VNTR remain mixed and unexplainable.
The goal of this study was to evaluate whether ADHD risk alleles at DRD4 and DAT1 genes could predict the change in striatal DAT occupancy after treatment with MPH in adolescents with ADHD/SUDs.
We found three candidate genes associated with both BD and TUD (COMT, SLC6A3, and SLC6A4) and commonality analysis suggests that these genes interact in predisposing psychiatric and substance use disorders.