ArticleBMC medical genomics2026
The functional minisatellite at the 3'-UTR of SLC6A3/DAT1 and dementia spectrum disorders: an association study in a population of Central Italy.
Article in BMC medical genomics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDementia comprises a spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders marked by progressive cognitive and behavioural decline, with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) being the most prevalent form. While several genetic factors have been implicated in AD pathogenesis, a significant portion of heritability remains unexplained. One potential contributor to this “missing heritability” is structural variation within non-coding regions, such as variable-number tandem repeats (VNTRs). This study investigated the 40-bp VNTR located in the 3’ untranslated region of the SLC6A3/DAT1 (henceforth referred to as DAT1) gene, a polymorphism previously associated with dopamine regulation and psychiatric conditions, for potential associations with dementia spectrum disorders and related neuropsychiatric phenotypes.
methodsA cohort of 799 elderly individuals from Central Italy, including AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), mixed dementia, and control subjects, was genotyped for the DAT1 VNTR and the APOE alleles. Neuropsychiatric evaluation was performed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI).
resultsNo significant association was observed between DAT1-VNTR genotypes and any dementia diagnosis. However, neuropsychiatric analysis revealed significant associations between DAT1-VNTR genotypes and behavioural symptoms. Carriers of the short (*S) allele showed association with apathy (especially in the presence of APOE*4), irritability, and disinhibition. The *S/*S genotype was notably linked to elevated NPI scores for irritability and disinhibition.
conclusionsThese findings suggest that while the DAT1 VNTR is not directly associated with dementia diagnoses, it may contribute to modulating neuropsychiatric symptoms across dementia types. The results emphasize the importance of investigating non-coding genetic variants and their interactions with established risk alleles, such as APOE*4. Larger studies are needed to validate these findings and explore the functional consequences of DAT1 variation in neurodegeneration. This work contributes to our understanding of the dopaminergic system’s influence on behavioural phenotypes in dementia. It warrants the VNTR as a candidate contributing to neuropsychiatric symptom variability in aging populations.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.