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prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for higher
cognitive and executive function.
Each of us inherits either two As, two Gs, or an A and a
G. These letters represent variations called alleles. Having
two A copies results in a three- to fourfold decrease in
COMT enzyme activity compared to the G allele, and
having a combination of the two splits the difference.
Depending on what variation you have, dopamine either
gets broken down more quickly or more slowly at the
synapse. Therefore, if you have two As, then you will have
more dopamine hanging around in the prefrontal cortex
under everyday circumstances (because dopamine is broken
down more slowly), while carrying two Gs results in the
lowest amount of dopamine (because dopamine is broken
down more quickly). Those with AG fall somewhere in the
middle.
The A allele is thought to be the “worrier” allele, and
people who carry two copies tend to be more neurotic and
less extroverted. When worriers experience a spike in
dopamine, they really feel it—this is why AAs tend to feel
“higher highs” and get the sense that they are getting more
out of life. Though high dopamine may seem like a good
thing, too much postsynaptic stimulation can cause
cognitive performance to suffer. Worriers perform poorly
under stressful conditions for this reason, but display better
cognitive performance under normal conditions. AAs also
tend to experience lower lows and display less emotional
resilience, being more prone to anxiety and depression. On
the other hand, they are thought to be more creative.
The G allele is thought to be the “warrior” allele, and