Association of dopamine transporter genotype with disruptive behavior disorders in an eight-year longitudinal study of children and adolescents.

Associations between dopamine transporter (DAT1) variable number tandem repeats (VNTR), genotypes, and disruptive behavior were examined in an 8-year longitudinal study of children (n = 183). Half of the children met criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at 4-6 years and half were non-referred comparison children. Consistent with several studies, the non-additive association for the 10-repeat allele was significant for hyperactivity-impulsivity (HI) symptoms. However, consistent with other studies, exploratory analyses of the non-additive association of the 9-repeat allele of DAT1 with HI and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms also were significant. The inconsistent association between DAT1 and child behavior problems in this and other samples may reflect joint influence of the 10-repeat and 9-repeat alleles.