behavior – Toxoplasma gondii & Human Phenotype

Toxoplasma gondii – obsessive -compulsive disorder relationship: is it different in children?

February 6, 2020
Miman, O., Ozcan, O., Unal, S., Atambay, M.
Nordic Journal of Psychiatry 2019, 72: 501 - 505

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Toxoplasma gondii – obsessive -compulsive disorder relationship: is it different in children?

February 1, 2020
Miman, O., Ozcan, O., Unal, S., Atambay, M.
Nordic Journal of Psychiatry 2019, 72: 501 - 505

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Is there any association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and depression? A systematic review and meta-analysis

January 31, 2020
Chegeni, T. N., Sharif, M., Sarvi, S., Moosazadeh, M., Montazeri, M., Aghayan, S. A., Balalami, N. J., Gholami, S., Hosseininejad, Z., Saberi, R., Anvari, D., Gohardehi, S., Daryani, A.
PLoS ONE 2019, 14

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Background Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an obligate intracellular opportunistic parasite that is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. This parasite accounts for mental disorders; however, the relationship between T. gondii infection and depressive disorder is unclear. Regarding this, the present systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the scientific evidence regarding the potential association between major depression disorder (MDD) and Toxoplasma infection. Methods For the purpose of the study, the articles related to the subject of interest were systematically searched in seven electronic databases. Special attention was given to the studies examining T. gondii seropositivity level in depressed patients and controls. Results The search process resulted in the identification of a total of 30 publications meeting the inclusion criteria and published up to April 2018 for the systematic review. Furthermore, 29 studies met the inclusion criteria to be entered into meta-analysis. Our meta-analysis involved the review of cross-sectional studies including 1657 depressed patients and 19565 individuals as controls and case-control studies entailing 1311 depressed cases and 6015 controls without depression. 1582 depressed people participated in cross-sectional studies whose results were reported as odds ratio (OR). In addition, the total number of participants was 15068 in this type of studies. Statistical analysis indicated that the pooled OR of the risk of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody in depressed individuals in case-control and cross-sectional studies was 1.15 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.95-1.39). Conclusions As the findings of the reviewed articles indicated, toxoplasmosis is not a risk factor for MDD. However, it is necessary to perform further research to clarify the detailed association between T. gondii and dysthymia or mild and moderate depression. Furthermore, it is recommended to better investigate the effect of antibody titers on the relationship between depression and T. gondii infection.

The effects of latent Toxoplasma gondii infection on the behavior and personality characteristics of university students

January 30, 2020
Akgul, O
Anadolu Psikiyatri Dergisi-Anatolian Journal of Psychiatry 2020, 21: 70 - 76

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Objective: It is well known that one-third of the world population is infected with toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), and the seroprevalence varies according to socioeconomic status and hygienic habits. Nowadays, it's thought that T. gondii which is related asymptomatic latent infections in brain and muscle tissue may be related with neuropsychiatric conditions. Methods: T. gondii lgG levels of serum samples obtained from 150 volunteer university students who participated in the study according to inclusion criteria were determined according to the manufacturer's recommendations by ELISA (Enzyme-Linked lmmunosorbent Assay) method. Criminal profiles (accident claims, criminal conviction), impulsive behaviors (non-suicidal self-injury, attempted suicide) and personality traits (extra-version, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience) of the participants were recorded by appropriate scales and/or clinical interviews. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between T. gondii seropositivity and impulsive behaviors such as suicide attempt and physical injury, criminal events such as crime and traffic accidents and 5 factor personality types in psychiatric healthy individuals. Results: Sixty-nine (46%) of participants were male and 81 were female (54%), ages ranged from 20 to 37 (25.71 +/- 3.08) and the rate of seropositivity was determined as 30.66%. The relationship between seropositivity and accident claims was not statistically significant; the criminal conviction, non-suicidal self-injury and attempted suicide were statistically correlated. There was no statistically difference in terms of the features of extraversion or openness to experience between seronegative and seropositive groups. However, the T. gondii lgG were statistically highly correlated with lower agreeableness, lower conscientiousness and higher neuroticism scores. Conclusion: The data obtained from our study which is the first study conducted with this context in our country, confirms that latent T. gondii may be associated with negative behavioral outcomes. In order to fully understand the possible effects of T. gondii in psychiatric disorders, prospective-based studies are needed.

Seroprevalance Anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in children and adolescents with tourette syndrome/chronic motor or vocal tic disorder: A case-control study

September 3, 2018
Akaltun, I., Kara, T., Kara, S. S., Ayaydin, H.
Psychiatry Research 2018; 263: 154-157

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Lower performance of Toxoplasma-infected, Rh-negative subjects in the weight holding and hand-grip tests

September 3, 2018
Flegr, J., Sebankova, B., Priplatova, L., Chvatalova, V., Kankova, S.
PLoS ONE 2018; 13

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The microbiome in psychology and cognitive neuroscience

February 12, 2018
Sarkar, A. , Harty, S., Lehto,S. M., Moeller, A. H. , Dinan, T. G. , Dunbar,R. I. M. , Cryan, J. F. ,Burnet, P. W. J.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences 2018; 22: 611-636

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Toxoplasma gondii infection and behavioral outcomes in humans: a systematic review

February 12, 2018
Martinez, V. O. , Lima, F. W. D., . de Carvalho, C. F, Menezes, J. A.
Parasitology Research 2018; 117: 3059-3065

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The potential risk of toxoplasmosis for traffic accidents: A systematic review and meta-analysis

February 12, 2018
Gohardehi, S. , Sharif, M. , Sarvi, S., Moosazadeh, M., Alizadeh-Navaei,R., Hosseini,S. A., Amouei,A. , Pagheh, A. , Sadeghi , M., Daryani, A.
Experimental Parasitology 2018; 191: 19-24

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Prevalence of toxoplasmosis and its association with dementia in older adults in Central Africa: a result from the EPIDEMCA programme

February 12, 2018
Bouscaren, N., Pilleron,S. , Mbelesso,P. , Ndamba-Bandzouzi,B., Dartigues,J. F. , Clement,J. P. , Preux, P. M., Darde,M. L., Guerchet , M. , Grp, E.
Tropical Medicine and International Health 2018;23: 1304-1313

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Significance of chronic toxoplasmosis in epidemiology of road traffic accidents in Russian Federation

December 8, 2017
Stepanova, E. V., Kondrashin, A. V., Sergiev, V. P., Morozova, L. F., Turbabina, N. A., Maksimova, M. S., Brazhnikov, A. I., Shevchenko, S. B., Morozov, E. N.
PLoS ONE 2017;12: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184930

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New, previously unreported correlations between latent Toxoplasma gondii infection and excessive ethanol consumption

December 6, 2017
Samojlowicz, D., Borowska-Solonynko, A., Kruczyk, M.
Forensic Science International 2017; 280: 49-54

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A number of world literature reports indicate that a latent Toxoplasma gondii infection leads to development of central nervous system disorders, which in turn may lead to altered behavior in the affected individuals. T. gondii infection has been observed to play the greatest role in drivers, suicides, and psychiatric patients. Studies conducted for this manuscript involve a different, never before really reported correlation between latent T. gondii infection and ethanol abuse. A total of 538 decedents with a known cause of death were included in the study. These individuals were divided into three groups: the risky behavior group, inconclusively risky behavior group, and control group. The criterion for this division was the likely effect of the individual's behavior on the mechanism and cause of his/her death. The material used for analyses were blood samples collected during routine medico-legal examinations in these cases. The blood samples were used to measure anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Moreover, the following data were recorded for each decedent: sex, age, circumstances of death, cause of death, time from death to autopsy, and (if provided) substance abuse status (alcohol, illicit drugs). In those cases where blood alcohol level or toxicology tests were requested by the Prosecutor's Office, their results were also included in our analysis. Test results demonstrated a strong correlation between latent T. gondii infection and engaging in risky behaviors leading to death. Moreover, analyses demonstrated a positive correlation between the presence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies and psychoactive substance (especially ethanol) abuse, however, the causal relationship remains unclear. Due to the fact that alcohol abuse constitutes a significant social problem, searching for eliminable risk factors for addiction is extremely important. Our analyses provided new important information on the possible effects of latent T. gondii infection in humans.

Toxoplasma gondii infection: Relationship with aggression in psychiatric subjects

October 6, 2016
Coccaro, E. F., Lee, R., Groer, M. W., Can, A., Coussons-Read, M., Postolache, T. T.,
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 2016; 77: 334-341.

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Toxoplasma gondii infection and schizophrenia: an inter-kingdom communication perspective

October 6, 2016
Elsheikha, H.M., Zhu, X.Q.
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases 2016; 29: 311-318.

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Reduced ERPs and theta oscillations underlie working memory deficits in Toxoplasma gondii infected seniors

October 6, 2016
Gajewski, P. D., Falkenstein, M., Hengstler, J. G., Golka, K.
Psychology 2016; 120: 35-45.

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Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among patients with non-schizophrenic neurodevelopmental disorders in Alexandria, Egypt

October 3, 2016
Shehata AI, Hassanein FI, Abdul-Ghani R
Acta Tropica 2016; 154: 155-159

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Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among patients with non-schizophrenic neurodevelopmental disorders in Alexandria, Egypt

May 28, 2016
Shehata, A. I., Hassanein, F. I., Abdul-Ghani, R.
Acta Tropica 2016; 154: 155-159

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Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among patients with non-schizophrenic neurodevelopmental disorders in Alexandria, Egypt

May 24, 2016
Shehata, A.I., Hassanein, F.I., Abdul-Ghani, R.
Acta Tropica 2016;154: 155-159

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Toxoplasmosis Titers and past Suicide Attempts Among Older Adolescents Initiating SSRI Treatment

March 23, 2016
Coryell, W., Yolken, R., Butcher, B., Burns, T., Dindo, L., Schlechte, J., Calarge, C.
Archives of Suicide Research 2016; 20: 605-613

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Seropositivity and serointensity of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and DNA among patients with schizophrenia

October 29, 2015
Omar, A., Bakar, O. C., Adam, N. F., Osman, H., Osman, A., Suleiman, A. H., Manaf, M. R. A., Selamat, M. I.
Korean Journal of Parasitology 2015; 53: 29-34

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Association between latent toxoplasmosis and cognition in adults: a cross-sectional study

October 9, 2015
Gale, S. D., Brown, B. L., Erickson, L. D., Berrett, A., Hedges, D. W.
Parasitology 2015; 142: 557-565

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Toxoplasma gondii and anxiety disorders in a community-based sample

October 6, 2015
Markovitz, A. A., Simanek, A. M., Yolken, R. H., Galea, S., Koenen, K. C., Chen, S., Aiello, A. E.
Brain Behavior and Immunity 2015; 43: 192-197

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Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and cognitive functions in school-aged children

October 6, 2015
Mendy, A., Vieira, E. R., Albatineh, A. N., Gasana, J.
Parasitology 2015; 142: 1221-1227

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Seropositivity and serointensity of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and DNA among patients with schizophrenia

October 6, 2015
Omar, A., Bakar, O. C., Adam, N. F., Osman, H., Osman, A., Suleiman, A. H., Manaf, M. R. A., Selamat, M. I.
Korean Journal of Parasitology 2015; 53: 29-34.

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Toxoplasma gondii impairs memory in infected seniors

October 10, 2014
Gajewski, P. D., Falkenstein, M., Hengstler, J. G., Golka, K.
Brain Behavior and Immunity 2014; 36: 193-199

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Association between latent toxoplasmosis and major depression, generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in human adults

October 9, 2014
Gale, S. D., Brown, B. L., Berrett, A., Erickson, L. D., Hedges, D. W.
Folia Parasitologica 2014; 61: 285-292.

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Psychiatric disorders in Toxoplasma seropositive patients – CD8 connection

October 11, 2013
Bhadra, R., Cobb, D. A., Weiss, L. M., Khan, I. A.
Schizophrenia Bulletin 2013; 39: 485-489

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Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among individuals with severe mental illness in Nigeria: a case control study

October 11, 2013
James, B. O., Agbonile, I. O., Okolo, M., Lawani, A. O., Omoaregba, J. O.
Pathogens and Global Health 2013; 107: 189-193

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Differences in some developmental features between Toxoplasma gondii-seropositive and seronegative school children

October 9, 2013
Mizgajska-Wiktor, H., Jarosz, W., Andrzejewska, I., Krzykala, M., Janowski, J., Kozlowska, M.
Folia Parasitologica 2013; 60: 416-424

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Toxoplasma gondii infection and self-directed violence in mothers

October 12, 2012
Pedersen, M. G., Mortensen, P. B., Norgaard-Pedersen, B., Postolache, T. T.
Archives of General Psychiatry 2012; 69: 1123-1130

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The relation of cortisol and sex hormone levels to results of psychological, performance, IQ and memory tests in military men and women

January 9, 2012
Flegr, J., Hampl, R., Černochová, D., Preiss, M., Bičíkova, M., Sieger, L., Příplatová, L., Kaňková, S., Klose, J.
Neuroendocrinology Letters 2012; 33: 224-235

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Toxoplasma infection in schizophrenia patients: A comparative study with control group

October 19, 2011
Alipour, A., Shojaee, S., Mohebali, M., Tehranidoost, M., Masoleh, F. A., Keshavarz, H.
Iranian Journal of Parasitology 2011; 6: 31-37

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Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and suicide rates in women

October 19, 2011
Ling, V. J., Lester, D., Mortensen, P. B., Langenberg, P. W., Postolache, T. T.
Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 2011; 199: 440-444

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Toxoplasma gondii antibody titers and history of suicide attempts in patients with schizophrenia

October 16, 2011
Okusaga, O,. Langenberg, P., Sleemi, A., Vaswani, D., Giegling, I., Hartmann, A. M., Konte, B., Friedl, M., Groer, M. W., Yolken, R. H., Rujescu, D., Postolache, T. T.
Schizophrenia Research 2011; 133: 150-155

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The neurotropic parasite Toxoplasma gondii increases dopamine metabolism

March 26, 2011
Prandovszky, E., Gaskell, E., Martin, H., Dubey, J. P., Webster, J. P., McConkey, G. A.
Plos One 2011; 6: ARTN e23866 10.1371/journal.pone.0023866

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Is there a relationship between Toxoplasma gondii infection and idiopathic Parkinson’s disease?

October 19, 2010
Celik, T., Kamisli, O., Babur, C., Cevik, M.O., Oztuna, D., Altinayar, S
Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases 2010; 42: 604-608

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Toxoplasma gondii infection in first-episode and inpatient individuals with schizophrenia

January 9, 2010
Hamidinejat, H., Ghorbanpoor, M., Hosseini, H., Alavi, S. M., Nabavi, L., Jalali, M. H., Borojeni, M. P., Jafari, H., Mohammadaligol, S.
International Journal of Infectious Diseases 2010; 14: E978-E981

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A possible relationship between Toxoplasma gondii and schizophrenia: A seroprevalence study

October 26, 2009
Dogruman-Al, F., Aslan, S., Yalcin, S., Kustimur, S., Turk, S.
International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice 2009; 13: 82-87.

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Higher prevalence of toxoplasmosis in victims of traffic accidents suggest increased risk of traffic accident in Toxoplasma-infected inhabitants of Istanbul and its suburbs.

October 26, 2009
Kocazeybek, B., Oner, Y. A., Turksoy, R., Babur, C., Cakan, H., Sahip, N., Unal, A., Ozaslan, A., Kilic, S., Saribas, S., Asian, M., Taylan, A., Koc, S., Dirican, A., Uner, H. B., Oz, V., Ertekin, C., Kucukbasmaci, O., Torun, M. M.
Forensic Science International 2009; 187: 103-108

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Reflexes of drivers who have toxoplasmosis have been shown to deteriorate from the actions of the parasitic cysts. The cysts can change the level of the neurotransmitters such as dopamine in the brain and by doing so extend the muscle response time and change personality profiles. In this Study, we aimed to determine the frequency of the latent toxoplasmosis (LT) in the driver population who were either injured or died in traffic accidents reported in Istanbul and its suburbs. We compared the results with a control group and discussed the relationship between the LT and the traffic accidents. We included 218 (89.7%) non-fatal, 25 (10.3%) fatal cases in our study as study groups. A total 243 subjects, 234 (96%) male, 9 (4%) female (who were alcohol negative) compared with 191 (95.5%) male and 9 (4.5%) female Subjects (control group) who had a traffic accident before but no history of toxoplasmosis were studied. Serologic tests, enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for IgG and IgM, and microimmunoflorescence (MIF) for IgG were used as the reference test, the Sabin-Feldman Dye test (SFDT) was used. According to serologic test results, LT seroprevalence in the study groups was 130 (53.5%) and in the control group 56 (28%) (p < 0.0001). A LT was present in 126 out of 234 (53.8%) males in the study groups, and 54 out of 191 (28.3%) males in the control group (p < 0.0001). In the 31-44 year age group, there was a significant difference with regard to toxoplasmosis between the study subjects and control groups (p < 0.0001). This difference was statistically very significant in (recent and former) cases with middle-aged men (31 44 years old). The results of this retrospective study Suggest that LT in drivers, especially those who are between 31 and 44 years might increase the risk for getting involved in a car accident. In a prospective study, Toxoplasma positive and negative subjects can be monitored before they are involved in a traffic accident to clarify the cause and result relationship. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychosis may be associated with toxoplasmosis

October 26, 2009
Zhu S.
Medical Hypotheses 2009; 73: 799-801.

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