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Toxoplasma gondii & Human Phenotype

Compendium of Known Effects and Ongoing Research

psychopathology

The effect of artemether on psychotic symptoms and cognitive impairment in first-episode, antipsychotic drug-naive persons with schizophrenia seropositive to Toxoplasma gondii

October 10, 2014 167 Comments
Wang, H. L., Xiang, Y. T., Li, Q. Y., Wang, X. P., Liu, Z. C., Hao, S. S., Liu, X., Liu, L. L., Wang, G. H., Wang, D. G., Zhang, P. A., Bao, A. Y., Chiu, H. F. K., Ungvari, G. S., Lai, K. Y. C., Buchanan, R. W.
Journal of Psychiatric Research 2014; 53: 119-124
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The objective was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of add-on artemether in first-episode, untreated people with schizophrenia, who were Toxoplasma gondii seropositive, and explore the change in T gondii antibodies during treatment. In this eight-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 100 T. gondii seropositive participants with schizophrenia were randomized to either the artemether or placebo group. Participants in the artemether group received 80 mg artemether once per day during the second week (days 8-14) and the fourth week (days 22-28). Participants in the placebo group received identical looking placebo capsules. Psychopathology, adverse side effects and cognitive function were measured using standardized instruments. The group x time interaction effects for the scores of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) subscales and performances on all cognitive components were not significant, only the main effect of group was significant. Compared to the placebo group, artemether group participants showed significantly greater reduction in the PANSS negative symptom scale (F-(1,F-46) = 4.7, p = 0.03) and the Clinical Global Impressions Scale (F-(1,F-96) = 6.2, p = 0.01) scores, but there were no significant differences in the PANSS positive symptom and general psychopathology scales (p > 0.05). There were also no significant differences between the two groups in performance on any of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) cognitive domains. The artemether risperidone combination is safe and well tolerated, but artemether as an adjunct to risperidone does not appear to alleviate cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. Trial Registration Chinese Clinical Trial Register (ChiCTR) TRC-13003145 (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tagged: acetylcholine-receptors, antibodies, artemether, artemisinin, cognition, derivatives, exposure, growth, inhibition, metaanalysis, progressive brain changes, psychopathology, rodents, Schizophrenia, Toxoplasma gondii

Mental health

Differences in onset of disease and severity of psychopathology between toxoplasmosis-related and toxoplasmosis-unrelated schizophrenia

September 27, 2013 Leave a Comment
Holub, D., Flegr, J., Dragomirecká, E., Rodriguez, M., Preiss, M., Novák, M., Čermák, J., Horáček, J., Kodym, P., Libiger, J., Höschl, C., Bankovská Motlová, L.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 127: 227-238, 2013
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Objective: Toxoplasmosis is a lifelong parasitic disease that appears to be associated to schizophrenia. However, no distinguishing attributes in Toxoplasma- infected schizophrenia patients have been described as yet. Method: We searched for differences in symptom profile, cognitive performance and treatment response between 194 Toxoplasma -free and 57 (22.7%) Toxoplasma -infected schizophrenia patients treated in Prague Psychiatric Centre between 2000 and 2010. Results: Infected and non-infected patients differed in severity of symptoms ( P = 0.032) measured with the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS). Infected patients scored higher in positive subscale of PANSS, but not in the general and negative subscales. Infected men scored higher also in Total PANSS score, and negative, reality distortion, disorganisation and cognitive scores. Higher PANSS scores of positive, negative and disorganised psychopathology were associated with the lower titres of anti- Toxoplasma antibodies suggesting that psychopathology deteriorates with duration of parasitic infection. Infected patients remained about 33 days longer in hospital during their last admission than uninfected ones ( P = 0.003). Schizophrenia started approximately 1 year earlier in infected men and about 3 years later in infected women, no such difference was observed in uninfected subjects. Conclusion: Latent toxoplasmosis in schizophrenia may lead to more severe positive psychopathology and perhaps less favourable course of schizophrenia

Tagged: illness onset, infection theory, psychopathology, Schizophrenia, Toxoplasma gondii

Mental health

Psychopathology in first-episode schizophrenia and antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii

October 30, 2005
Bachmann S., Schroder, J., Bottmer, C., Torrey, E.F., Yolken, R.H.
Psychopathology 2005; 38: 87-90
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Objective: Environmental factors such as infectious agents may contribute to the psychopathology and aetiology of schizophrenia. Toxoplasma gondii (TG) is a candidate infectious agent as it is known to replicate within the human central nervous system and to alter behaviour in experimental animals. Method: The relationship between antibodies to TG and psychopathological symptoms was examined in 34 first-episode patients with schizophrenia. Results: Results of regression analyses revealed that symptoms on admission, predictors of outcome, age and family history of psychiatric disease influenced the levels of antibodies to TG. Conclusions: These results indicate that TG infections may play a role in the clinical manifestation of psychopathology in a subgroup of patients with schizophrenia. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

Tagged: first episode, individuals, psychopathology, risk, Schizophrenia, Toxoplasma gondii

Mental health

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