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Toxoplasma gondii & Human Phenotype

Compendium of Known Effects and Ongoing Research

attention

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
Click for abstract
Latent infection from Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is widespread worldwide and has been associated with cognitive deficits in some but not all animal models and in humans. We tested the hypothesis that latent toxoplasmosis is associated with decreased cognitive function in a large cross-sectional dataset, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). There were 4178 participants aged 20-59 years, of whom 191% had IgG antibodies against T. gondii. Two ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models adjusted for the NHANES complex sampling design and weighted to represent the US population were estimated for simple reaction time, processing speed and short-term memory or attention. The first model included only main effects of latent toxoplasmosis and demographic control variables, and the second added interaction terms between latent toxoplasmosis and the poverty-to-income ratio (PIR), educational attainment and race-ethnicity. We also used multivariate models to assess all three cognitive outcomes in the same model. Although the models evaluating main effects only demonstrated no association between latent toxoplasmosis and the cognitive outcomes, significant interactions between latent toxoplasmosis and the PIR, between latent toxoplasmosis and educational attainment, and between latent toxoplasmosis and race-ethnicity indicated that latent toxoplasmosis may adversely affect cognitive function in certain groups.

Tagged: attention, behavior, brain, cognition, deficits, disease, gondii infection, memory, Mexico, performance, processing speed, Schizophrenia, seroprevalence, socioeconomic position, Toxoplasma gondii, toxoplasmosis

Cognitive functions

Latent Toxoplasma gondii infection leads to deficits in goal-directed behavior in healthy elderly

October 10, 2014
Beste, C., Getzmann, S., Gajewski, P. D., Golka, K., Falkenstein, M
Neurobiology of Aging 2014; 35: 1037-1044.
Click for abstract
The parasite Toxoplasma gondii has been found to manipulate the behavior of its secondary hosts to increase its own dissemination which is commonly believed to be to the detriment of the host (manipulation hypothesis). The manipulation correlates with an up-regulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission. In humans, different pathologies have been associated with T. gondii infections but most latently infected humans do not seem to display overt impairments. Since a dopamine plus does not necessarily bear exclusively negative consequences in humans, we investigated potential positive consequences of latent toxoplasmosis (and the presumed boosting of dopaminergic neurotransmission) on human cognition and behavior. For this purpose, we focused on action cascading which has been shown to be modulated by dopamine. Based on behavioral and neurophysiological (EEG) data obtained by means of a stop-change paradigm, we were able to demonstrate that healthy young humans can actually benefit from latent T. gondii infection as regards their performance in this task (as indicated by faster response times and a smaller P3 component). The data shows that a latent infection which is assumed to affect the dopaminergic system can lead to paradoxical improvements of cognitive control processes in humans.

Tagged: action cascading, animal behavior, attention, basal ganglia, cognitive flexibility, Dopamine, eeg, error, event-related potentials, executive function, executive functions, Human, latent toxoplasmosis, manipulation hypothesis, modulation, Parasite, parkinson's disease, stop-change paradigm, toxoplama gondii

Mental health

Latent Toxoplasma gondii infection leads to improved action control

October 10, 2014
Stock, A. K., von Heinegg, E. H., Kohling, H. L., Beste, C.
Brain Behavior and Immunity 2014; 37: 103-108
Click for abstract
The parasite Toxoplasma gondii has been found to manipulate the behavior of its secondary hosts to increase its own dissemination which is commonly believed to be to the detriment of the host (manipulation hypothesis). The manipulation correlates with an up-regulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission. In humans, different pathologies have been associated with T. gondii infections but most latently infected humans do not seem to display overt impairments. Since a dopamine plus does not necessarily bear exclusively negative consequences in humans, we investigated potential positive consequences of latent toxoplasmosis (and the presumed boosting of dopaminergic neurotransmission) on human cognition and behavior. For this purpose, we focused on action cascading which has been shown to be modulated by dopamine. Based on behavioral and neurophysiological (EEG) data obtained by means of a stop-change paradigm, we were able to demonstrate that healthy young humans can actually benefit from latent T. gondii infection as regards their performance in this task (as indicated by faster response times and a smaller P3 component). The data shows that a latent infection which is assumed to affect the dopaminergic system can lead to paradoxical improvements of cognitive control processes in humans. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tagged: action cascading, animal behavior, attention, basal ganglia, cognitive flexibility, Dopamine, eeg, error, event-related potentials, executive function, executive functions, Human, latent toxoplasmosis, manipulation hypothesis, modulation, Parasite, parkinson's disease, stop-change paradigm, toxoplama gondii

Cognitive functionsMental healthMotor functions

Vigilance/sustained attention abnormalities in subjects with latent toxoplaxmosis

September 26, 2008
Holub, D., Motlová, L., Dragomirecká, E., Novák, T., Cermák, J., Rodriguez, M., Preiss, M., Ungrmanová, M., Panochová, A., Flegr, J.
Psychiatrie 2008; 12: Supl. 3
Click for abstract
Healthy controls without any mental disorder participated in the project ‘Psychosocial and biological predictors of therapeutic out - come of chronic affective and psychotic disorders’. Methods: A total of 115 persons (65 women, 56.5%) completed the computerized test Conners‘ Continuous Performance Test II Ver - sion 5 for Windows (CPT II V.5), and were interviewed for depression, demographic and health status. All participants were serologically tested and reliably divided into Toxoplasma negative or positive subgroups. Results: Toxoplasma positive subgroup of healthy subjects showed statistically significant tendency to improve their performance in the course of the test expressed by Hit Reaction Time Block Change parameter in Conner’s CPT II. Conclusion: We found out gradual improvement of attention/vigilance in healthy toxoplasma-infected subjects using specific method. The overall acceleration of reaction times may be related to attention deterioration of Toxoplasma cyst carriers at the beginning of the test and their preserved capacity to balance early vigilance decrement. This result represents a first step to examine long-term neurotropic effect of latent TG parasitosis on psychotic and non-psychotic population.

Tagged: attention, Conner’s CPT II., gene and environment interaction, infectious theory of schizophrenia, Toxoplasma gondii, vigilance

Cognitive functions

Topics

  • Behavior 105
  • Cognitive functions 64
  • Mental health 439
  • Morphology 6
  • Motor functions 10
  • Personality 36
  • Physical health 134
  • Reproduction 36
  • Reviews 40
  • Sensory functions 3
  • Uncategorized 2

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Recent articles

  • Mortality Patterns of Toxoplasmosis and Its Comorbidities in Tanzania: A 10-Year Retrospective Hospital-Based Survey February 6, 2020
  • The role of latent toxoplasmosis in the aetiopathogenesis of schizophrenia–the risk factor or an indication of a contact with cat? February 6, 2020
  • The Association between Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Risk of Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis February 6, 2020

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