bipolar disorder – Toxoplasma gondii & Human Phenotype

Association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and psychiatric disorders in Zhejiang, Southeastern China

February 4, 2020
Chen, X. J., Chen, B., Hou, X. Q., Zheng, C. Q., Yang, X. J., Ke, J. Q., Hu, X., Tan, F.
Acta Tropica 2019, 192: 82 - 86

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Lack of circulating toxoplasma gondii DNA in seropositive patients with bipolar or schizophrenia spectrum disorders

February 1, 2020
Galli, L., Del Grande, C. Rindi, L., Mangia, C., Mangano, V., Schiavi, E., Masci, I., Pinto, B., Kramer, L., Dell'Osso, L., Bruschi, F.
Psychiatry Research :2019, 173: 706 - 711

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Toxoplasma gondii IgG associations with sleep-wake problems, sleep duration and timing

February 1, 2020
Corona, C. C. ,Zhang, M. Wadhawan, A., Daue, M. L., Groer, M. W., Dagdag, A., Lowry, C. A., Hoisington, A. J., Ryan, K. A., Stiller, J. W., Fuchs, D., Mitchell, B. D., Postolache, T. T.
Pteridines 2019, 30: 1 - 9

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Relationship between toxoplasmosis and obsessive compulsive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis

February 1, 2020
Nayeri Chegeni, T., Sarvi, S. Amouei, A. Moosazadeh, M. Hosseininejad, Z. Aghayan, S. A. Daryani, A.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 19, 13

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Background A few studies investigated the relationship between toxoplasmosis and mental disorders, such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the specific nature of the association between Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection and OCD is not yet clear. The aim of this study was to collect information on the relationship between OCD and toxoplasmosis and assess whether patients with toxoplasmosis are prone to OCD. Methods For the purpose of this study, 6 major electronic databases and the Internet search engine Google Scholar were searched for the published articles up to July 30(th), 2018 with no restriction of language. The inverse variance method and the random effect model were used to combine the data. The values of odds ratio (OR) were estimated at 95% confidence interval (CI). Results A total of 9 case-control and 3 cross-sectional studies were included in our systematic review. However, 11 of these 12 articles were entered into the meta-analysis containing 9873 participants, out of whom 389 were with OCD (25.96% positive for toxoplasmosis) and 9484 were without OCD (17.12% positive for toxoplasmosis). The estimation of the random effect model indicated a significant common OR of 1.96 [95% CI: 1.32-2.90]. Conclusion This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that toxoplasmosis could be as an associated factor for OCD (OR = 1.96). However, further prospective investigations are highly recommended to illuminate the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of T. gondii infection in OCD and to better investigate the relationship between OCD and T. gondii infection. Author summary Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an obligate neurotropic parasite that infected about 25-30% of the total human population in the developed and developing countries. The obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disease that affects the income and quality of life. Some studies confirmed an association between infectious agents as the associated or protective factors specifying the development of psychiatry diseases. Among various pathogens associated with psychological disorders, most of the attention is on T. gondii, which has a life-long asymptomatic latent phase after a short acute stage in healthy individuals. The detrimental effect of T. gondii on immunocompromised people and pregnant women is an important concern for public health. The correlation between toxoplasmosis and OCD is still relatively understudied with a paucity of documented findings. The previous meta-analysis reviewed only two studies and reported a 3.4-fold greater chance of OCD. The results of our study presented stronger evidence of a positive relationship between toxoplasmosis and OCD. Eventually, our research team hopes to present an overview of what is known and encourage more intensive research to determine the real impact of this parasite on the occurrence of OCD that may contribute to the prevention of OCD worldwid

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.

Seroprevalence and molecular evaluation of Toxoplasma gondii in Schizophrenic patients hospitalized in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Southeast of Iran

January 31, 2020
Modrek, M. J., Hasanzadeh, R., Foroutan, M., Mirahmadi, H., Rahmati-Balaghaleh, M., Zarean, M.
Tropical Biomedicine 19, 36: 422 - 429

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Host-parasite interaction associated with major mental illness

January 29, 2020
Kano, S., Hodgkinson, C. A., Jones-Brando, L., Eastwood, S., Ishizuka, K., Niwa, M., Choi, E. Y., Chang, D. J., Chen, Y., Velivela, S. D., Leister, F., Wood, J., Chowdari,K., Ducci, F., Caycedo, D. A., Heinz, E., Newman, E. R., Cascella, N., Mortensen, P. B., Zandi, P. P., Dickerson, F., Nimgaonkar, V., Goldman, D., Harrison, P. J., Yolken, R. H., Sawa, A.
Molecular Psychiatry 2020, 25: 194 - 205

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Association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and psychiatric disorders in Zhejiang, Southeastern China

April 1, 2019
Chen, X., Chen, B., Hou, X., Zheng, C., Yang, X., Ke, J., Hu, X., Tan, F.
Acta Tropica, 192, 82–86. doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.02.001

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Toxoplasma antibody titers in mania: A cross sectional study

August 31, 2018
Mangot, A. G., Shivakumar, V., Saini, V., Subbanna, M., Kalmady, S. V., Venkatasubramanian, G.
Journal of Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences University 2018; 7: 13-20

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Immunoglobulin sub-class distribution in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia: potential relationship with latent Toxoplasma Gondii infection

August 31, 2018
Bengoufa, H. D., Godin, O., Doukhan, R., Guen, E. L.,Daban-Huard, C. , Bennabi, M., Delavest, M., Lepine, J. P., Boukouaci, W., Laouamri,H., Houenou, J., Jamain, S., Richard, J. R. , Lecorvosier, P. , Yolken, R., Rajagopal, K., Leboyer, M., Tamouza, R.
Bmc Psychiatry 2018; 18

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Are infectious agents involved in the pathogenesis of postpartum psychosis?

May 3, 2018
de Witte, L.D., Snijders, G., Litjens, M., Kamperman, A.M., Kushner, S.A., Kahn, R.S., Bergink, V.
Journal of Affective Disorders 2018; 229: 141-144

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Toxoplasma gondii: Biological parameters of the connection to schizophrenia

February 12, 2018
Xiao, J. C. ,Prandovszky, E. , Kannan,G., Pletnikov, M. V. Dickerson, ,F. , Severance , E. G., Yolken, R. H.
Schizophrenia Bulletin 2018; 44: 983-992

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Immunoglobulin sub-class distribution in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia: potential relationship with latent Toxoplasma Gondii infection

February 12, 2018
Hamdani,N. ,Bengoufa, D. , Godin, O., Doukhan, R.., Le Guen,E., Daban-Huard, C. , Bennabi, M. ,Delavest, M., Lepine, J. P., Boukouaci, W. , Laouamri, H. , Houenou,J., Jamain, S., Richard,J. R. , Lecorvosier, P. , Yolken,R. , Rajagopal, K. , Leboyer, M. , Tamouza, R.
BMC Psychiatry,10.1186/s12888-018-1821-9, Article Number 239

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Neurophysiological changes induced by chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection

December 8, 2017
Tedford, E., McConkey, G.
Pathogens 2017; 6: Artn 19 10.3390/Pathogens6020019

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Toxoplasma gondii and schizophrenia: a review of published RCTs

October 2, 2017
Chorlton, S.D.
Parasitology Research 2017; 116: 1793-1799

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From toxoplasmosis to schizophrenia via nMda dysfunction: peptide overlap between Toxoplasma gondii and N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptors as a potential Mechanistic Link.

October 2, 2017
Lucchese, G.
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2017; 8

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Relationship between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and acoustic startle response in an inner-city population

October 2, 2017
Massa, N. M., Duncan, E., Jovanovic, T., Kerley, K., Weng, L., Gensler, L., Lee, S. S., Norrholm, S., Powers, A., Almli, L. M., Gillespie, C. F., Ressler, K., Pearce, B. D.,
Brain Behavior and Immunity 2017; 61: 176-183

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Toxoplasma gondii (TOXO) is a neuroinvasive protozoan parasite that induces the formation of persistent cysts in mammalian brains. It infects approximately 1.1 million people in the United States annually. Latent TOXO infection is implicated in the etiology of psychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia (SCZ), and has been correlated with modestly impaired cognition. The acoustic startle response (ASR) is a reflex seen in all mammals. It is mediated by a simple subcortical circuit, and provides an indicator of neural function. We previously reported the association of TOXO with slowed acoustic startle latency, an index of neural processing speed, in a sample of schizophrenia and healthy control subjects. The alterations in neurobiology with TOXO latent infection may not be specific to schizophrenia. Therefore we examined TOXO in relation to acoustic startle in an urban, predominately African American, population with mixed psychiatric diagnoses, and healthy controls. Physiological and diagnostic data along with blood samples were collected from 364 outpatients treated at an inner-city hospital. TOXO status was determined with an ELISA assay for TOXO-specific IgG. A discrete titer was calculated based on standard cut-points as an indicator of seropositivity, and the TOXO-specific IgG concentration served as serointensity. A series of linear regression models were used to assess the association of TOXO seropositivity and serointensity with ASR magnitude and latency in models adjusting for demographics and psychiatric diagnoses (PTSD, major depression, schizophrenia, psychosis, substance abuse). ASR magnitude was 11.5% higher in TOXO seropositive subjects compared to seronegative individuals (p = 0.01). This effect was more pronounced in models with TOXO serointensity that adjusted for sociodemographic covariates (F = 7.41, p = 0.0068; F = 10.05, p = 0.0017), and remained significant when psychiatric diagnoses were stepped into the models. TOXO showed no association with startle latency (t = 0.49, p = 0.63) in an unadjusted model, nor was TOXO associated with latency in models that included demographic factors. After stepping in individual psychiatric disorders, we found a significant association of latency with a diagnosis of PTSD (F = 5.15, p = 0.024), but no other psychiatric diagnoses, such that subjects with PTSD had longer startle latency. The mechanism by which TOXO infection is associated with high startle magnitude is not known, but possible mechanisms include TOXO cyst burden in the brain, parasite recrudescence, or molecular mimicry of a host epitope by TOXO. Future studies will focus on the neurobiology underlying the effects of latent TOXO infection as a potential inroad to the development of novel treatment targets for psychiatric disease.

Prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in first episode schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: Comparison between Toxoplasma seropositive and Toxoplasma seronegative groups.

October 2, 2017
Solanki, R.K., Singh, C., Mishra, V.
Indian Journal of Psychiatry 2017; 59: S212-S212

Systematic assessment of environmental risk factors for bipolar disorder: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

May 11, 2017
Bortolato, B., Kohler, C.A., Evangelou, E., Leon-Caballero, J., Solmi, M., Stubbs, B., Belbasis, L., Pacchiarotti, I., Kessing, L.V., Berk, M., Vieta, E., Carvalho, A.F.
Bipolar Disorder 2017; 19: 84-96

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Pathogen-mediated NMDA receptor autoimmunity and cellular barrier dysfunction in schizophrenia

May 9, 2017
Kannan, G., Gressitt, K.L., Yang, S., Stallings, C.R., Katsafanas, E., Schweinfurth, L.A., Savage, C.L.G., Adamos, M.B., Sweeney, K.M., Origoni, A.E., Khushalani, S., Bahn, S., Leweke, F.M., Dickerson, F.B., Yolken, R.H., Pletnikov, M.V., Severance, E.G.
Translational Psychiatry 2017; 7: 10.1038/tp.2017.162

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Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in a cohort of Italian psychiatric inpatients with mood or psychotic disorders: a preliminary communication

May 4, 2017
Del Grande, C., Schiavi, E., Masci, I., Barbuti, M., Maccariello, G., Pinto, B., Massimetti, G., Bruschi, F. , Dell’Osso, L.
European Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 27: 881-882

Evidence of increased exposure to Toxoplasma gondii in individuals with recent onset psychosis but not with established schizophrenia

May 4, 2017
Yolken, R., Torrey, E.F., Dickerson, F.
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2017; 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006040

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The association between immune markers and recent suicide attempts in patients with serious mental illness: A pilot study

March 23, 2017
Dickerson, F., Adamos, M., Katsafanas, E., Khushalani, S., Origoni, A., Savage, C., Schweinfurth, L., Stallings, C., Sweeney, K., Alaedini, A., Uhde, M., Severance, E., Wilcox, H. C., Yolken, R.
Psychiatry Research 2017;255:8-12

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Neurophysiological changes induced by chronic Toxoplasma gondii Infection.

March 13, 2017
Tedford, E., McConkey, G.
Pathogens. 2017; 6: 19-31

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Infection and inflammation in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

January 3, 2017
Tanaka, T., Matsuda, T., Hayes, L. N., Yang, S. J., Rodriguez, K., Severance, E. G., Yolken, R. H., Sawa, A., Eaton, W. W.
Neuroscience Research 2017; 115: 59-63

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Bipolar disorder with psychotic features and ocular toxoplasmosis

January 3, 2017
Del Grande, C., Contini, C., Schiavi, E., Rutigliano, G., Maritati, M., Seraceni, S., Pinto, B., Dell'Osso, L., Bruschi, F.
Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 2017; 205: 192-195

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Suicide attempts and markers of immune response in individuals with serious mental illness

January 3, 2017
Dickerson, F., Wilcox, H. C., Adamos, M., Katsafanas, E., Khushalani, S., Origoni, A., Savage, C., Schweinfurth, L., Stallings, C., Sweeney, K., Yolken, R.
Journal of Psychiatric Research 2017; 87: 37-43

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Infectious and immunogenetic factors in bipolar disorder

January 3, 2017
Oliveira, J., Oliveira-Maia, A. J., Tamouza, R., Brown, A. S., Leboyer, M.
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 2017; 136:409-423

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Temporal cognitive decline associated with exposure to infectious agents in a population-based, aging cohort

October 29, 2016
Nimgaonkar, V. L., Yolken, R. H., Wang, T. X., Chang, C. C. H., McClain, L., McDade, E., Snitz, B. E., Ganguli, M
Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders 2016; 30: 216-222

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The known and missing links between Toxoplasma gondii and schizophrenia

October 6, 2016
Elsheikha, H.M., Busselberg, D., Zhu, X.Q.
Metabolic Brain Disease 2016; 31: 749-759.

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Toxoplasma gondii infection in schizophrenia and associated clinical features

October 6, 2016
Esshili, A., Thabet, S., Jemli, A., Trifa, F., Mechri, A., Zaafrane, F., Gaha, L., Juckel, G., Babba, H., Jrad, B. B. H.
Psychiatry Research 2016; 245: 327-332

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Reciprocal moderation by Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and blood phenylalanine – tyrosine ratio of their associations with trait aggression

October 6, 2016
Mathai, A. J., Lowry, C. A., Cook, T. B., Brenner, L. A., Brundin, L., Groer, M. W., Peng, X. Q., Giegling, I., Hartmann, A. M., Konte, B., Friedl, M. Fuchs, D. Rujescu, D. Postolache, T. T.
Pteridines 2016; 27: 77-85.

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Infection and characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in human induced neurons from patients with brain disorders and healthy controls

October 3, 2016
Passeri E, Jones-Brando, L Bordon, C Sengupta, S Wilson, AM Primerano, A Rapoport, JL Ishizuka, K Kano, S Yolken, RH Sawa, A
Microbes and Infection 2016; 18: 153-158

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Toxoplasma gondii-A gastrointestinal pathogen associated with human brain diseases

October 3, 2016
Severance, E. G., Xiao, J., Jones-Brando, L., Sabunciyan, S., Li, Y., Pletnikov, M., Prandovszky, E., Yolken, R.
In: Cryan JF, Clarke G, eds. Gut Microbiome and Behavior 2016: pp. 143-163. (International Review of Neurobiology).

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Serious psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression are important causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. While these are primarily diseases involving altered brain functioning, numerous studies have documented increased rates of gastrointestinal inflammation and dysfunction in many individuals with these disorders. Toxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan protozoan intracellular parasite with a widespread distribution in both developed and developing countries. Toxoplasma organisms enter the ecosystem through the shedding of oocysts by Toxoplasma-infected felines. In almost all cases of postnatal human infection, Toxoplasma enters its hosts through the intestinal tract either by the ingestion of oocysts or by the consumption of meat from food animals which themselves were infected by Toxoplasma oocysts. It had previously been thought that most cases of Toxoplasma infection in immune competent children and adults were inapparent and asymptomatic. However, recent studies cast doubt on this concept as exposure to Toxoplasma has been associated with a range of acute and chronic symptoms. Of particular note has been the finding of an increased rate of a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders associated with serological evidence of Toxoplasma exposure. A role of Toxoplasma infection in brain diseases is also supported by the consistent finding of altered cognition and behavior in animal models of infections. Much of the attention relating to the role of Toxoplasma infection in neuropsychiatric disorders has focused on the brain, where Toxoplasma tissue cysts can persist for extended periods of time. However, recent discoveries relating to the role of the gastrointestinal tract in cognition and behavior suggest that Toxoplasma may also increase susceptibility to human brain diseases through immune activation, particularly involving the gastrointestinal mucosa. The study of the pathways relating to the pathobiology and immunology of Toxoplasma infection may provide insights into the pathogenesis of a range of human neuropsychiatric disorders as well as into cognitive functioning in otherwise healthy individuals.

Exposure to perinatal infections and bipolar disorder: A systematic review

May 24, 2016
Barichello, T., Badawy, M., Pitcher, M. R., Saigal, P., Generoso, J. S., Goularte, J. A., Simoes, L. R., Quevedo, J., Carvalho, A. F.
Curr Mol Med 2016; 16: 106-118

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Mental Health Disorders Associated with Foodborne Pathogens

January 4, 2016
Bolton, D. J., Robertson, L. J.
Journal of Food Protection 2016, 79: 2005-2017

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Human infections with foodborne pathogenic organisms are relatively well described in terms of their overt physical symptoms, such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, fever, and associated sequelae. Indeed, some of these are key for diagnosis and treatment, although it should be noted that, for some foodborne pathogens, the physical symptoms might be more diffuse, particularly those associated with some of the foodborne parasites. In contrast, the impact of these pathogens on mental health is less well described, and symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and general malaise are usually ignored when foodborne infections are recorded. Despite this, it is generally accepted that there are several psychiatric disorders of unknown etiology that may be associated with microbial pathogens. Depression, autism, hypochondriasis and anxiety, schizophrenia, and Tourette syndrome probably have multiple contributing causes, among which foodborne pathogens may play a decisive or contributory role, possibly sharing pathophysiological pathways with other environmental triggers. This review focuses on foodborne parasites and bacterial pathogens. Some foodborne parasites, such as metacestodes of Taenia soliunz and tissue cysts (bradyzoites) of Toxoplasma gondii, may affect mental health by directly infecting the brain. In contrast, bacterial infections and other parasitic infections may contribute to mental illness via the immune system and/or by influencing neurotransmission pathways. Thus, cytokines, for example, have been associated with depression and schizophrenia. However, infectious disease models for psychiatry require a more complete understanding of the relationship between psychiatric disorders and microbial triggers. This article reviews the current state of knowledge on the role of foodborne parasitic and bacterial pathogens in mental illness and identifies some of the gaps that should be addressed to improve diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues that are not solely related to psychiatric factors.

The correlation between Toxoplasma gondii infection and prenatal depression in pregnant women

January 4, 2016
Shiadeh, M. N., Rostami, A., Pearce, B. D., Gholipourmalekabadi, M., Newport, D. J., Danesh, M., Mehravar, S., Seyyedtabaei, S. J.
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases 2016; 35: 1829-1835

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“Latent” infection with Toxoplasma gondii: Association with trait aggression and impulsivity in healthy adults

October 9, 2015
Cook, T. B., Brenner, L. A., Cloninger, C. R., Langenberg, P., Igbide, A., Giegling, I., Hartmann, A. M., Konte, B., Friedl, M., Brundin, L., Groer, M. W., Can, A., Rujescu, D., Postolache, T. T.
Journal of Psychiatric Research 2015; 60: 87-94

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Treatment with anti-toxoplasmic activity (TATA) for Toxoplasma positive patients with bipolar disorders or schizophrenia: A cross-sectional study

October 9, 2015
Fond, G., Boyer, L., Gaman, A., Laouamri, H., Attiba, D., Richard, J. R., Delavest, M., Houenou, J., Le Corvoisier, P., Charron, D., Krishnamoorthy, R., Oliveira, J., Tamouza, R., Yolken, R., Dickerson, F., Leboyer, M., Hamdani, N.
Journal of Psychiatric Research 2015; 63: 58-64.

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Objective: The association between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and respectively Bipolar Disorder (BD) and Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective disorder (SZ) is one of the most studied link between one pathogen and psychiatric disorders. The aim of the present study was thus to retrospectively determine if the administration of an antipsychotic and/or a mood stabilizer having known in vitro Anti-Toxoplasmic Activity (TATA+) was associated with a better clinical outcome in a population of 152 BD or 114 SZ patients and seropositive for T gondii infection compared to patients receiving a treatment without anti-toxoplasmic activity (TATA-). Methods: This multicenter study was conducted in an academic public hospital during a 3-years period between 2009 and 2011. All consecutive inpatients and outpatients with SZ or BD diagnosis with a stable treatment for more than 4 weeks were recruited. socio-demographic and clinical characteristics measured with validated scales as well as a serological status for toxoplasmic infection were included. Treatments were classified according to their in vitro antitoxoplasmic activity. A multivariate model was used to determine the clinical characteristics that were significantly different between patients receiving a treatment with no antitoxoplasmic activity compared to others. Results: BD patients with positive serum antibodies against T gondii presented more lifetime depressive episodes (p = 0.048) after adjustment forage, sex and sociodemographic characteristics when treated by drug having no anti-toxo activity, compared to patients having received drugs with anti-toxo activity. A significant difference was not found in BD toxonegative patients and in SZ toxopositive or toxonegative patients. Conclusions: It seems to be of importance to consider prescribing a drug with a clear anti-toxoplasmic activity (TATA+) for BD patients seropositive to T. gondii, in particular valproate that was found as the mood stabilizer with the highest antitoxoplasmic activity. Prospective randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm this preliminary data.

Cognitive deterioration among bipolar disorder patients infected by Toxoplasma gondii is correlated to interleukin 6 levels

October 6, 2015
Hamdani, N., Daban-Huard, C., Lajnef, M., Gadel, R., Le Corvoisier, P., Delavest, M., Carde, S., Lepine, J. P., Jamain, S., Houenou, J., Galeh, B., Richard, J. R., Aoki, M., Charron, D., Krishnamoorthy, R., Yolken, R., Dickerson, F., Tamouza, R., Leboyer, M.
Journal of Affective Disorders 2015; 179: 161-166

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