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Toxoplasma gondii & Human Phenotype

Compendium of Known Effects and Ongoing Research

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Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and cognitive functions in school-aged children

October 6, 2015 12 Comments
Mendy, A., Vieira, E. R., Albatineh, A. N., Gasana, J.
Parasitology 2015; 142: 1221-1227
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Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infects one-third of the world population, but its association with cognitive functions in school-aged children is unclear. We examined the relationship between Toxoplasma seropositivity and neuropsychological tests scores (including math, reading, visuospatial reasoning and verbal memory) in 1755 school-aged children 12-16 years old who participated to the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, using multiple linear regressions adjusted for covariates. Toxoplasma seroprevalence was 7.7% and seropositivity to the parasite was associated with lower reading skills (regression coefficient [beta] = -5.86, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -11.11, -0.61, P = 0.029) and memory capacities (beta = -0.86, 95% CI: -1.58, -0.15, P = 0.017). The interaction between T. gondii seropositivity and vitamin E significantly correlated with memory scores. In subgroup analysis, Toxoplasma-associated memory impairment was worse in children with lower serum vitamin E concentrations (beta = -1.61, 95% CI: -2.44, -0.77, P < 0.001) than in those with higher values (beta = -0.12, 95% CI: -1.23, 0.99, P = 0.83). In conclusion, Toxoplasma seropositivity may be associated with reading and memory impairments in school-aged children. Serum vitamin E seems to modify the relationship between the parasitic infection and memory deficiency.

Tagged: adults, association, behavior, cognition, cognitive function, disease, Dopamine, gene-expression, infection, intelligence, math, memory, mice, parasites, performance, reading, school-aged children, Toxoplasma gondii, vitamin e, vitamins

Cognitive functions

Toxoplasmosis-associated difference in intelligence and personality in men depends on their Rhesus blood group but not ABO blood group

September 27, 2013 Leave a Comment
Flegr, J., Preiss, M., Klose, J.
PLoS ONE 2013; 8(4): e61272. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0061272
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Background: The parasite Toxoplasma gondii influences the behaviour of infected animals and probably also personality of infected humans. Subjects with a Rhesus-positive blood group are protected against certain behavioural effects associated with Toxoplasma infection, including the deterioration of reaction times and personality factor shift. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here, we searched for differences in the toxoplasmosis-associated effects between RhD- positive and RhD-negative subjects by testing 502 soldiers with two personality tests and two intelligence tests. The infected subjects expressed lower levels of all potentially pathognomic factors measured with the N-70 questionnaire and in neurasthenia measured with NEO-PI-R. The RhD-positive, Toxoplasma -infected subjects expressed lower while RhD- negative, Toxoplasma -infected subjects expressed higher intelligence than their Toxoplasma -free peers. The observed Toxoplasma -associated differences were always larger in RhD-negative than in RhD-positive subjects. Conclusions: RhD phenotype plays an important role in the strength and direction of association between latent toxoplasmosis and not only psychomotor performance, but also personality and intelligence

Tagged: intelligence, personality, toxoplasmosis

Cognitive functionsPersonality

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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BACKGROUND: Cortisol, along with other hormones of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, belongs to one of the main factors influencing psychological and pathognomic factors, intelligence, and memory. METHODS: The aim of our study was to review a large battery of psychological, performance, IQ and memory tests as to their relation with cortisol, testosterone and estrogen levels in groups of 100 men and 93 women who attended the Central Military Hospital in Prague for regular entrance psychological examinations for military personnel. RESULTS: In men, we detected positive correlations between cortisol and emotional lability, and negative correlations with impulsivity, while in women hypochondria and psychopathology were negatively correlated, and aggression measured with the Meili selective memory test had a positive relation to cortisol level. Testosterone correlated positively with emotional liability and negatively with impulsivity in men, and negatively with hypochondria and psychasteny, indirect aggression, irritability and paranoia in women. Estradiol correlated positively with psychopathology in men, and negatively with phobia. It was positively correlated with negativism in women. No clear correlation was observed between the concentration of steroid hormones and psychomotor performance or intelligence. CONCLUSIONS: Concentrations of steroid hormones correlate with results of several psychological tests, the sign and magnitude of these correlations, however, very often differ in military men and women.

Tagged: aggression, bdi, behavior, cortisol, dominance, estrogen, gender differences, hypothesis, intelligence, meili test, memory, miller 2009, n-70, od-1, otis test, personality, personality tests, psychology, questionnaire, responses, stress, supports, testosterone, testosterone concentration, topp, toxoplasmosis, wmt

Cognitive functionsPersonality

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