Negative Effects of Latent Toxoplasmosis on Mental Health

Frontiers in Psychiatry
Jaroslav Flegr, Jiri Horacek

Abstract

Infection by the parasite Toxoplasma, which affects about 33% of world population, is associated with an increased risk of several mental health disorders, the most strongly with schizophrenia. It is unknown whether schizophrenia is associated with this infection the most strongly, or whether this association has just been the most intensively studied for historical reasons. We used the data from 6,367 subjects tested for toxoplasmosis who took part in an internet survey to search for associations of these infections with 24 mental health disorders and evidence of otherwise impaired mental health. The typical symptom associated with toxoplasmosis was anxiety, and the typical toxoplasmosis-associated disorders were autism (OR = 4.78), schizophrenia (OR = 3.33), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (OR = 2.50), obsessive compulsive disorder (OR = 1.86), antisocial personality disorder (OR = 1.63), learning disabilities (OR = 1.59), and anxiety disorder (OR = 1.48). Toxoplasmosis could play a substantial role in the etiopathogenesis of mental health disorders and its association with schizophrenia is the second strongest association, after autism.

References

Mar 29, 2006·Biological Psychiatry·Eric J Nestler, William A Carlezon
Jan 9, 2010·BMC Infectious Diseases·Yue XiaoQijun Chen
May 24, 2011·The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry : the Official Journal of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry·Jiri HoracekCyril Höschl
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Jan 6, 2016·Parasites & Vectors·Jaroslav Flegr, Zdeněk Hodný
Mar 1, 2016·Neuropharmacology·Nicholas H HuntHelen J Ball
Apr 5, 2016·Metabolic Brain Disease·Hany M ElsheikhaXing-Quan Zhu
Dec 20, 2016·European Psychiatry : the Journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists·J Flegr, J Horáček
Feb 21, 2018·Schizophrenia Research·Jaroslav Flegr, Jiří Horáček

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Citations

Aug 18, 2020·Journal of Parasitology Research·Enas A El SaftawyRita M Wassef
Jan 27, 2021·Parasites & Vectors·Wen Han TongAjai Vyas
Feb 11, 2021·World Journal of Microbiology & Biotechnology·Sanaz Jafarpour AzamiMohammad Reza Zali
May 14, 2021·Scientific Reports·Ana Lívia Libardi BertachiniDébora Marques de Miranda
Jul 2, 2021·Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal·Carmen Fernández-RodríguezLuis Alfonso Martínez-Cruz
Jul 3, 2021·Pathogens·Cosme Alvarado-EsquivelAntonio Sifuentes-Álvarez

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Software Mentioned

R package ppcor

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