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Brain parasite linked to schizophrenia and suicide.

Started by Genericguy, July 07, 2012, 08:02:35 PM

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Genericguy

July 07, 2012, 08:02:35 PM
QuoteIn 2003, E. Fuller Torrey of the Stanley Medical Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland his colleagues noted a link between Toxoplasma and schizophrenia – specifically, that women with high levels of the parasite were more likely to give birth to schizophrenics-to-be. The hypothesis given for this phenomenon is that while for most people who are infected, Toxoplasma has minor effects, for some, the changes are much more pronounced. The idea has gained traction – a later paper found, for example, that anti-psychotics worked just as well as parasite-killing drugs in restoring normal behaviors in infected rats, affirming the similarities between psychological disorders and Toxoplasma infection.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/05/toxoplasma-gondii-brain-parasite-suicide-cats_n_1651523.html?utm_hp_ref=science

I found it interesting that the anti-psychotics and anti-parasitic medication had similar results. Also... gross.

DeterminedJuliet

#1
July 07, 2012, 08:52:01 PM
I've heard a theory that severe toxoplasmosis infections might be behind "crazy cat ladies".
"We've thought of life by analogy with a journey, with pilgrimage which had a serious purpose at the end, and the THING was to get to that end; success, or whatever it is, or maybe heaven after you're dead. But, we missed the point the whole way along; It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing, or dance, while the music was being played.

markmcdaniel

#2
July 07, 2012, 10:50:06 PM
An interesting article. It raises some very intriguing possibilities for the treatment of schizophrenia, suicide and depression.
It appears to me (whether rightly or wrongly) that direct arguments against Christianity and theism produce hardly any effect on the public; and freedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men's minds which follows from the advance of science - Charles Darwin

I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the object of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own -- a god, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism. - Albert Einstein

Religion is a by product of fear. For much of human history, it may have been a necessary evil, but why was it more evil than necessary? Isn't killing people in the name of God a pretty good definition of insanity. - Arther C. Clarke

Faith means not wanting to know what is true. - Friedrich Nietzsche

Asmodean

#3
July 08, 2012, 12:31:07 AM
Dang! Will need new plan, apparently.  >:(
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.

The Magic Pudding

#4
July 08, 2012, 04:50:26 AM
Oh thanks another malady to feed my paranoia.

I never did trust cats.

QuoteSo the parasite goes into many different types of tissues but it prefers to go into the brain of the intermediate host. What these researchers had done was some very sophisticated studies showing that infected mice lost their fear of cats.

If I start liking cats I'll really start to worry.

Icarus

#5
July 08, 2012, 06:03:21 AM
Is toxoplasmosis any thing like the god virus?  Hey there is a whole book about the virus thing.

OldGit

#6
July 08, 2012, 09:28:18 AM
Quote from: DJI've heard a theory that severe toxoplasmosis infections might be behind "crazy cat ladies".

This sounds plausible.  If it's true, we can add old ladies to the list of organisms manipulated by the parasite.

I'd like to know if there's any medication which will get rid of the things.
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