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 (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.
I've heard a theory that severe toxoplasmosis infections might be behind "crazy cat ladies".
An interesting article. It raises some very intriguing possibilities for the treatment of schizophrenia, suicide and depression.
Dang! Will need new plan, apparently. >:(
Oh thanks another malady to feed my paranoia.
I never did trust cats.
QuoteSo the parasite goes into many different (http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/allinthemind/we-have-ways-of-making-you-think-parasites-on-the/2960922) 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.
Is toxoplasmosis any thing like the god virus? Hey there is a whole book about the virus thing.
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.