Toxoplasma gondii and BehaviorToxoplasmosis Appears to Cause Personality and Psychological ChangesApr 17, 2007 Rosemary Drisdelle
Research on Toxoplasma gondii, a cat parasite, suggests that chronic infection causes subtle behavioral, personality, and psychological changes in infected people.
Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite, has people alarmed because of scientific evidence that it affects behavior—a disquieting ability that conjures up mental images of mind control and people run amok. Scientists are now zeroing in on the effects of toxoplasmosis on rats and mice; what the parasite does to cats and people, however, is still far from clear. Here are some results of research that help clarify what’s known at this time:
The effects of T. gondii on individual and collective human behavior are still not understood. Toxoplasma gondii may be doing damage, but it’s not on the scale of a mind-controlling monster in a science fiction movie. It’s important to remember that many factors influence human mental health and behavior—T. gondii is just one. A short bibliography of peer reviewed journal articles on this topic:Flegr J., Zitkova S., Kodym P. et al. “Induction of Changes in Human Behavior by the Parasite protozoan Toxoplasma gondii.” Parasitology. 1996 Jul; 113(Pt 1): 49-54. Holliman R. E. “Toxoplasmosis, Behavior, and Personality.” Journal of Infection. 1997 35:105-110. Lafferty, Kevin D. “Can the Common Brain Parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, Influence Human Culture?” Proceedings of the Royal Society B. doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.3641 Lindova J., Novotna M., Havlicek J. et al. “Gender Differences in Behavioral Changes Induced by Latent Toxoplasmosis.” International Journal for Parasitology. 2006 Dec; 36(14): 1485-92. Webster J. P., Lamberton P. H., Donnelly C. A. et al. “Parasites as Causative Agents of Human Affective Disorders? The Impact of Anti-psychotic, Mood Stabilizer, and Anti-parasite Medication on Toxoplasma gondii’s Ability to Alter Host Behavior. Proceedings. Biological Sciences. 2006 Apr 22; 273(1589): 1023-30. Read about another parasite that controls host behavior:
The copyright of the article Toxoplasma gondii and Behavior in Microbiology is owned by Rosemary Drisdelle. Permission to republish Toxoplasma gondii and Behavior in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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