posted on Mar, 10 2015 @ 03:08 AM
sciencelife.uchospitals.edu...
"We found that chronically infected mice have additional behavioral changes, such as freezing in an open field, grooming themselves less well, loss
of balance and diminished grip strength. These behaviors are typical of unhealthy aging. Brains from chronically infected mice are smaller than those
from normal controls. We find parasites in cysts within neurons that had formed synapses. We also see an inflammatory process, especially within and
next to the part of the brain associated with memory.
"Is there a human equivalent to such behavior changes?
I used to have my doubts, but I am no longer so certain that this behavioral change involves only rodents. A recent study from Stanford showed changes
in immune-system molecules in blood from chronically and acutely infected pregnant women that were not present in uninfected matched controls. A group
at Johns Hopkins University found subtle but specific memory deficits in young professionals who had antibody to the parasite, compared to matched
controls.
Several research teams have looked for effects on personality or behavior in humans. These groups have found that patients with schizophrenia or
obsessive-compulsive disorder are statistically more likely to have a T. gondii infection. Infected men have slower reaction times, and more than
twice as many traffic accidents."