{"id":6375,"date":"2023-08-08T20:12:03","date_gmt":"2023-08-08T13:12:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6375"},"modified":"2023-08-08T20:12:03","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T13:12:03","slug":"can-toxoplasmosis-infection-of-the-brain-have-long-term-effects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6375","title":{"rendered":"Can Toxoplasmosis Infection of the Brain Have Long-Term Effects?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Toxoplasma brain parasites can cause personality alterations.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"> <br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Of all causes of foodborne disease, a brain parasite called toxoplasma is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/26477997\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">ranked<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> as the fourth leading cause of hospitalization and the second leading cause of death in the United States. Nearly a quarter of us have already been <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/11495859\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">infected<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, one in three of us by the time we hit our 50s, as you can see in the graph below and at 0:22 in my video <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/long-term-effects-of-toxoplasmosis-brain-infection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Long-Term Effects of Toxoplasmosis Brain Infection<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-94754\" src=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0-22.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0-22.png 1920w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0-22-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0-22-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0-22-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0-22-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0-22-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0-22-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0-22-720x405.png 720w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/0-22-540x304.png 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Although we may then be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/24808246\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stuck<\/a> with this parasite in our brain for life, our immune system is so good at keeping it at bay that, for most healthy people, it\u2019s never able to rear its ugly head\u2014or at least not overtly. Studies have shown associations between toxoplasma infection and the presence of various psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar, suicide, self-harm, and memory impairment when we get older. How can a tiny parasite alter our very behavior?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I have talked before about how the rabies virus waits in the saliva while specifically targeting the emotions center of the brain to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/25994917\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">drive<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> animals into a fury, so they\u2019ll effectively do its bidding to bite others to transmit the virus. And there is the famous zombie-ant brain fungus that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/21399679\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">takes<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> over the animal completely. These are examples of \u201cparasitic manipulation,\u201d where the parasite <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/15792688\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">manipulates<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> the host to \u201cenhance\u00a0its own transmission by altering host behaviour.\u201d Toxoplasma <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23225872\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">is<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> \u201cperhaps one of the most convincing examples of a manipulative parasite of vertebrates,\u201d higher animals, like us.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Since the parasite <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/28513566\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">thrives<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> in cats, \u201cchronically infected rodents no longer respond to cat odour with fear and indeed the physical response is reversed to attraction.\u201d Mice become attracted to the smell of cats and thereby serve up the parasite on a silver platter. The parasite manipulates the rodent\u2019s brain, \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23225872\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">turning<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> their innate aversion into a \u2018suicidal\u2019 \u2018fatal feline attraction.\u2019\u201d Mice become attracted to cat pee, and this fatal attraction appears specific towards cats. They don\u2019t become attracted to pee in general; they remain indifferent to rabbit pee, for instance, and continue to be turned off by the pee of other predators. So, on one hand, the parasitic manipulation appears to be incredibly specific, but the parasite doesn\u2019t just want the mouse to seek out the cat. It wants the mouse to get eaten. So, there <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/28513566\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">are<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> general effects, too, such as impaired motor function, slower response times, and impaired memory and coordination. When the cat pounces, the parasite tries to make sure the mouse doesn\u2019t get away. Similarly, when California sea otters <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23225872\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">get<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> infected with toxoplasma, they\u2019re more likely to get eaten by a shark. It\u2019s not that the parasite wants to get into the shark; it may just be a by-product of the kind of general cognitive deficits that are so helpful for the parasite in other contexts.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When humans <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23433494\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">get<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> infected, we also start liking the smell of cat pee. Isn\u2019t that wild? The parasite knows just what strings to pull, but it\u2019s the more general effects we\u2019re concerned about. We don\u2019t need to worry that our newfound appreciation for saber-toothed tiger urine is going to get us eaten, but mucking with our reaction times could be problematic. That could be why multiple studies have shown more traffic and worksite accidents among those who are chronically infected. It may not just be our slowed reaction time, though. The parasite also <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23225872\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">appears<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> to affect \u201csubtle behavioural alterations,\u201d like making us more likely to take risks. Great for the parasite in the cat-and-mouse game, but not so much if we\u2019re driving a car or wondering whether or not to take that next drink. Maybe one reason people with this brain parasite get into so many car accidents is that it may <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/28946032\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">make<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> people engage in riskier behaviors, like excessive alcohol consumption.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We typically <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23433494\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">think<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> of malaria as being humanity\u2019s greatest killer parasite. \u201cHowever, when we take into account the hundreds of thousands of deaths that occur due to the increased probability of traffic accidents, working accidents, suicides, and possibly also other side effects of the infection, we are forced to admit that \u2018asymptomatic\u2019 latent toxoplasmosis\u201d\u2014that is, toxoplasma infection that has infected one in four Americans\u2014\u201ccould easily take malaria down from its throne.\u201d Before I get into how to prevent and treat the darn thing, what might these \u201cother side effects\u201d be?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How exactly does toxoplasma <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/21957440\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">manipulate<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> its host\u2019s behavior? Well, one clue we <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23433494\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">got<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> decades ago is the increased level of dopamine in the brains of infected mice. You can even show it right in a petri dish of infected brain tissue, as you can see in the graph below and at 4:28 in my <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/long-term-effects-of-toxoplasmosis-brain-infection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">video<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. It turns out that these parasites actually <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23433494\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">have<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> an enzyme to make dopamine from scratch, which they then release into the surrounding brain tissue. Why do we care? Because elevated dopamine is a characteristic of schizophrenia. Nearly all modern antipsychotic drugs work by trying to bring down dopamine levels by either inhibiting dopamine receptors or decreasing the level of dopamine in the brain.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-94752\" src=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/4-28.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/4-28.png 1920w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/4-28-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/4-28-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/4-28-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/4-28-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/4-28-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/4-28-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/4-28-720x405.png 720w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2023\/08\/4-28-540x304.png 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Researchers posited that \u201c[i]t is possible that the increased dopamine accumulation and release <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/21957440\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">observed<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> during <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">T. gondii<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> [toxoplasma] infection may contribute to\u2026 schizophrenia.\u201d That should be easy to figure out. Do schizophrenics have an increased prevalence of infection? Indeed, the \u201cincreased prevalence of toxoplasmosis in schizophrenics was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23433494\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">demonstrated<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> by at least 50 studies\u2026\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Remember: Chronic infection is not rare. Nearly one in four American adults and adolescents are already infected. If that surprises you, you may have missed the other videos in my four-part series:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"et_social_bottom_trigger\"\/>  <\/div>\n<p><script>\n            !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n            {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n                n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n            if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n            n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n            t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n            s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n                'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n            fbq('init', '1582627921973608');\n            fbq('track', 'PageView');\n        <\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Toxoplasma brain parasites can cause personality alterations. Of all causes of foodborne disease, a brain parasite called toxoplasma is ranked as the fourth leading cause of hospitalization and the second leading cause of death in the United States. Nearly a quarter of us have already been infected, one in three of us by the time &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6376,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6375"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6375\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}