{"id":6440,"date":"2023-08-10T19:27:43","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T12:27:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6440"},"modified":"2023-08-10T19:27:43","modified_gmt":"2023-08-10T12:27:43","slug":"toxoplasmosis-and-schizophrenia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6440","title":{"rendered":"Toxoplasmosis and Schizophrenia\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\">The brain parasite toxoplasma may be one of the most important risk factors for schizophrenia.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Toxoplasma \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23225875\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">infects<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> about one-third of the population of developed countries\u201d and about one in four adults in the United States. However, the \u201clife-long presence of dormant stages of this parasite in the brain and muscular tissues of infected humans is usually considered asymptomatic from a clinical point of view.\u201d There is \u201ca complex and dynamic interplay between the parasite, brain microenvironment [our brain], and the immune response that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/28191447\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">results<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> in the detente that promotes the life-long persistence of the parasite in the host.\u201d We can\u2019t rid it from our brain, but we can at least keep it from killing us, unless we get AIDS or another disease that causes our immune defenses to drop.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cWithin the past 10 years, however, many independent studies have <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23433494\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">shown<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> that this parasitic disease\u2026could be indirectly responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths due to its effects on the rate of traffic and workplace accidents, and also suicides. Moreover, latent toxoplasmosis is probably one of the most important risk factors for schizophrenia.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">As I discuss in my video <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/does-toxoplasmosis-cause-schizophrenia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Does Toxoplasmosis Cause Schizophrenia?<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">, schizophrenia does <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/17085743\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">have<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> a strong genetic component. But, even if you have the exact same genes as a schizophrenic\u2014for instance, if your identical twin has schizophrenia\u2014the chances of you having it are still probably less than 50 percent. So, what else might increase risk? As you can see at 1:22 in my <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/does-toxoplasmosis-cause-schizophrenia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">video<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">, studies <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/22446566\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">performed<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> over five decades in 20 countries found toxoplasma infection nearly <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">triples<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> the odds of schizophrenia, \u201cwhich is more than any \u2018gene for schizophrenia\u2019 that has been <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23433494\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">described<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> so far.\u201d Now, obviously, everyone who gets this parasite in their brain does not develop schizophrenia. It may depend on where exactly in the brain the parasite takes up residence. But this \u201cincreased prevalence of toxoplasmosis in schizophrenics was <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23433494\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">demonstrated<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> by at least 50 studies\u2026\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Those were published studies, though. What about studies that weren\u2019t published? Maybe some didn\u2019t find any connection, or perhaps there were others that were just shelved. \u201cIn schizophrenia, the evidence of an association with <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">T. gondii<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\"> [toxoplasma] <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/25877655\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">is<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> overwhelming, despite evidence of publication bias.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">It\u2019s still just an association, though. Instead of toxoplasma <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/17085743\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">causing<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> schizophrenia, maybe schizophrenia <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">causes<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> toxoplasmosis.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> \u201cInstitutionalized psychiatric patients may be fed undercooked meat, thereby increasing their exposure to <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">T. gondii<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">,\u201d for example. That\u2019s where military studies come in. \u201cThe U.S. military routinely <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/18086751\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">collects<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> and stores serum [blood] specimens of military service members,\u201d which \u201caffords a unique opportunity\u201d to <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">check<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> people for infection well before the diagnosis of disease, so you can see which came first. And, indeed, the toxoplasma came first. The infection was found <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">prior<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> to the onset of psychotic symptoms.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cThe strongest evidence for the causal [cause-and-effect] role of <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Toxoplasma<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\"> in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/23433494\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">triggering<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> schizophrenia comes from a recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">showing<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> that differences in brain morphology [structure], originally thought to be characteristic of schizophrenia patients\u2026are actually present only in the subpopulation of <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Toxoplasma-<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">infected patients,\u201d that is, only in those infected with the parasite. There are \u201cgray matter anomalies\u201d more often <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/18486104\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">found<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> in schizophrenia patients. But, as you can see at 3:12 in my <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/does-toxoplasmosis-cause-schizophrenia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">video<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">, when you <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/21599563\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">divide<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> the subjects into those who tested positive and negative for toxoplasmosis, you only really <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">see<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> it in the infected brains.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Does this mean we might be able to treat schizophrenia with antiparasitic drugs? There is a tetracycline-type drug, minocycline, that can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/1885421\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">kill<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> toxoplasma in mice and<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> seems to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/25087702\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">improve<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> symptoms when given to schizophrenics, but it may also have independent anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, so we don\u2019t know if was a toxo effect. \u201cFuture research should look to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/28508166\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">delineate<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> the antiparasitic effect of minocycline\u201d by testing the patients for toxo to see if the drugs work better in those who have been infected.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">There have been four randomized controlled trials specifically evaluating antiparasitic drugs in patients with schizophrenia, and no effect has been <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">found<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">. But, incredibly, not a single one of those studies used a drug that has been shown to actively kill off the parasites once they have been walled off in the brain. \u201cAfter acute infection, parasites form walled cysts in the brain, leading to lifelong chronic infection and drug resistance to commonly used antiparasitics.\u201d However, \u201cthere are currently no ongoing trials of anti-<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Toxoplasma<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\"> therapy in schizophrenia despite ample evidence to <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">justify<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> further testing.\u201d I hope a researcher reading this will realize the \u201ctime is ripe to <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">evaluate<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> antiparasitic drugs in <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Toxoplasma<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">-infected patients with schizophrenia.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">This video is part of a series on toxoplasmosis, including:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\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>The brain parasite toxoplasma may be one of the most important risk factors for schizophrenia.\u00a0 Toxoplasma \u201cinfects about one-third of the population of developed countries\u201d and about one in four adults in the United States. However, the \u201clife-long presence of dormant stages of this parasite in the brain and muscular tissues of infected humans is &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6440","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\/6440","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=6440"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6440\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}