Toxoplasma gondiiinfection, from predation to schizophrenia: can animal behaviour help us understand human behaviour?

2012/12/05 by Joanne P. Webster, Maya Kaushik, Greg C. Bristow +1 · 5 citations
Immunology and Microbiology · Medicine · Psychology · #Toxoplasma gondii Research Studies #Rabies epidemiology and control #Virology and Viral Diseases #Toxoplasma gondii #Predation #Schizophrenia (object-oriented programming) #Toxoplasmosis #Biology #Virology #Psychology #Immunology #Psychiatry #Ecology

paper · pdf · doi:10.1242/jeb.074716

openalex publication_date 2012/12/05 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

We examine the role of the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii as a manipulatory parasite and question what role study of infections in its natural intermediate rodent hosts and other secondary hosts, including humans, may elucidate in terms of the epidemiology, evolution and clinical applications of infection. In particular, we focus on the potential association between T. gondii and schizophrenia. We introduce the novel term 'T. gondii-rat manipulation-schizophrenia model' and propose how future behavioural research on this model should be performed from a biological, clinical and ethically appropriate perspective.

Citations

• Insertional Tagging, Cloning, and Expression of the Hypoxanthine-Xanthine-Guanine Phosphoribosyltransferase Gene
• Infectious agents associated with schizophrenia: A meta-analysis
• Genetic characterisation of Toxoplasma gondii in wildlife from North America revealed widespread and high prevalence of the fourth clonal type
• A behavioral analysis of degree of reinforcement and ease of shifting to new responses in a Weigl-type card-sorting problem.
• A review of 25 years of the social interaction test
• Fatal attraction in rats infected withToxoplasma gondii
• Functional Mechanisms Underlying Impaired Recognition Memory and Conscious Awareness in Patients With Schizophrenia

Cited by

• Influence of latentToxoplasmainfection on human personality, physiology and morphology: pros and cons of theToxoplasma–human model in studying the manipulation hypothesis
• Toxoplasma gondii infection and behaviour – location, location, location?
• Toxoplasma gondii: An Underestimated Threat?
• Curiosity killed the cat: no evidence of an association between cat ownership and psychotic symptoms at ages 13 and 18 years in a UK general population cohort
• Toxoplasmosis [wikipedia]