Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Jan 1;216(Pt 1):99-112.
doi: 10.1242/jeb.074716.

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

Joanne P Webster  1 , Maya Kaushik, Greg C Bristow, Glenn A McConkey
Affiliations

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

Joanne P Webster et al. J Exp Biol. .

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.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Adamo S. A. (2013). Parasites: evolution’s neurobiologists. J. Exp. Biol. 216, 3–10 - PubMed
    1. Ajzenberg D., Cogné N., Paris L., Bessières M. H., Thulliez P., Filisetti D., Pelloux H., Marty P., L D. M. (2002). Toxoplasma gondii isolates associated with human congenital toxoplasmosis, and correlation with clinical findings. J. Infect. Dis. 186, 684–689 - PubMed
    1. Ajzenberg D., Yera H., Marty P., Paris L., Dalle F., Menotti J., Aubert D., Franck J., Bessières M. H., Quinio D., et al. (2009). Genotype of 88 Toxoplasma gondii isolates associated with toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised patients and correlation with clinical findings. J. Infect. Dis. 199, 1155–1167 - PubMed
    1. Aleman A., Hijman R., de Haan E. H. F., Kahn R. S. (1999). Memory impairment in schizophrenia: A meta-analysis. Am. J. Psychiatry 156, 1358–1366 - PubMed
    1. Aloe L., Fiore M. (1998). Neuroinflammatory implications of Schistosoma mansoni infection: new information from the mouse model. Parasitol. Today 14, 314–318 - PubMed

Publication types