No Evidence of Association between Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Financial Risk Taking in Females

PLoS One. 2015 Sep 24;10(9):e0136716. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136716. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Background: Past research linked Toxoplasma gondii (TG) infection in humans with neurological and mental disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and attention disorders), irregularities of the dopaminergic and testosterone system, and increased likelihood of being involved in traffic accidents.

Methodology/principal findings: We test for an association between TG infection and financial decision-making (DM) using a case-control design in a sample of female Czech students (n = 79). We estimate each subject's risk attitude and loss aversion using an experimental economic task involving real monetary incentives. We find no significant evidence that either measure of decision-making is associated with TG infection.

Conclusion: We were unable to find evidence of an association between TG infection and financial decision-making in females.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Decision Making
  • Female
  • Financial Management*
  • Humans
  • Rh-Hr Blood-Group System / genetics
  • Rh-Hr Blood-Group System / immunology
  • Risk-Taking*
  • Sex Factors
  • Toxoplasmosis / complications*
  • Toxoplasmosis / diagnosis
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Rh-Hr Blood-Group System
  • Rho(D) antigen

Grants and funding

The financial support of the Czech Science Foundation project No. P402/12/G097 DYME Dynamic Models in Economics is acknowledged. URL: http://www.gacr.cz/en/. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.