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Toxoplasma-Infected Subjects Report an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Diagnosis More Often and Score Higher in Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2016

J. Flegr  and
J. Horáček
J. Flegr*
Affiliation:
Division of Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinicna 7PragueCZ-128 44, Czech Republic National Institute of Mental Health Topolová 748KlecanyCZ-250 67, Czech Republic
J. Horáček
Affiliation:
National Institute of Mental Health Topolová 748KlecanyCZ-250 67, Czech Republic
*
*Corresponding author at: Division of Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinicna 7, CZ-128 44 Prague, Czech Republic. E-mail address:flegr@cesnet.cz (J. Flegr).
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Abstract

Background

Latent toxoplasmosis, the life-long presence of dormant stages of Toxoplasma in immunoprivileged organs and of anamnestic IgG antibodies in blood, affects about 30% of humans. Infected subjects have an increased incidence of various disorders, including schizophrenia. Several studies, as well as the character of toxoplasmosis-associated disturbance of neurotransmitters, suggest that toxoplasmosis could also play an etiological role in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Methods

The aim of the present cross-sectional study performed on a population of 7471 volunteers was to confirm the association between toxoplasmosis and OCD, and toxoplasmosis and psychological symptoms of OCD estimated by the standard Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R).

Results

Incidence of OCD was 2.18% (n = 39) in men and 2.28% (n = 83) in women. Subjects with toxoplasmosis had about a 2.5 times higher odds of OCD and about a 2.7 times higher odds of learning disabilities. The incidence of 18 other neuropsychiatric disorders did not differ between Toxoplasma-infected and Toxoplasma-free subjects. The infected subjects, even the OCD-free subjects, scored higher on the OCI-R.

Limitations: Examined subjects provided the information about their toxoplasmosis and OCD statuses themselves, which could result in underrating the strength of observed associations.

Conclusions

The results confirmed earlier reports of the association between toxoplasmosis and OCD. They also support recent claims that latent toxoplasmosis is in fact a serious disease with many impacts on quality of life of patients.

Keywords

ParasitesMental disorderInfectionToxoplasmosisRisk factorsLearning disabilities
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 40 , February 2017 , pp. 82 - 87
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier Masson SAS 2017

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