Monday, May 6, 2013

One Third Of Humanity May Host Toxo - A Mind-Altering Parasite

Biologist Jaroslav Flegr, one of the leading researchers on T. gondii has discerned some very peculiar findings when comparing people with the infection to those without it. Kathleen Mcauliffe reported on this last year in The Atlantic:

...males who had the parasite were more introverted, suspicious, oblivious to other people's opinions of them, and inclined to disregard rules. Infected women, on the other hand, presented in exactly the opposite way: they were more outgoing, trusting, image-conscious, and rule-abiding than uninfected women.

Additionally, people infected with T. gondii display slightly impaired motor skills, undertake more risks, and get into more automotive accidents. Furthermore, 38 studies have linked the parasite with schizophrenia, a fact which fascinates neurologist and Yale assistant professor Steven Novella.

"Some drugs which are typically used to treat schizophrenia actually have anti-toxo effects," Novella said on a recent episode of The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe. "So they may work because they're actually counteracting toxoplasma, itself."


-More Here


No comments: