Toxoplasmosis

[LNN]

This is a long but fascinating article in this month's Atlantic Magazine about toxoplasmosis. I haven't done much research, but a friend has told me there's also a growing body of research on toxoplasmosis and anorexia.

 

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/03/how-your-cat-is-making-you-crazy/8873/

Certainly Flegr’s thinking is jarringly unconventional. Starting in the early 1990s, he began to suspect that a single-celled parasite in the protozoan family was subtly manipulating his personality, causing him to behave in strange, often self-destructive ways. And if it was messing with his mind, he reasoned, it was probably doing the same to others.

 

The parasite, which is excreted by cats in their feces, is called Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii or Toxo for short) and is the microbe that causes toxoplasmosis—the reason pregnant women are told to avoid cats’ litter boxes. Since the 1920s, doctors have recognized that a woman who becomes infected during pregnancy can transmit the disease to the fetus, in some cases resulting in severe brain damage or death. T. gondii is also a major threat to people with weakened immunity: in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, before good antiretroviral drugs were developed, it was to blame for the dementia that afflicted many patients at the disease’s end stage. Healthy children and adults, however, usually experience nothing worse than brief flu-like symptoms before quickly fighting off the protozoan, which thereafter lies dormant inside brain cells—or at least that’s the standard medical wisdom.

 

But if Flegr is right, the “latent” parasite may be quietly tweaking the connections between our neurons, changing our response to frightening situations, our trust in others, how outgoing we are, and even our preference for certain scents. And that’s not all. He also believes that the organism contributes to car crashes, suicides, and mental disorders such as schizophrenia. When you add up all the different ways it can harm us, says Flegr, “Toxoplasma might even kill as many people as malaria, or at least a million people a year.”

 

(the entire article is quite long but well worth reading - you will find similar stories about how other bacterial, parasitic and viral infections can also cause neuro issues. But this one does it in a way I found fascinating).

[Ellen]

Very interesting article LLM. Thanks for sharing it. I will look into this more and speak to my son's doctors about it, since I believe his IGG positive result means there was exposure to toxoplasmosis at some point in his life and this could possibly be contributing to his schizophrenic symptoms. If this the case, I'm not exactly sure what this would mean in terms of best treatments, but it is worth investigating. We never owned a cat, but it seems that exposure can occur in a variety of ways.

 

Ellen

 

 

This is a long but fascinating article in this month's Atlantic Magazine about toxoplasmosis. I haven't done much research, but a friend has told me there's also a growing body of research on toxoplasmosis and anorexia.

 

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/03/how-your-cat-is-making-you-crazy/8873/

Certainly Flegr’s thinking is jarringly unconventional. Starting in the early 1990s, he began to suspect that a single-celled parasite in the protozoan family was subtly manipulating his personality, causing him to behave in strange, often self-destructive ways. And if it was messing with his mind, he reasoned, it was probably doing the same to others.

 

The parasite, which is excreted by cats in their feces, is called Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii or Toxo for short) and is the microbe that causes toxoplasmosis—the reason pregnant women are told to avoid cats’ litter boxes. Since the 1920s, doctors have recognized that a woman who becomes infected during pregnancy can transmit the disease to the fetus, in some cases resulting in severe brain damage or death. T. gondii is also a major threat to people with weakened immunity: in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, before good antiretroviral drugs were developed, it was to blame for the dementia that afflicted many patients at the disease’s end stage. Healthy children and adults, however, usually experience nothing worse than brief flu-like symptoms before quickly fighting off the protozoan, which thereafter lies dormant inside brain cells—or at least that’s the standard medical wisdom.

 

But if Flegr is right, the “latent” parasite may be quietly tweaking the connections between our neurons, changing our response to frightening situations, our trust in others, how outgoing we are, and even our preference for certain scents. And that’s not all. He also believes that the organism contributes to car crashes, suicides, and mental disorders such as schizophrenia. When you add up all the different ways it can harm us, says Flegr, “Toxoplasma might even kill as many people as malaria, or at least a million people a year.”

 

(the entire article is quite long but well worth reading - you will find similar stories about how other bacterial, parasitic and viral infections can also cause neuro issues. But this one does it in a way I found fascinating).

[LNN]

I was looking for info on orthomolecular web sites and found this:

http://orthomed.org/index.html

 

Orthomolecular medicine, as conceptualized by double-Nobel laureate Linus Pauling, aims to restore the optimum environment of the body by correcting imbalances or deficiencies based on individual biochemistry, using substances natural to the body such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, trace elements and fatty acids. The term "orthomolecular" was first used by Linus Pauling in a paper he wrote in the journal Science in 1968. The key idea in orthomolecular medicine is that genetic factors affect not only the physical characteristics of individuals, but also to their biochemical milieu. Biochemical pathways of the body have significant genetic variability and diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer, schizophrenia or depression are associated with specific biochemical abnormalities which are causal or contributing factors of the illness.

 

The rest of the site explores this topic. Also on the site:

http://orthomed.org/isf/isf.html

The International Schizophrenia Foundation

It is a national, non-profit, charitable organization federally chartered in 1968, with international affiliates dedicated to raising the levels of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the schizophrenias and allied disorders.

How Does it Carry Out its Functions?

 

The ISF has developed programs which include professional and public information, working with mental health care professionals and governments, and research. The ISF information program includes:

 

A list of publications including more than 300 books, pamphlets and reprints.

Publishing The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, formerly known as The Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry, a unique medical journal for health professionals.

Publishing Nutrition & Mental Health, a newsletter with special emphasis on psychiatric illnesses.

Annual international conferences held alternately in Toronto and Vancouver, focusing on nutritional medicine.

 

In addition, public meetings, conferences, radio, television programs and newspaper articles are also part of the program. The ISF and its branches answer thousands of enquiries each year from people seeking information and help. The ISF works with governments, physicians, nurses, teachers, psychologists and community organizations to improve treatment and preventive measures, to reduce fear and stigma, and to provide the best possible treatment and rehabilitation services.

The ISF also promotes and supports research.

 

And another tab that has a list of books and article reprints and DVDs for sale. Some of which look interesting. Might be worth checking out.

 

One that note - does anyone know of an online magazine or website that focuses on orthomolecular or natural treatments for chronic illnesses, neuropsych issues, general health, kids - or any of the zillion issues we parents face? Or any behavioral magazines, like Additudes http://www.additudemag.com/ but with a more holistic view?