Schizophrenia: The Dark Side of Toxoplasmosis
نویسندگان
1 Research Center for Prevention of Oral and Dental Diseases, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Orthodontist, Private Office, Tehran, Iran
3 Functional Neourosurgery Research Center, Shohada Tajrish comprehensive neurosurgical center of excellence, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
doi
33637چکیده
Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that has been associated with several mental disorders. It usually causes an inapparent primary infection. Found worldwide, T. gondii is capable of infecting virtually all warm-blooded animals.1-3Schizophrenia is a neurological disorder characterized with long-term and devastating neuropsychological problems, usually presenting in adolescents or young adults. The disease affects almost 1.1% of the global population including all races and ethnic groups with an equal prevalence in both sexes.1 T. gondii seroprevalence is strongly associated with 12-month generalized anxiety disorder but not with other anxiety, depressive, or alcohol-related disorders. Because of the intracellular nature of some parasites, their treatment and development of new drugs is a major challenge for scientists.4 Recently, the use of nanoparticles and nano-scaffolds has suggested for the treatment of parasitic diseases, although limited research has been done in this regard.5-7
