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Study cat owners with increased likelihood of aggression and irascibility?
Are you one of those people who have a cute cat at home? This cat could not only give you affection, closeness, and security, but also a parasite living in its brain tissue, researchers from the University of Chicago now warn in a press release. The parasite is involved in several psychiatric disorders and could be responsible, for example, for uncontrolled tantrums.
Cats are graceful beautiful animals, they give their owners much joy and affection. But cats can still pass on other gifts to their owner. Researchers at the University of Chicago have now found out in an investigation that cats can transmit a parasite that can cause tantrums in those affected. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Journal of Clinical Psychiatry".
Cats transmit a parasite that could be responsible for irascibility and unchallenged tantrums. (Photo: Azaliya (Elya Vatel) /fotolia.com) Can tantrums in traffic caused by parasites in the brain?
Do you know people who often get terrible tantrums while driving? Here is the likelihood that these individuals carry a parasite in them, which causes the tantrums and can be transmitted by cats, say the doctors. Extreme tantrums occur more than twice as often in people who have been infected by such a parasite, experts explain. The researchers studied 358 adults who had been infected by Toxoplasma gondii in their study. This infection leads to altered brain chemistry, which can trigger intense emotional outbursts, the researchers explain. These outbreaks are shown, for example, in the form of irascibility.
About 30 percent of people suffer from toxoplasmosis
According to the researchers, it is not known by bisland whether the connection between toxoplasmosis and outbreaks of rage is causal. Not every person tested positive for toxoplasmosis automatically has aggression problems, says lead author Dr. Emil Coccaro. For this reason, further research is needed to better understand the relationships. Fury is characterized by verbal or physical aggression, and researchers believe that as many as 16 million people in America alone suffer from it. Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection and is transmitted via cat feces, contaminated water or uncooked meat. The infection is relatively harmless and about 30 percent of all people carry the pathogens, explain the experts. However, toxoplasmosis affects brain tissue and can trigger psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, the physicians add.
Study examines three control groups for the effects of toxoplasmosis
The researchers divided the test persons into three different groups during their examination. An irascible group, a group with other mental illnesses and a healthy control group. In the Jassor's group exposure to toxoplasmosis was more than twice as frequent as compared to the healthy control group, say the physicians. In about 16 percent of the group with mental illness, infection by toxoplasmosis was also observed. However, these subjects had similar levels of aggression and impulsivity as participants in the healthy control group. While the values were significantly higher in the hot-tempered group, the researchers explain.
Results show only a correlation but not the cause
However, people should by no means be afraid of their cats, admonish the experts. The results show only a correlation but not a causal relationship, the researchers emphasize. The underlying mechanism remains unclear and could be linked to factors such as increased inflammation. The infection could trigger an antibody production, which then triggers a natural inflammatory effect (inflammation), the researchers speculate. The team is now investigating whether drug therapy for toxoplasmosis could reduce aggressive behavior. (As)