TOXOPLASMOSIS AND HOARDING

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 背景：弓形虫是一种原生动物微生物寄生虫，可感染多种野生和家养动物，并可传播给人类。弓形虫是导致免疫功能低下者脑病和死亡的重要原因。慢性感染弓形虫的小鼠表现出中枢神经系统多巴胺浓度的选择性增加(Stibbs，1985)。中枢多巴胺的增加与人类的精神病和啮齿动物的强迫症(OCD)类似仪式行为有关(Eilam&Szechtman，2005)。有趣的是，多巴胺活动也与人类的个性特征有关，特别是“寻求新奇”(Cloninger，1998；Hansenne et al.，2002)。此外，人类感染弓形虫可与个性变化有关(Fregr&Hrdy，1994；Fregr等人，1996；Fregr&Havlicek，1999；Fregr等人，2000；Novotna等人，2005)，包括减少对新奇事物的追求(Fregr等人，2003；Novotna等人，2005)。 研究计划：我们建议测试弓形虫暴露与一种特定的行为表型--“囤积行为”和低“新鲜感”之间的关系。由于猫和啮齿动物是弓形虫的常见宿主，我们计划将猫和老鼠的终生暴露与弓形虫感染联系起来。 方法：我们将考察弓形虫感染、囤积行为、寻求新奇行为和终生接触家猫或实验室大鼠之间的关系，并对80名没有强迫症基线的医护人员进行研究。医疗保健专业人员不太可能有严重的精神或身体并存。然而，办公室环境提供了一个私人空间，在这个空间里，几乎没有人监管初露端倪的囤积行为。个别办公空间将被盲目地评为囤积水平。受试者将接受寻求新奇行为的评估，调查猫/实验室大鼠的终生暴露情况，并抽取血清弓形虫抗体作为以前接触这种寄生虫的指标。 临床意义：病理性恐惧症(即“阿尔洛格狂”，有时也称为“提奥奇尼斯综合征”)，其特征是家庭肮脏、丧失自知力和社交退缩(Clark，Manikur&；Gray，1975；Cooney&；Hamid，1995)。受影响的人积累了大量明显无用和未使用的物品，包括新旧物品、报纸和杂志、用过的食物容器、床上用品和其他无用的垃圾。在极端情况下，这些人的生活条件肮脏，表面上受到忽视。房屋可能缺少公用设施。室内经常堆满垃圾和杂物，以至于对人的健康构成威胁。 第欧奇尼斯病例经常被发现生活在不卫生的条件下。生活环境中可能有许多宠物、昆虫或啮齿动物的侵扰，偶尔还有人和动物的排泄物(即有利于弓形虫跨物种传播的环境)(Patronek，1999)。这些人中的大多数人的健康状况也很差，包括营养不良和贫血。 提奥奇尼斯综合征是一个重要的公共卫生问题。Cooney&Hamid(1995)估计第奥奇尼斯综合症的年发病率为每10,000名60岁以上的人中有5名。这可能是低估了，因为现有的研究是卫生保健提供者所认识的受限人群。社会服务提供商估计，仅在曼哈滕就有1,000个活跃病例(即流行率为4/10,000)(Ron Alford http://www.theplan.com；个人通信)。第欧奇尼斯病例可能占贝克萨尔县成人保护服务的25%；案件工作量(个人交流)。 在这项初步研究中，我们建议测试弓形虫暴露与囤积行为之间的关联。如果能够证明这种联系，将会有重要的影响。首先，它将证明中枢神经系统寄生虫在没有临床疾病的情况下改变人类宿主行为的能力。其次，它将证明各种目前无法解释的行为障碍可能是寄生虫操纵的产物。第三，它将为一个重要的公共卫生问题提供特定的抗微生物治疗的潜力。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. BACKGROUND: Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan microbial parasite that infects a wide range of wild and domestic animals and can be transmitted to human beings. Toxoplasma gondii is an important cause of encephalopathy and death in immunocompromised persons. Mice chronically infected with T. gondii exhibit selective increases in CNS dopamine concentrations (Stibbs, 1985). Increases in CNS dopamine are associated with psychosis in humans, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) like ritualistic behavior in rodents (Eilam & Szechtman, 2005). Interestingly, dopamine activity can also be associated with personality traits in humans, particularly "novelty seeking" (Cloninger, 1998; Hansenne et al., 2002). Additionally, T. gondii infection in humans can be associated with personality changes (Flegr & Hrdy, 1994; Flegr et al., 1996; Flegr & Havlicek, 1999; Flegr et al., 2000; Novotna et al., 2005), including decreased novelty seeking (Flegr et al., 2003; Novotna et al., 2005). RESEARCH PLAN: We propose to test the association between toxoplasmosis gondii exposure and a specific behavioral phenotype, "hoarding behavior" and low "novelty seeking." Because cats and rodents are common host for toxoplasmosis gondii we plan to make the association of lifetime exposure to cats and rats to Toxoplasmosis gondii infection. METHODS: We will examine the relationship between infection to Toxoplasmosis gondii, hoarding behavior, novelty seeking behavior, and lifetime exposure to household cats or laboratory rats, 80 healthcare professionals who do not have baseline Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Healthcare professionals are not likely to have significant mental or physical comorbidities. Nevertheless, the office setting provides a personal space in which there is little policing of incipient hoarding behavior. Individual office spaces will be blindly rated for level of hoarding. Subjects will be evaluated for novelty seeking behavior, surveyed for lifetime exposure to cats/laboratory rats, and have serum Toxoplasmosis gondii antibodies drawn as an indication of prior exposure to the parasite. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Pathological horading, (i.e., "syllogamania", sometimes also called the "Diogenes Syndrome"), is characterized by domestic squalor, loss of insight, and social withdrawal (Clark, Manikur amp; Gray, 1975; Cooney amp; Hamid, 1995). Affected individuals amass huge quantities of apparently useless and unused articles, including both new and old items, newspapers and magazines, used food containers, bedding, and other useless rubbish. In extreme cases, the living conditions of these persons are filthy and neglected on the exterior. Homes may lack utilities. The interior is often filled with rubbish and clutter to the point of being a health hazard to the person. Diogenes cases are often found living in unsanitary conditions. The living environment may contain numerous pets, insect or rodent infestations, and occasionally human and animal excrement, (i.e., an environment that is conducive to the interspecies transmission of T. gondii) (Patronek, 1999). A majority of these persons also suffer from poor health maintenance including malnutrition and anemia. The Diogenes syndrome is an important public health problem. Cooney amp; Hamid (1995) estimate an annual incidence of the Diogenes Syndrome at 5 per 10,000 persons aged over 60 years. This may be an underestimate, as the available studies are restricted persons who are known to health care providers. Social service providers estimate 1,000 active cases in Manhatten alone, (i.e., a prevalence of 4/10,000) (Ron Alford http://www.theplan.com; personal communication). Diogenes cases may comprise 25% of Bexar County Adult Protective Services; caseload (personal communication). In this pilot study, we propose to test the association between toxoplasmosis gondii exposure and hoarding behavior. If such an association can be demonstrated, there would be important implications. First, it would demonstrate the capacity of CNS parasites to alter human host behavior in the absence of clinical disease. Second, it would demonstrate the potential for a wide variety of currently unexplained behavioral disorders to be the product of parasitic manipulation. Third, it would offer the potential of specific anti-microbial treatments for an important public health problem.