Probable neuroimmunological link between Toxoplasma and cytomegalovirus infections and personality changes in the human host.
Abstract
Recently, a negative association between Toxoplasma-infection and novelty seeking was reported. The change could have been caused by manipulation activity of the parasite or could be just a byproduct of any neurotropic infection.
To test these two alternative hypotheses, we studied the influence of another neurotropic pathogen, the cytomegalovirus, on the personality of infected subjects. We tested 533 conscripts for toxoplasmosis and presence of anti-cytomegalovirus antibodies and their novelty seeking was examined with Cloninger's TCI questionnaire.
We found a decrease of novelty seeking to be associated also with cytomegalovirus infection. As the cytomegalovirus spreads in population by direct contact (not by predation as with Toxoplasma), the observed changes are the byproduct of brain infections rather than the result of manipulation activity of a parasite.