Been feeling a little strange lately? A bit impulsive, maybe? Feeling a sudden urge to get a pet cat? Sorry to say it, but maybe you’re infected with a scary mind control parasite: specifically, the paraside Toxoplasma gondii.
Or… maybe not. It turns out that, despite popular belief, the supposed behavioural effects of T. gondii are supported by very weak scientific evidence. In this episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart explain.
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Show notes
Alex Tabbarok’s review of Parasite, arguing people took the wrong lessons from the film
Zombie ant fungus description
Theory for how the horsehair worm affects its host
Scepticism about whether it involves “mind control”
Description of acute toxoplasmosis
Tiny study on rats and cat urine
Well-cited (but also tiny) PNAS study on rats, mice, and cat urine
Review of toxoplasma and behavioural effects
Very useful sceptical article about toxoplasma’s effects on rodent and human behaviour (source of the quotes on Alzheimer’s)
Another (somewhat older) sceptical article
Study on getting humans to smell cat (and other) urine
Preprint on (self-reported!) toxoplasma infection and psychological traits
Initial, smaller entrepreneurship study
Later, larger entrepreneurship study (from Denmark)
Meta-analysis on whether childhood cat exposure is related to schizophrenia
Dunedin Cohort Study paper on toxoplasma and life outcomes
“The Toxoplasma of Rage” on Slate Star Codex
Credits
The Studies Show is produced by Julian Mayers at Yada Yada Productions.
Episode 50: Toxoplasma