A new research suggests that risk of developing a psychiatric disorder characterized by recurrent bouts of extreme, impulsive anger may double due to exposure to a common parasite.
According to PsychCentral, researchers found that toxoplasmosis, a relatively harmless parasitic infection, is associated with increased aggression and intermittent explosive disorder. Road rage is one of the examples of this disorder.
It is estimated that toxoplasmosis parasitic infection is carried by 30 percent of all humans. The infection is produced by a parasite called toxoplasma gondii. However, researchers warn that not all people with toxoplasmosis develop an aggressive behavior.
The study was conducted among 358 adult subjects form the United States. They were evaluated for depression, personality disorder, IED and other psychiatric disorders. The participants were also scored on traits like mpulsivity, aggression and anger.
The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Senior study author Emil Coccaro, M.D., professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Chicago, said that toxoplasmosis may change brain chemistry and increase the risk of aggressive behavior.
Coccaro adds that not everyone who test positive for toxoplasmosis may also develop aggression issues and it is too early to conclude if the relationship between toxoplasmosis and rage disorder is causla. Additional studies are needed to clarify this aspect.
Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) consists of recurrent, impulsive outbursts of physical or verbal aggression. These reactions are disproportionate to their triggering situations. It is estimated that IED affects around 16 million Americans, which is more than schizophrenia and bipolar patients combined.
Coccaro and his colleagues examined possible connections to toxoplasmosis as part of their pioneering research aimed to improve diagnosis and treatment for impulsive aggression and IED. Toxoplasmosis is transmitted through contaminated water, undercooked meat or feces of infected cats.
For healthy adults, this very common parasitic infection is typically harmless. However, the toxoplasma gondii parasite is known to reside in brain tissues and has been linked to several psychiatric diseases, including suicidal behavior, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
