Consortium Psychiatricum (Aug 2020)

Schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis: association with catatonic symptoms

  • Dmitry V. Romanov,
  • Aleksey Iu. Brazhnikov,
  • Denis S. Andreyuk,
  • N. V. Zakharova,
  • L. V. Bravve,
  • Vasilisa A. Kovaleva,
  • Evgeniya V. Abbazova,
  • Dmitriy B. Goncharov,
  • Irina V. Titova,
  • Elvira A. Domonova,
  • G. P. Kostyuk

DOI
https://doi.org/10.17650/2712-7672-2020-1-1-22-29
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 1, no. 1
pp. 22 – 29

Abstract

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Introduction. The association between schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis has been demonstrated in a numberof studies: the prevalence of schizophrenia is significantly higher in toxoplasmosis positive subjects than in those withT.gondii negative status. However, the clinical significance of this association remains poorly understood. Objectives. To identify clinical phenomena that are typical for toxoplasmosis-associated (T.gondii seropositive)schizophrenia compared to Toxoplasma-seronegative schizophrenia. Methods. A retrospective database analysis of serum samples from 105 inpatients with schizophrenia (ICD-10code: F20; including 55 male patients; mean age of 27.4 6.4 years) was carried out. The clinical examinationinvolved a structured interview including ICD-10 and E. Bleulers criteria for schizophrenia and psychometric tests(Positive and Negative Scales of PANSS). Serum antibodies (IgG) to T.gondii were identified using ELISA. Thestatistical significance of any differences were evaluated using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney (U) and 2 tests. Results. The proportion of seropositive patients in the sample was 16.2%. Comparing schizophrenia patients, whowere seropositive or seronegative for toxoplasmosis, there were no statistically significant differences for the meantotal PANSS score, mean PANSS-P, PANSS-N or PANSS-G scores. For the majority of PANSS items, differences werealso statistically insignificant, except for G5 and G6mannerism and posturing. Seropositive patients had a higherscore for this item than seronegative patients: 3.5 versus 2.1 points (U=389.5; р=0.001). Depression, on the contrary,was less pronounced in seropositive than seronegative patients: 1.4 versus 2.4 points (U=509.5; р=0.023). In addition,in seropositive patients, the frequency of symptoms such as mutism according to ICD-10 criteria for schizophreniawas significantly higher (23.5% versus 3.4%, 2=9.27, р=0.013), and the whole group of catatonic symptoms accordingto the E. Bleulers criteria for schizophrenia was higher (52.9% versus 28.4%, 2=3.916, p = 0.048). Conclusion. The association between a positive toxoplasmosis status in patients with schizophrenia and catatonicsymptoms has been revealed for the first time and should be verified in larger studies.

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