Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and cognitive functioning in older adults: an analysis of cross-sectional data of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2014

Abstract

Objectives This study sought to examine the relationship between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and cognitive function in older adults.Design An observational cross-sectional study.Setting The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) study took place at participants’ homes and mobile examination centres.Participants A total of 2956 older adults aged 60 and above from the NHANES from 2011 to 2014 were included in the study. Exposure of interest: participants had serum Toxoplasma gondii antibody analysed in the laboratory. A value>33 IU/mL was categorised as seropositive for Toxoplasma gondii infection; <27 IU/mL was categorised as seronegative for Toxoplasma gondii infection.Primary and secondary outcome measures Cognitive tests included the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Word Learning subtest (CERAD-WL) for immediate and delayed memory, the Animal Fluency Test (AFT), and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST).Results About half of the 2956 participants (mean age 70.0) were female (51.0%), non-Hispanic White (48.3%), and completed some college or above (48.3%). A total of 703 participants were positive for Toxoplasma gondii infection (23.8%). Adjusted linear regression showed that compared with participants with negative Toxoplasma gondii infection, those with positive Toxoplasma gondii infection had lower CERAD-WL immediate memory (beta (β) −0.16, 95% CI −0.25 to –0.07), CERAD-WL delayed memory (β −0.15, 95% CI −0.24 to –0.06), AFT (β −0.15, 95% CI −0.24 to –0.06), DSST (β −0.34, 95% CI −0.43 to –0.26), and global cognition (β −0.24, 95% CI −0.32 to –0.16) z-scores after controlling for the covariates.Conclusions Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity is associated with worse immediate and delayed verbal learning, language proficiency, executive functioning, processing speed, sustained attention, working memory, as well as global cognition in older adults. Public health measures aiming at preventing Toxoplasma gondii infection may help preserve cognitive functioning in older adults.