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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to identify the life cycle, pathogenesis, and sequelae of Toxoplasma gondii infection.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to define potential relationships among dysphoric mood, including depression and PTSD, and T. gondii infection.
Sixteen percent of this sample screened positive for PTSD and 20% for depression. T. gondii chronic infection, defined as a titer of 10 IU/ml or higher was present in 16% of the sample, and 5% of the sample had levels consistent with reactivation of this brain parasite (>200 IU/ml). The titers associated with chronic infection were correlated significantly with depression (p<.03), anger (p<.001) and total disturbance (p<.03). Women screening positive for depression and/or PTSD had 4 times higher titers than non-depressed women. In addition, T. gondii positive women reported significantly more experiences of military sexual trauma (p<.04).
These data provide a snapshot of a group of older women veterans with a 22% infection T. gondii infection rate. These women may have been exposed in the middle east where the infection rate is much higher than in the U.S. This parasite localizes in the brain and may influence risk taking, reaction time, depression, schizophrenia and suicidality risk. The role of this organism in military related psychological and neurological sequelae deserves attention.