Dangerrrr: cats could alter your personality (4)

1 Name: Unverified Source 2005-06-18 10:28 ID:TZng48+Z

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8122-826557_1,00.html

"The startling figures emerge from studies into toxoplasma gondii, a parasite carried by almost all the country’s feline population. They show that half of Britain’s human population carry the parasite in their brains, and that infected people may undergo slow but crucial changes in their behaviour."

"Infected men, suggests one new study, tend to become more aggressive, scruffy, antisocial and are less attractive. Women, on the other hand, appear to exhibit the “sex kitten” effect, becoming less trustworthy, more desirable, fun- loving and possibly more promiscuous."

2 Name: !WAHa.06x36 2005-06-19 13:37 ID:DVgMHfbi

This is totally hilarious, and quite questionable. I'd really like to hear what other parasitologists think of this Jaroslav Flegr guy's research. Google only turns up some academic references to him, and news articles that just say the same thing as this one. Can't find any real discussion about it.

3 Name: bubu 2005-06-19 23:34 ID:Heaven

Apart from being from 2003 ("news"?), it's a well-done publicity stunt of course, which has been rampaging through the net for some time and was very humorously discussed in the december (2003) issue of the "Neurologija & Psihijatrija" Journal (MUN). Some dead giveaways are the n=300 (what!) and the black holes in the middle of the reasoning.
I suggest you flip through some of Flegr's other papers, this guy is GREAT. vide: http://tinyurl.com/8prrd ("Increased risk of traffic accidents in subjects with latent toxoplasmosis: a retrospective case-control study") - also see his other articles there ("Correlation of duration of latent Toxoplasma gondii infection with personality changes in women", "Decreased level of psychobiological factor novelty seeking and lower intelligence in men latently infected with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii Dopamine, a missing link between schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis?" - notice anything yet?)..

4 Name: Unverified Source 2005-06-20 21:52 ID:Heaven

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