Is it possible that owning a cat increases the risk of schizophrenia? According to a recent evaluation of 17 studies by academics at the University of Queensland in Australia, the answer is yes.
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- Who conducted the study?
- What did the study discover?
- Why might people be at risk for schizophrenia?
Who conducted the study?
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The team conducted a meta-analysis of existing studies published over the past 44 years and covering 11 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, in their comprehensive analysis.
What did the study discover?
They found that people who were exposed to cats before age 25 had about twice the risk of developing schizophrenia.
The scientific basis for this association is a parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii, or T. gondii for short, which is typically seen in domestic cats. This parasite has the ability to enter the human body through a cat bite. One of the studies included in the study, which included 354 students from the United States, found no direct link between cat ownership and schizotypy scores.
When those who had been bitten by a cat were compared with those who had not, the bitten group scored higher on the schizotypy scale. This scale is essentially a questionnaire designed to assess characteristics associated with unusual and chaotic thought patterns, which are frequently used in the diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Why might people be at risk for schizophrenia?
It can invade the central nervous system and alter neurotransmitters in the brain once inside. This, in turn, can lead to personality changes, the appearance of psychotic symptoms and the development of psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia.
How will the symptoms affect people?
Positive symptoms are alterations that are “added” to a person’s personality, such as hallucinations, delusions, and cognitive disorders with strange or abnormal thought processes.
Negative symptoms include loss of some personality abilities, such as “flat affect” (limited emotional expressiveness through facial expressions or tone of voice), decreased pleasure in everyday life, and difficulties initiating and maintaining activities. .
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Source: vtt.edu.vn