Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32873854›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2020

Aggravation of symptom severity in adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder by latent Toxoplasma gondii infection: a case-control study.

Alexandra P Lam, Dominik de Sordi, Helge H O Müller, Martin C Lam, Angelika Carl, Klaus P Kohse, Alexandra Philipsen

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 28% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026
    Article
  2. Parasitic infections as potential risk factors for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.Journal of parasitic diseases : official organ of the Indian Society for Parasitology · 2023
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Molecular Characterization ofPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022
    Article
  5. Seroprevalence and Genetic Characterization ofJournal of tropical medicine · 2022
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Alexandra P LamDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. alexandra.lam@ukbonn.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5533-4655
Dominik de SordiDivision of Epidemiology and Biometry, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2666-3745
Helge H O MüllerDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Martin C LamSchool of Medicine and Health Sciences, Medical Campus University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
Angelika CarlInstitute for Laboratory Diagnostics and Microbiology, Klinikum Oldenburg, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
Klaus P KohseInstitute for Laboratory Diagnostics and Microbiology, Klinikum Oldenburg, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
Alexandra PhilipsenDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg · DEUniversity of Bonn · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) has a high worldwide prevalence and an underestimated impact on neuropsychiatric disorders. Previous studies related T. gondii to disorders associated with the dysfunctional dopaminergic system. However, an association between T. gondii infection and adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has not yet been studied. In a sex- and age-matched case-control study, we investigated the seropositivity, serointensity, and avidity of latent T. gondii infection in adult ADHD patients and examined the influence of those variables on the symptomatology of ADHD. Of 140 participants, 20.0% were seropositive for anti-T. gondii IgG and 0% for anti-T. gondii IgM. T. gondii seropositivity was associated with 2.8-fold increase in the odds of ADHD in a confounder-adjusted multivariable analysis. Age and consumption of raw/undercooked meat were confirmed as significant predictors of T. gondii seropositivity. Multiple linear regression analysis of self-rated ADHD-related symptom severity in all participants revealed a significant association with T. gondii seropositivity, elevated IgG titers (serointensity), and stronger anti-T. gondii IgG avidity. Overall symptom severity was increased in seropositive ADHD patients compared to seronegative subjects with ADHD. In particular, hyperactivity was significantly associated with serointensity. We conclude that there is a high rate of T. gondii seropositivity in adults with ADHD. Additionally, our results suggest a clinical impact of latent T. gondii infection on ADHD-related symptoms in a serointensity- and avidity-dependent manner.

Indexed as

Severity of Illness IndexAdolescentAdultAntibodies, ProtozoanAttention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityCase-Control StudiesFemaleGermanyHumansImmunoglobulin GImmunoglobulin MLatent InfectionMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceRisk FactorsAntibodies, ProtozoanImmunoglobulin GImmunoglobulin M

Identifiers

PMID32873854
PMCPMC7463265
OpenAlexW3081963169

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.