THE LATENT CAT PARASITE STRIKES AGAIN.
The Osgood File. Sponsored in part by Barbasol Shaving Cream. Start your day with Barbasol, America's leader for a close shave. Close shave, America. Close shave, Barbasol. This is Charles Osgood.
We were telling you earlier about this parasite that lives in cats that - according to a Czech biologist, Jaroslav Fleger - can affect human brains, and consequently our behavior.
SOT - Kathleen McAuliffe, writer at The Atlantic
"For many people, it's hard to believe that a dumb parasite can manipulate the big brains of humans - but, certainly his data suggests that it's possible." (:10)
Kathleen McAuliffe wrote an article about that parasite - Toxoplasma - in The Atlantic magazine.
SOT - Kathleen McAuliffe
"Although I began as a profound skeptic, I now think: There definitely is something to this." (:06)
What makes her think so?
SOT - Kathleen McAuliffe
"Among other things, it's now known that this parasite can crank up production of a neurotransmitter called dopamine - so this is a very sophisticated parasite." (:08)
More after this...
((( BREAK )))
If a third of humanity has this latent cat parasite, it is obviously a relatively small number who show any mental disorder - although one possible consequence, says Kathleen McAuliffe, is schizophrenia.
SOT - Kathleen McAuliffe
"There's been a lot of epidemiological research linking the parasite to that type of mental illness." (:07)
It's been known for some time, for example, that certain schizophrenia patients lose grey matter in their brain's cortex.
SOT - Kathleen McAuliffe
"Brain imaging studies now show that only schizophrenia patients who are infected show missing grey matter. For example, in one study, there were 44 schizophrenia patients - and 12 had missing grey matter - and it was only those 12 that had the parasite infection." (:17)
McAuliffe - who has a cat, but tests negative for Toxoplasma - sure has riled up a lot of cat lovers with that article of hers.
SOT - Kathleen McAuliffe
"(laughs) Yes, I've heard from a lot of cat lovers - and I might add, cat haters - (laughs) - who think this research vindicates their love of dogs." (:08)
The Osgood File. I'm Charles Osgood on the CBS Radio Network. |
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