Background:Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric disorder with a deeply destructive pathophysiology. There are evidences to indicate that infectious agents such as Toxoplasma gondii may play some roles in etiology of the disorder.Objectives:The current study aimed to determine the association between T. gondii exposure and the risk of schizophrenia.Materials and Methods:T. gondii IgG antibodies of 100 patients with schizophrenia as well as 200 healthy volunteers were assessed. The subjects also completed demographic questionnaires. Data was analyzed using the chi-square and Fisher exact tests.Results:The analyses confirmed the significant differences between healthy women and ones with schizophrenia (P = 0.001) as well as between males and females with schizophrenia (P = 0.009) in IgG positivity.Conclusions:The present study supported the contamination with T. gondii as a risk factor for schizophrenia just in women.

BackgroundThe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is characterized by intense physical and psychological changes. The most common symptoms include anxiety, depression, fatigue, anger, irritability, sense of being out of control, confusion, change in appetite and sleep, bloating and breast tenderness. The symptoms affect the quality of life of women, and cause impairment in many aspects of life.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to examine the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on improvement of health-related quality of life in female students with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).Materials and MethodsIn this study, 40 students with PMS were selected from Shahid Chamran university in Tehran, Iran, and were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups. Participants in the intervention group received 10 sessions of CBT. Women in the control group did not receive any treatment. ResultsThe results of ANCOVA were statistically significant (P < 0.001), and showed that group CBT improved the quality of life in the experimental group compared to the control group. In addition, the effects of the intervention on quality of life lasted for 2 months.ConclusionsCognitive-behavioral therapy can be effective in improvement of health-related quality of life of female students with PMS.

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Background: Evidence suggests that Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis, changes the metabolism of neurotransmitters, especially dopamine, resulting in both neurologic and psychiatric disorders. On the other hand, the dysregulation of catecholamines, especially of both norepinephrine and dopamine, has been proposed in the pathophysiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The aim of the present study was to investigate anti-toxoplasma antibodies in children and adolescents with ADHD and compare it with a control group, to determine whether toxoplasmosis is a risk factor for ADHD. Methods: A total of 200 children and adolescents (117 patients with ADHD and 83 individuals without ADHD) participated in the study. Participants were tested for the presence of anti-T. gondii antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A Parent ADHD Rating Scale and Clinical Global Impression-severity Scale were also completed. Data were analyzed using a χ2 test and Fisher exact test. Results: Anti-toxoplasma antibodies were detected in 18.1% of patients with ADHD disorder and 24% of individuals without ADHD. There was no significant difference in seropositivity between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). The number of patients with T. gondii infection in the 3 subgroups was 0, 9 and 12, respectively. The differences in infection rate among subgroups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Although not conclusive, the present study does not support the theory that T. gondii is a risk factor for ADHD.