Parasitic Diseases of the Central Nervous System

Razek, Ahmed Abdel Khalek Abdel; Watcharakorn, Arvemas; Castillo, Maurício

doi:10.1016/j.nic.2011.07.005

Cited by 83 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…Most patients with cerebral schistosomiasis are asymptomatic or have mild and nonspecific symptoms [63]. The cerebral infections by the flat worms Spirometra mansoni and Paragonimus westermani have nonspecific signs and symptoms such as headaches and seizures [63]. Coincidentally, headache status at baseline was found to be positively associated with frequent religious attendance (but not attendance of other social events) in one study [64], consistent with previous findings [65].…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 78%

“…Interestingly, clinical observations support an association between religious experiences during, after, and in between epileptic seizures [62]. Most patients with cerebral schistosomiasis are asymptomatic or have mild and nonspecific symptoms [63]. The cerebral infections by the flat worms Spirometra mansoni and Paragonimus westermani have nonspecific signs and symptoms such as headaches and seizures [63].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Midichlorians - the biomeme hypothesis: is there a microbial component to religious rituals?

2014

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BackgroundCutting edge research of human microbiome diversity has led to the development of the microbiome-gut-brain axis concept, based on the idea that gut microbes may have an impact on the behavior of their human hosts. Many examples of behavior-altering parasites are known to affect members of the animal kingdom. Some prominent examples include Ophiocordyceps unilateralis (fungi), Toxoplasma gondii (protista), Wolbachia (bacteria), Glyptapanteles sp. (arthropoda), Spinochordodes tellinii (nematomorpha) and Dicrocoelium dendriticum (flat worm). These organisms belong to a very diverse set of taxonomic groups suggesting that the phenomena of parasitic host control might be more common in nature than currently established and possibly overlooked in humans.Presentation of the hypothesisSome microorganisms would gain an evolutionary advantage by encouraging human hosts to perform certain rituals that favor microbial transmission. We hypothesize that certain aspects of religious behavior observed in the human society could be influenced by microbial host control and that the transmission of some religious rituals could be regarded as the simultaneous transmission of both ideas (memes) and parasitic organisms.Testing the hypothesisWe predict that next-generation microbiome sequencing of samples obtained from gut or brain tissues of control subjects and subjects with a history of voluntary active participation in certain religious rituals that promote microbial transmission will lead to the discovery of microbes, whose presence has a consistent and positive association with religious behavior. Our hypothesis also predicts a decline of participation in religious rituals in societies with improved sanitation.Implications of the hypothesisIf proven true, our hypothesis may provide insights on the origin and pervasiveness of certain religious practices and provide an alternative explanation for recently published positive associations between parasite-stress and religiosity. The discovery of novel microorganisms that affect host behavior may improve our understanding of neurobiology and neurochemistry, while the diversity of such organisms may be of interest to evolutionary biologists and religious scholars.ReviewersThis article was reviewed by Prof. Dan Graur, Dr. Rob Knight and Dr. Eugene Koonin

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Midichlorians - the biomeme hypothesis: is there a microbial component to religious rituals?

2014

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“…Symptoms include urticarial rash; pulmonary infiltrates, fever and cough; it is often accompanied by moderate peripheral eosinophilia [3]. However, cerebral schistosomiasis is common without symptoms, but it may exist with signs of space-occupying lesions including seizures, visual and oral disturbances, headache, and papilledema [10].…”

Section: Schistosomamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Malaria also causes CNS disorders [10]. Some parasites cause diseases with symptoms, whereas the others only cause few symptoms [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parasites in central nervous system

Mohamed¹,

Mansour²

2017

IJMDC

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Parasites are different organisms that can be classified into single-cell organisms and multicellular organisms. Complications caused by parasites affect both children and adults in high number. Some parasites cause diseases with symptoms and other cause no symptoms. Parasites can be present in unusual places such as in central nervous system (CNS). The parasitic infections of CNS are sources of mortality and morbidity.

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“…Patients typically present with high-grade fever, altered level of consciousness, seizures, and generalized constitutional symptoms, which fluctuate with blood parasitemia. 30 The imaging manifestations develop as a result of cytokine-induced damage and mechanical capillary blockade by parasite-infested erythrocytes, which lead to increased cerebral volume, decreased cerebral perfusion, and hypoglycemia. A wide spectrum of neuroimaging findings has been described on T2-weighted, FLAIR, DWI, gradient, and susceptibility weighted sequences (Fig 19), which involve the cortical and subcortical white matter, corpus callosum, basal ganglia, thalamus (Fig 20), and the cerebellum due to a combination of vasogenic and cytotoxic edema, hemorrhage, and infarctions.…”

Section: Cerebral Malariamentioning

confidence: 99%