Elisabeth J. Drewlo, Grand Canyon University
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan that causes the disease known as Toxoplasmosis (Ajioka & Morrissette, 2009). This parasite has been studied extensively since its discovery in 1908. Though it was discovered in the early 1900s and has been studied since it was first observed, its impact on behavior, personality, and the brain had long remained a virtual enigma. It was not until the early 2000s and more recent years that research started getting produced about the parasite and how it alters behavior. Recent studies have shown that Toxoplasma gondii can cause significant damage to brain regions, specifically the amygdala and the cerebral cortex (Ihara et al., 2016). Research findings have shown a correlation between infection with the parasite and aggression, suicidal ideation, intermittent explosive disorder, road rage, neuropsychiatric disorders, altered behavior, and personality changes (Coccaro et al., 2016; Desmettre, 2020). The purpose of this literature review is to further explore and synthesize the relevant literature to understand the disease and its impact on behavior more thoroughly.