Faculty Opinions recommendation of Patterns of Toxoplasma gondii cyst distribution in the forebrain associate with individual variation in predator odor avoidance and anxiety-related behavior in male Long-Evans rats.

AbstractPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are highly comorbid. Additionally, individual differences in response to stress suggest resilient and susceptible populations. The current study exposed male and female Long Evans rats to the synthetically produced predator odor 2,5-dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline (TMT) to examine individual differences in stress-reactive behaviors (digging and immobility) and whether these differences could predict lasting consequences of TMT and increases in alcohol drinking. Male and female Long Evans rats were trained on operant alcohol self-administration. After 9 sessions, rats underwent exposure to TMT or water (Control) in a distinct context. 6 days after TMT exposure, rats underwent re-exposure to the TMT-paired context (without TMT), and a series of behavioral assessments (acoustic startle, zero maze, light/dark box), after which rats resumed alcohol self-administration. Rats were divided into two TMT-subgroups using a ratio of digging and immobility behavior during TMT exposure: TMT-subgroup 1 (low digging/immobility ratio) and TMT-subgroup 2 (high digging/immobility ratio). Digging/immobility ratio scores predicted elevated corticosterone levels during TMT exposure and reactivity during context re-exposure in males and females (TMT-subgroup 2), as well as elevated corticosterone levels after context re-exposure and hyperarousal behavior in females (TMT-subgroup 1). Furthermore, TMT stress reactivity predicted increases in alcohol self-administration, specifically in females. These data show that stress-reactivity can predict lasting behavioral changes which may lead to a better understanding of increases in alcohol drinking following stress in females and that individual differences in stress-reactive behaviors using TMT may be helpful to understand resilience/susceptibility to the lasting consequences of stress.HighlightsExposure to the predator odor TMT produces distinct behavioral phenotypes in male and female ratsMale and female high stress reactive rats show enhanced reactivity to the TMT-paired contextStress-reactivity during TMT predicts increases in alcohol self-administration, in femalesStress-reactivity may help to understand resilience/susceptibility and impact on alcohol drinking

Download Full-text

Development of Specific Immunoglobulins G, M, and A Following Primary Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Pregnant Women

Journal of Clinical Microbiology ◽

10.1128/jcm.36.10.2907-2913.1998 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 36 (10) ◽

pp. 2907-2913 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Pål A. Jenum ◽

Babill Stray-Pedersen

Keyword(s):

Toxoplasma Gondii ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Individual Variation ◽

Sensitive Assay ◽

Antibody Assays ◽

Specific Igg ◽

The Times ◽

Toxoplasma Gondii Infection ◽

Low Sensitivity ◽

Diagnostic Criterion

The development of specific antibodies following primaryToxoplasma gondii infection during pregnancy was assessed by six different antibody assays: dye test, Platelia Toxo-IgG, Toxo-Screen DA IgG, Platelia Toxo-IgM, Toxo-ISAGA IgM, and Platelia Toxo-IgA. A total of 126 sera from 27 pregnant women, for whom the time of acquisition of infection could be estimated fairly accurately, were included. All tests showed great individual variation in the peak amounts of antibodies detected. The times elapsed after infection until the peak was reached also varied greatly from individual to individual: the ranges were 2 to 21 weeks for the dye test, 4 to 36 weeks for Platelia Toxo-IgG, 4 to 30 weeks for Toxo-Screen DA IgG, 2 to 18 weeks for Platelia Toxo-IgM, 1 to 6 weeks for Toxo-ISAGA IgM, and 2 to 21 weeks for Platelia Toxo-IgA. In the early phase of the infection the dye test and the specific-IgM tests were the most sensitive. Toxo-Screen DA IgG was more sensitive than Platelia Toxo-IgG in the acute phase, while Platelia Toxo-IgA was clearly the least sensitive assay. Of the sera collected 21 to 52 weeks after infection, all were positive by the dye test, all except one (which was negative by Platelia Toxo-IgG) were positive by the specific-IgG tests, approximately 80% were positive by the IgM tests, and 45% were positive by the IgA test. Due to the great individual variation it seems impossible to estimate when the infection occurred based on results obtained from a single serum, and it may even be difficult to assess when a titer increase in paired sera is detectable unless the first sample is only marginally positive. As a diagnostic criterion a dye test titer of ≥300 IU/ml has a low sensitivity for recent primary infection.

Download Full-text

The challenge of accounting for individual differences in folk-economic beliefs

Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1017/s0140525x18000523 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 41 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Benjamin C. Ruisch ◽

Rajen A. Anderson ◽

David A. Pizarro

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Individual Variation ◽

Political Ideologies ◽

Economic Beliefs ◽

Existing Data

AbstractWe argue that existing data on folk-economic beliefs (FEBs) present challenges to Boyer & Petersen's model. Specifically, the widespread individual variation in endorsement of FEBs casts doubt on the claim that humans are evolutionarily predisposed towards particular economic beliefs. Additionally, the authors' model cannot account for the systematic covariance between certain FEBs, such as those observed in distinct political ideologies.

Download Full-text

Inter-individual variation shapes the human microbiome

Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1017/s0140525x1800287x ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 42 ◽

Author(s):

Emily F. Wissel ◽

Leigh K. Smith

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Individual Variation ◽

Human Microbiome ◽

Individual Variability ◽

Microbiota Composition ◽

Target Article ◽

Microbiome Research

Abstract The target article suggests inter-individual variability is a weakness of microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) research, but we discuss why it is actually a strength. We comment on how accounting for individual differences can help researchers systematically understand the observed variance in microbiota composition, interpret null findings, and potentially improve the efficacy of therapeutic treatments in future clinical microbiome research.

Download Full-text