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Owning a Cat Could Double Your Risk of Schizophrenia, Research Suggests

https://www.sciencealert.com/owning-a-cat-could-double-your-risk-of-schizophrenia-research-suggests
14•amichail•2h ago

Comments

gus_massa•1h ago
> This kind of research can't show cause and effect, and it often doesn't account for factors that may have affected both the exposure and the outcome.

So, it's not clear that cats make you schizophreanic, or schizofrenic people buys more cats.

lukan•1h ago
The potential reason might be this charming fellow

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasma_gondii

"Once inside our bodies, T. gondii can infiltrate the central nervous system and influence neurotransmitters. The parasite has been linked to personality changes, the emergence of psychotic symptoms, and some neurological disorders, including schizophrenia."

Otherwise the data is not really great so far.

"This kind of research can't show cause and effect, and it often doesn't account for factors that may have affected both the exposure and the outcome.

The researchers also highlight the low quality of a number of the examined studies."

cm2012•1h ago
There's so much BS around toxoplasmosis online. Most toxo cases in humans are not caused by pet cats. Here's corrections for two common misconceptions:

1) Most people with the Toxoplasmosis infection got it from eating undercooked meat, not from cats. France has the highest rate of toxoplasmosis in the world (50%+ of the population have the parasite) because of their propensity for rare meats: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1118145/

2) Unless your cat lived a significant part of it's life as an outdoor cat, it is very unlikely to have the parasite (like any parasite). Most cat to human transmission (again, minority of total transmissions) comes from stray cats infecting gardens with their feces.

holysoles•1h ago
This seems sensationalist to me, the research the article references doesn't conclude any causal effects, only correlation:

Our review provides support for an association between cat ownership and schizophrenia-related disorders

chequoredDaemon•1h ago
I suspect deliberately infecting large populations with the goal of inducing higher rates of schizophrenia so a strong scientific causality can be asserted is, unfortunately for science but fortunately for us, somewhat unethical.

Unless you know something I don't.

threatofrain•1h ago
You'd have to look for natural experiments, such as natural big swings in cat ownership around the world.
hunglee2•1h ago
the mind controlling parasite theory is more than plausible
gnabgib•1h ago
(2023) Somewhat related studies:

Cat parasite linked to mental illness, schizophrenia (19 points, 2023, 13 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38529342

Mind-Altering Cat Parasite Linked to Schizophrenia in Largest Study Yet (22 points, 2019, 3 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19040456

cm2012•1h ago
As I say elsewhere in the comments here, PSA: Toxoplasmosis in humans is rarely caused by pet cats, almost never from indoor cats. Undercooked meat is the more common cause.
dtagames•44m ago
Another great reason to be a dog person.
TheChaplain•30m ago
No schizophrenia, more like constant anxiety that he found another way to end himself prematurely.

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