Associations between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and psychopathological manifestations in schizophrenic patients: A single-center study from Ecuador.

Background: Schizophrenia, a complex neuropsychiatric disorder, is believed to be influenced by various factors including environmental exposures. A potential environmental factor is the infection by the obligate intracellular parasitic protozoan, Toxoplasma gondii which affects neurotransmitter levels, which could potentially exacerbate, trigger symptoms of schizophrenia or make them worst.

Objective: To investigate the association between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and psychopathological presentation in persons with schizophrenia in Ecuador.

Cognitive Deterioration and Quality of Life in Patients with Schizophrenia: A Single Institution Experience.

The present article aimed to analyze and describe the relationship between cognitive impairment and the perception of quality of life. The study was carried out in the psychiatric hospital within the Ecuadorian "Instituto de Neurociencias," with 50 patients, both men and women, between the ages of 18 and 65 years. An instrument for the screening of cognitive impairment in psychiatric patients, a questionnaire that measures quality of life, and a sociodemographic questionnaire were applied individually.