Chronic Toxoplasma infections and motor performance in the mouse

Abstract

Motor performance in Toxoplasma-infected mice and uninfected controls was assessed by placing them, individually, on a rotating cylinder. The infected mice fell significantly more often than the controls. The difference was independent of differences in fearfulness (as measured by defaecation counts) and general bodily health (as measured by body weight). Although Toxoplasmatissue cysts were present in the brains of all of the infected animals, there was no significant correlation between cyst counts (either in the cerebellum or brain minus cerebellum) and number of falls within the infected group. It is suggested that the absence of significant correlations may have been due to the restricted range and variability in tissue cyst counts.