This page was translated automatically from Turkish. Read the original

This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

EV1033

Toxoplasma gondii and postpartum psychiatric disorders: a comprehensive review of current evidence and neurobiological mechanisms

TOXOPLASMA GONDII AND POSTPARTUM PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF CURRENT EVIDENCE AND NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS

Current evidence does not support a direct causal link between Toxoplasma gondii and acute postpartum psychiatric disorders; rather, the parasite appears to act as an indirect modulator of neuropsychiatric vulnerability.

The aim of this review is to critically synthesize the evidence on the relationship between the neurotropic parasite Toxoplasma gondii and postpartum depression, anxiety, and psychosis, alongside the underlying neurobiological pathways. The methodology involved a comprehensive literature review conducted using the Consensus tool, integrating studies indexed in PubMed and Semantic Scholar. The search identified 1,147 records; 709 records were screened, 214 met the eligibility criteria, and 50 studies were synthesized. The main finding is that current evidence does not support a direct link between T. gondii and acute postpartum disorders, particularly postpartum depression or psychosis. However, indirect pathways were identified: neuroinflammation through cytokine-mediated immune activation, disruption of blood–brain barrier integrity, alterations in dopamine and serotonin metabolism, and the gut–brain axis operating through microbiota and immune mechanisms. Assessment of the strength of evidence found a consistent association with schizophrenia, weaker associations with bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders, and limited evidence of potential long-term risk in children following prenatal exposure; evidence did not support an association with acute postpartum syndromes. The authors concluded that T. gondii is not a direct cause but a potential modulator acting through immune, inflammatory, and neurobiological pathways; that acute postpartum syndromes should be considered separately from long-term psychiatric risk; and that prospective perinatal studies are needed to clarify temporality, biomarkers, and clinical significance.

All WCP 2026 summaries