The effect of a chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection on acquired brain injuries and epilepsy in mice

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) are common neurological conditions, and neuroinflammation can alter long-term patient outcomes. However, infection can influence this biological process. As such, clinically relevant and common infections, such as the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, should be studied. T. gondii chronically and incurably infects one-third globally. Therefore, this thesis aimed to investigate the impact of a chronic T. gondii infection on TBI and MTLE in male and female mice. Overall, T. gondii worsened neuroinflammation, brain damage and behavioral measures following TBI and MTLE models. T. gondii also increased seizure susceptibility and promoted epilepsy development.