en اختلال حافظه و توکسوپلاسموز نهفته؛ ارتباط، آگاهی و عوامل خطر در جامعه با شیوع بالای توکسوپلاسما انگل شناسی انگل شناسی پژوهشی اصیل Original Article <strong>Background:</strong> Memory impairment (MI), happens when a person loses the ability to remember information and events they would normally be able to recall. Toxoplasmosis is one of the most important parasitic diseases involving the brain. Due to the localization of <em>Toxoplasma gondii</em> tissue cysts in brain and some related reports, the effect of toxoplasma on neurodegenerative diseases has been suggested.<br> <strong>Methods:</strong> The present study was conducted to investigate the probable association between MI and toxoplasmosis using serological and molecular techniques. The study population consisted of 87 Alzheimerchr(&#39;39&#39;)s patients (AP) and 87 healthy controls which were selected under the supervision of neurology consultant. The <em>Toxoplasma</em>-specific antibodies were measured using commercial ELISA kits. The desired region for <em>Toxoplasma</em> B1 gene was amplified by using specific primers and a thermocycler. Specificity of primers was confirmed by direct sequencing, aligning and phylogenetic analysis of the amplicons.<br> <strong>Results:</strong> Prevalence of toxoplasmosis in AP and control group was 66.6% and 56.3% (<em>P</em>=0.99) and 52.8% and 40.2% (<em>P</em>=0.229) using ELISA and PCR respectively. Despite the higher prevalence of toxoplasmosis in AP compared with the controls, a significant relationship was not found between MI and toxoplasmosis. The multiple sequence alignment of <em>T. gondii</em> isolates revealed a common haplotype. The significant relationship between some variables and toxoplasmosis as well as the MI could reveal the risk factors for MI.<br> <strong>Conclusion:</strong> These results provide fresh insights into the ambiguous association between <em>T. gondii</em> infection and MI. As a probable or concomitant risk factor, toxoplasmosis could induce the MI, principally in patients with the chronic or latent infection. Memory impairment, probable link, seromolecular, toxoplasmosis 43 51 http://crms.mubabol.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-144-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Shirzad Fallahi shfupdate@gmail.com 10031947532846002152 10031947532846002152 No Hepatitis Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Science, Khorramabad, Iran. مرکز تحقیقات هپاتیت، دانشگاه علوم پزشکی لرستان، خرم آباد، ایران. Nozhat Zebardast n.zebardast@yahoo.com 10031947532846002153 10031947532846002153 No Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran مرکز تحقیقات سلولی و مولکولی، دانشکده پزشکی، دانشگاه علوم پزشکی گیلان، رشت، ایران , Syedeh Fatemeh Moosavi f.moosavi@yahoo.com 10031947532846002154 10031947532846002154 No Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran گروه انگل شناسی و قارچ شناسی پزشکی، دانشکده پزشکی، دانشگاه علوم پزشکی لرستان، خرم آباد، ایران Farnaz Kheirandish Kheirandish81@yahoo.com 10031947532846002155 10031947532846002155 Yes Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran گروه انگل شناسی و قارچ شناسی پزشکی، دانشکده پزشکی، دانشگاه علوم پزشکی لرستان، خرم آباد، ایران