Alexithymic features in stroke: effects of laterality and gender

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Behavioral Neurology

Background:

• Stroke frequently causes behavioral and emotional disturbances.
• Lesion laterality is implicated in the manifestation of these disorders.
• Alexithymia, a personality trait characterized by difficulty identifying and describing feelings, is a common emotional disturbance post-stroke.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between stroke lesion laterality and the prevalence of alexithymic features.
• To test the hypothesis that right-hemisphere stroke lesions increase the risk of alexithymia.

Main Methods:

• Forty-eight stroke patients were assessed using structured clinical interviews and psychometric scales, including the Toronto Alexithymia Scale.
• Analysis of covariance was employed to compare alexithymia scores between right-hemisphere and left-hemisphere lesion groups, controlling for cognitive function, depression, and anxiety.
• Multivariate and univariate analyses examined differences in alexithymia subscores, with an exploratory analysis on gender effects.

Main Results:

• Patients with right-hemisphere lesions exhibited significantly higher alexithymia scores compared to those with left-hemisphere lesions.
• Categorical analysis revealed 48% of right-hemisphere patients had alexithymia versus 22% of left-hemisphere patients.
• Difficulties in identifying and describing feelings were the primary alexithymic features differing between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Right-hemisphere stroke lesions are associated with a higher incidence of alexithymia, particularly difficulties in emotional identification and description.
• Preliminary findings suggest gender may also influence the expression of alexithymic features in stroke survivors.