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Published on: October 25, 2016
Correlation between alexithymia and hypersensitivity to visceral stimulation in human
Michiko Kano1, Toyohiro Hamaguchi, Masatoshi Itoh
1Behavioral Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Ohta Nishinouchi Hospital, Koriyama, Japan Cyclotron Radioisotope Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan Department of Pharmacology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
Pain
|March 16, 2007
Summary
Alexithymia, difficulty identifying and describing emotions, is linked to heightened sensitivity to internal bodily signals. This hypersensitivity may explain how alexithymia worsens physical illness, particularly in brain-gut function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychophysiology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Alexithymia is associated with exacerbated physical illness.
- The precise mechanism linking alexithymia to physical illness remains unclear.
- A hypothesis suggests alexithymics amplify unpleasant internal sensations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of alexithymia on visceral stimulation sensitivity in humans.
- To explore the neural correlates of visceral sensation processing in alexithymic individuals.
- To examine the relationship between alexithymia traits and subjective/neuroendocrine responses to visceral stimuli.
Main Methods:
- Utilized H(2)(15)O positron emission tomography (PET) to examine brain activity during colonic distension in 45 healthy subjects.
- Assessed alexithymia using the Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS-20) and its subscales.
- Measured subjective feelings and neuroendocrine responses (adrenaline levels).
Main Results:
- Alexithymic subjects (TAS-20 > 61) showed greater brain activation in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, right insula, and midbrain during colonic distension.
- TAS-20 scores positively correlated with activity in the right insula and orbital gyrus, and with blood adrenaline levels.
- High scores in difficulty identifying feelings (DIF) correlated with increased perception of pain, urgency, stress, and anxiety.
Conclusions:
- Alexithymia is associated with hypersensitivity to visceral stimulation.
- This hypersensitivity supports the somatosensory amplification hypothesis in alexithymia.
- Findings are crucial for understanding alexithymia's role in brain-gut function and functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs).
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