Somatosensory amplification in schizophrenia is associated with preserved neuropsychological function

Some alexithymic features are similar to negative symptoms of schizophrenia, while somatosensory amplification has been defined as an abnormal perceptual style that could be related to hallucinations and positive schizophrenic symptoms. This study analyzed whether both psychological constructs are related to the type of clinical symptoms and to the neuropsychological performance of patients with schizophrenia.

Thirty-seven patients with schizophrenia were assessed psychologically (20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and Somatosensory Amplification Scale), clinically, and neuropsychologically and were compared with a control group of healthy subjects (n= 37).

No differences were found in alexithymia or somatosensory amplification between patients and controls and there was no relationship between the two psychological variables and the type of psychotic symptoms in the patient group. However, among patients with schizophrenia, somatosensory amplification was related to significantly better neuropsychological performance than that found in alexithymic subjects and in patients in general.

Alexithymia was unrelated to negative symptoms and to the neuropsychological performance of patients with schizophrenia, and as a psychological construct seems to be separate from the disease. However, in patients with an amplifier style, neuropsychological performance was highly similar to that found in healthy controls, raising the possibility of studying somatosensory amplification as a psychological variable that is potentially related to the clinical and neuropsychological outcomes of patients with schizophrenia.