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Alexithymia is related to differences in gray matter volume: a voxel-based morphometry study
Klas Ihme1, Udo Dannlowski, Vladimir Lichev
1Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig, Semmelweisstrasse 10. Leipzig, Germany. ihme@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Brain Research
|November 6, 2012
Summary
High alexithymia is associated with reduced gray matter volume in key emotion-processing brain regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala. These structural differences may underlie functional changes observed in alexithymia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Alexithymia, the inability to identify and describe feelings, is linked to altered brain activity in emotion and face-processing areas.
- Previous functional imaging studies consistently implicated the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), amygdala, anterior insula, and fusiform gyrus (FFG).
- However, the existence of structural brain differences in alexithymia remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether alexithymia is associated with structural gray matter volume differences in specific brain regions.
- To compare gray matter volume between individuals with high alexithymia (HA) and low alexithymia (LA).
Main Methods:
- Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was applied to T1-weighted MRI scans of 17 HA and 17 LA individuals.
- Participants were selected from a larger sample (n=161) based on the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale.
- Analyses focused on a priori regions of interest (ACC, amygdala, anterior insula, FFG) and included an exploratory whole-brain analysis.
Main Results:
- Individuals with LA showed significantly greater gray matter volume than HA in the ACC, left amygdala, and left anterior insula.
- Whole-brain analysis revealed additional volume differences in the left middle temporal gyrus.
- No significant gray matter differences were found when comparing HA to LA.
Conclusions:
- High alexithymia is characterized by reduced gray matter volume in several emotion-relevant brain areas compared to low alexithymia.
- These observed structural differences may contribute to the functional alterations previously identified in alexithymia research.
- The findings highlight a potential neuroanatomical basis for alexithymia.
