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HPA system activity in alexithymia: a cortisol awakening response study
Elif Alkan Härtwig1, Sabine Aust, Isabella Heuser
1Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Charité University Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Eschenallee 3, 14050 Berlin, Germany.
Psychoneuroendocrinology
|May 1, 2013
Summary
Individuals with alexithymia, a trait of emotional difficulty, show a lower cortisol awakening response (CAR). This suggests personality traits influence the body's stress response system.
Area of Science:
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Personality Psychology
- Stress Research
Background:
- Alexithymia is a personality trait marked by difficulty identifying and expressing emotions.
- It is linked to various stress-related psychiatric conditions.
- The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) system is crucial for stress regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cortisol awakening response (CAR) as an indicator of HPA-system function in healthy adults with alexithymia.
- To explore the relationship between alexithymia, perceived stress, and HPA-system activity.
Main Methods:
- Compared CAR in 41 high alexithymic individuals versus 37 low alexithymic controls.
- Collected saliva cortisol samples over three days for mean CAR calculation.
- Administered questionnaires for alexithymia (TAS-20, BVAQ) and interpersonal reactivity (IRI).
Main Results:
- The alexithymic group exhibited a significantly lower mean CAR compared to controls.
- A negative correlation was found between CAR and perceived stress.
- CAR showed a negative correlation with age in the alexithymic group.
Conclusions:
- Alexithymic individuals demonstrate a blunted cortisol awakening response.
- Personality traits, such as alexithymia, can modulate HPA-system functioning.
- This highlights a potential biological link between emotional processing and stress regulation.
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