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Alexithymia in chronic and episodic migraine: a comparative study
Federica Galli1,2, Marcella Caputi3, Grazia Sances2
1a Department of Health Sciences , University of Milan , Milan , Italy.
Journal of Mental Health (Abingdon, England)
|January 7, 2016
Summary
Alexithymia, a difficulty in expressing emotions, is more prevalent in chronic migraine patients than healthy individuals. This trait appears linked to migraine itself, not just its severity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Alexithymia is characterized by difficulty identifying and describing emotions.
- Migraine is a prevalent neurological disorder affecting millions worldwide.
- The relationship between alexithymia and migraine requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze alexithymia in patients with chronic migraine (CM) and episodic migraine (EM).
- To compare alexithymia levels in migraineurs versus healthy controls.
- To determine if alexithymia is a characteristic trait of migraine.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 80 CM patients and 44 EM patients.
- Enrolled 67 healthy subjects as controls.
- Administered the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) to all participants.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in TAS-20 total scores and Factor 1 (difficulty describing feelings) were observed between groups.
- Chronic migraine patients exhibited higher TAS-20 total and Factor 1 scores compared to healthy controls.
- No significant differences were found between CM and EM patients, though CM patients showed a trend toward higher scores.
Conclusions:
- Alexithymia may be an inherent characteristic of migraine.
- The findings suggest alexithymia is associated with migraine, irrespective of disease severity.
- Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms.
