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Characteristics of brain functional and structural connectivity in alexithymic students
Yantong Fang1, Mei Li2, Minjun Mei2
1Children and Adolescents Mental Health Joint Clinic, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China, handai@hznu.edu.cn.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
|October 24, 2018
Summary
Alexithymia, a personality trait linked to diseases, shows altered brain connectivity. This study used MRI to pinpoint specific brain regions involved in alexithymia, offering new insights into its development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Alexithymia is a complex personality trait.
- It is a known risk factor for various mental and physical health conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differences in brain connectivity between individuals with and without alexithymia.
- To identify specific brain regions and pathways associated with alexithymia using advanced neuroimaging techniques.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 21 alexithymic and 21 nonalexithymic students.
- Utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) for functional connectivity analysis.
- Employed diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to assess structural connectivity.
Main Results:
- rsfMRI identified 14 brain regions with significant differences in low-frequency fluctuation amplitude.
- Comparative analysis revealed altered functional and structural connectivity in alexithymic subjects.
- Specific altered connections were found between the right inferior temporal gyrus and central posterior gyrus, left temporal gyrus and insula, and bilateral superior frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate gyrus.
Conclusions:
- Multiple MRI analyses provide a more precise identification of brain regions implicated in alexithymia.
- These findings enhance our understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of alexithymia.
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