Alexithymia, impulsiveness, emotion, and eating dyscontrol: similarities and differences between narcolepsy type 1
Chiara Del Bianco1, Martina Ulivi1, Claudio Liguori1
1Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Systems Medicine, Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy.
Sleep and Biological Rhythms
|March 12, 2024
Summary
Narcolepsy patients, particularly those with type 1 (NT1), experience significant depression and emotion regulation difficulties compared to healthy individuals. These issues, along with alexithymia, may be interconnected in narcolepsy.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Narcolepsy, a chronic neurological disorder, is frequently associated with non-sleep symptoms like depression, anxiety, and overweight.
- Understanding the complex interplay of psychological and behavioral factors in narcolepsy is crucial for comprehensive patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess mood, impulsivity, emotion regulation, alexithymia, and eating behaviors in narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) and narcolepsy type 2 (NT2) patients.
- To compare these psychological profiles with those of healthy controls.
- To explore correlations between clinical data, sleep parameters, and subjective assessments in narcolepsy.
Main Methods:
- Utilized validated questionnaires: Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Barratt Impulsivity Scale-11 (BIS-11), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), and Eating Disorder Evaluation Questionnaire (EDE-Q).
- Assessed daytime sleepiness using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).
- Compared data from 14 NT1, 10 NT2, and 24 healthy participants.
Main Results:
- NT1 patients reported significantly higher alexithymia (TAS scores) than NT2 patients.
- Compared to controls, NT1 patients showed elevated depression (PHQ-9) and emotion dysregulation (DERS) scores.
- A positive correlation was observed between hypnagogic hallucinations and difficulties in emotion regulation.
Conclusions:
- NT1 and NT2 share certain psycho-emotional characteristics, but NT1 is more strongly associated with depressive mood and emotion dysregulation.
- Alexithymia is more pronounced in NT1 compared to NT2.
- Findings suggest a potential interaction between hypnagogic hallucinations, emotion dysregulation, and alexithymia in narcolepsy.
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