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Neumann D, Parrott D, Hammond FM. Training to Reconnect With Emotional Awareness Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Participants With Traumatic Brain Injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2024:S0003-9993(24)01173-0. [PMID: 39154927 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2024.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the efficacy of an intervention, Training to Reconnect with Emotional Awareness Therapy (TREAT) at improving alexithymia, emotion dysregulation, anxiety, depression, anger, and global positive and negative affect in participants with traumatic brain injury (TBI). DESIGN Randomized, waitlist control (WLC) trial with 3-month follow-up. SETTING Outpatient brain injury rehabilitation center. PARTICIPANTS Adult participants, who were on average 11.37 years postcomplicated mild-to-severe TBI and also had elevated alexithymia (n=44), who were randomized to immediate treatment (TREAT; n=20) or WLC (WLC=24). INTERVENTIONS Eight sessions, structured training program that teaches emotional awareness and discrete labeling of emotions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale, Difficulty with Emotion Regulation Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9; State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS); and Patient Global Impression of Change. RESULTS Thirty-four participants completed the study per protocol. Compared with WLC participants (n=16) who had not yet received the intervention, TREAT participants (n=18) had significantly less alexithymia, emotion dysregulation, anxiety, and depression (all P's<.05) within approximately 1 week of completing the intervention. Before/after results from the pooled sample (n=34) showed significant improvements, immediately and 3 months after the intervention, on all outcomes except the STAXI and the Positive Affect subscale of the PANAS. On the Patient Global Impression of Change, a noticeable change in global emotional function and quality of life was reported by 80%. Intent-to-treat analyses (n=38) revealed similar results to the per protocol sample. CONCLUSIONS Findings support the efficacy of TREAT for reducing alexithymia and emotion dysregulation in individuals with chronic TBI. Although outcomes were also promising for anxiety and depression, more research using attention-control designs are warranted to control for the attention received during treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn Neumann
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.
| | - Devan Parrott
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Flora M Hammond
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
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Neumann D, Hammond FM, Sander AM, Bogner J, Bushnik T, Finn JA, Chung JS, Klyce DW, Sevigny M, Ketchum JM. Alexithymia Prevalence, Characterization, and Associations With Emotional Functioning and Life Satisfaction: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Study. J Head Trauma Rehabil 2024:00001199-990000000-00169. [PMID: 39146446 DOI: 10.1097/htr.0000000000000967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Alexithymia an emotional processing deficit that interferes with a person's ability to recognize, express, and differentiate emotional states. Study objectives were to (1) determine rates of elevated alexithymia among people with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) 1-year post-injury, (2) identify demographic and injury-related variables associated with high versus low-average levels of alexithymia, and (3) examine associations among alexithymia with other aspects of emotional functioning and life satisfaction. SETTING Data were collected during follow-up interviews across four TBI Model System (TBIMS) centers. PARTICIPANTS The sample consisted of 196 participants with moderate-to-severe TBI enrolled in the TBIMS. They were predominately male (77%), White (69%), and had no history of pre-injury mental health treatment (66.3%). DESIGN Cross-sectional survey data were obtained at study enrollment and 1-year post-injury. MAIN MEASURES Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) as well as measures of anger, aggression, hostility, emotional dysregulation, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, resilience and life satisfaction. Sociodemographic information, behavioral health history and injury-related variables were also included. RESULTS High levels of alexithymia (TAS-20 score > 1.5 standard deviation above the normative mean) were observed for 14.3%. Compared to individuals with low/average levels of alexithymia, the high alexithymia group tended to have lower levels of education. At 1-year follow-up, high TAS-20 scores were strongly associated with emotional dysregulation and post-traumatic stress; moderately associated with anger, hostility, depression, anxiety, lower resilience and lower satisfaction with life; and weakly associated with aggression. CONCLUSION These findings provide further evidence that alexithymia is associated with poor emotional functioning and life satisfaction after TBI. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine if alexithymia is a risk factor that precipitates and predicts worse emotional outcomes in the TBI population. This line of work is important for informing treatment targets that could prevent or reduce of psychological distress after TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn Neumann
- Author Affiliations: Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida (Dr Neumann) Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Dr Hammond), Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; H. Ben Taub Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Dr Sander), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Brain Injury Research Center (Dr Sander), TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, Texas; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Dr Bogner), College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; Rusk Rehabilitation (Dr Bushnik), NYU Langone Health, New York, New York; Rehabilitation & Extended Care (Dr Finn), Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences (Dr Finn), University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Polytrauma System of Care, Rehabilitation Service (Dr Chung), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California; Central Virginia VA Health Care System (Dr Klyce), Richmond, Virginia; Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (Dr Klyce), Richmond, Virginia; Sheltering Arms Institute (Dr Klyce), Richmond, Virginia; and Craig Hospital (Mr Sevigny and Dr Ketchum), Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems, National Data and Statistical Center, Englewood, Colorado
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Fynn DM, Gignac GE, Becerra R, Pestell CF, Weinborn M. The Prevalence and Characteristics of Alexithymia in Adults Following Brain Injury: A Meta-Analysis. Neuropsychol Rev 2021; 31:722-738. [PMID: 33624197 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-021-09484-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Alexithymia is the inability to identify and describe one's own emotions. Some research suggests that organic alexithymia may occur after acquired brain injury (ABI). However, the results in the literature are inconsistent, when comparisons are made against healthy controls. Furthermore, a precise estimate of alexithymia prevalence in the ABI population has not yet been reported. Consequently, this meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence and characteristics of alexithymia in ABI, as measured by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20). Based on 22 unique ABI samples, a series of random-effects meta-analyses estimated moderate to large positive effect sizes (i.e., greater alexithymia in ABI samples) for the TAS-20 total scale (Hedges' g = 1.00, 95% CI [0.75, 1.35]), as well as the subscales: difficulty identifying feelings (Hedges' g = 0.92, 95% CI [0.66, 1.17]), difficulty describing feelings (Hedges' g = 0.69, 95% CI [0.50, 0.87]) and externally oriented thinking (Hedges' g = 0.75, 95% CI [0.64, 0.85]). Furthermore, a meta-regression identified a larger effect size (TAS-20 total scale score) for traumatic brain injury (TBI) samples, in comparison to non-TBI samples. Finally, the prevalence of clinically significant levels of alexithymia (TAS-20 total scale ≥ 68.4; i.e., two SDs above the general population mean) in ABI patients was estimated at 15.2%. We interpreted the results to suggest that ABI may have a substantial negative impact on affective processing abilities and, thus, comprehensive assessment of emotional functioning deficits following ABI should be considered by practitioners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Fynn
- School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Gilles E Gignac
- School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Rodrigo Becerra
- School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Carmela F Pestell
- School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Michael Weinborn
- School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
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Abstract
Humans are highly adept at differentiating, regulating, and responding to their emotions. At the core of all these functions is emotional awareness: the conscious feeling states that are central to human mental life. Disrupted emotional awareness-a subclinical construct commonly referred to as alexithymia-is present in a range of psychiatric and neurological disorders and can have a deleterious impact on functional outcomes and treatment response. This chapter is a selective review of the current state of the science on alexithymia. We focus on two separate but related issues: (i) the functional deficits associated with alexithymia and what they reveal about the importance of emotional awareness for shaping normative human functioning, and (ii) the neural correlates of alexithymia and what they can inform us about the biological bases of emotional awareness. Lastly, we outline challenges and opportunities for alexithymia research, focusing on measurement issues and the potential utility of formal computational models of emotional awareness for advancing the fields of clinical and affective science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Hogeveen
- Department of Psychology and Psychology Clinical Neuroscience Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States.
| | - Jordan Grafman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Brain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, United States; Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Neurology, and Psychiatry, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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Neumann D, Zupan B. Sex Differences in Emotional Insight After Traumatic Brain Injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2020; 101:1922-1928. [PMID: 32445846 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2020.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare sex differences in alexithymia (poor emotional processing) in males and females with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and uninjured controls. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING TBI rehabilitation facility in the United States and a university in Canada. PARTICIPANTS Sixty adults with moderate to severe TBI (62% men) and 60 uninjured controls (63% men) (N=120). INTERVENTIONS Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20). RESULTS Uninjured men had significantly higher (worse) alexithymia scores than uninjured female participants on the TAS-20 (P=.007), whereas, no sex differences were found in the TBI group (P=.698). Men and women with TBI had significantly higher alexithymia compared with uninjured same-sex controls (both P<.001). The prevalence of participants with scores exceeding alexithymia sex-based norms for men and women with TBI was 37.8% and 47.8%, respectively, compared with 7.9% and 0% for men and women without TBI. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to most findings in the general population, men with TBI were not more alexithymic than their female counterparts with TBI. Both men and women with TBI have more severe alexithymia than their uninjured same-sex peers. Moreover, both are equally at risk for elevated alexithymia compared with the norms. Alexithymia should be evaluated and treated after TBI regardless of patient sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn Neumann
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Carolinas Rehabilitation, Charlotte, NC, Canada.
| | - Barbra Zupan
- Department of Applied Linguistics, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
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Wearne T, Osborne-Crowley K, Rosenberg H, Dethier M, McDonald S. Emotion recognition depends on subjective emotional experience and not on facial expressivity: evidence from traumatic brain injury. Brain Inj 2018; 33:1-11. [PMID: 30296178 DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2018.1531300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recognizing how others feel is paramount to social situations and commonly disrupted following traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study tested whether problems identifying emotion in others following TBI is related to problems expressing or feeling emotion in oneself, as theoretical models place emotion perception in the context of accurate encoding and/or shared emotional experiences. METHODS Individuals with TBI (n = 27; 20 males) and controls (n = 28; 16 males) were tested on an emotion recognition task, and asked to adopt facial expressions and relay emotional memories according to the presentation of stimuli (word and photos). After each trial, participants were asked to self-report their feelings of happiness, anger and sadness. Judges that were blind to the presentation of stimuli assessed emotional facial expressivity. RESULTS Emotional experience was a unique predictor of affect recognition across all emotions while facial expressivity did not contribute to any of the regression models. Furthermore, difficulties in recognizing emotion for individuals with TBI were no longer evident after cognitive ability and experience of emotion were entered into the analyses. CONCLUSIONS Emotion perceptual difficulties following TBI may stem from an inability to experience affective states and may tie in with alexythymia in clinical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis Wearne
- a School of Psychology , University of New South Wales , Sydney , NSW , Australia
| | | | - Hannah Rosenberg
- a School of Psychology , University of New South Wales , Sydney , NSW , Australia
| | - Marie Dethier
- b Department of Psychology: Cognition and Behavior , University of Liege , Liege , Belgium
| | - Skye McDonald
- a School of Psychology , University of New South Wales , Sydney , NSW , Australia
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Neumann D, Malec JF, Hammond FM. Reductions in Alexithymia and Emotion Dysregulation After Training Emotional Self-Awareness Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Phase I Trial. J Head Trauma Rehabil 2018; 32:286-295. [PMID: 28060205 PMCID: PMC5498277 DOI: 10.1097/htr.0000000000000277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine the acceptability and initial efficacy of an emotional self-awareness treatment at reducing alexithymia and emotion dysregulation in participants with traumatic brain injury (TBI). SETTING An outpatient rehabilitation hospital. PARTICIPANTS Seventeen adults with moderate to severe TBI and alexithymia. Time postinjury ranged 1 to 33 years. DESIGN Within subject design, with 3 assessment times: baseline, posttest, and 2-month follow-up. INTERVENTION Eight lessons incorporated psychoeducational information and skill-building exercises teaching emotional vocabulary, labeling, and differentiating self-emotions; interoceptive awareness; and distinguishing emotions from thoughts, actions, and sensations. MEASURES Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20); Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS); Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI); Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI); Difficulty With Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS); and Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). RESULTS Thirteen participants completed the treatment. Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed changes on the TAS-20 (P = .003), LEAS (P < .001), TAI (P = .014), STAXI (P = .015), DERS (P = .020), and positive affect (P < .005). Paired t tests indicated significant baseline to posttest improvements on these measures. Gains were maintained at follow-up for the TAS, LEAS, and positive affect. Treatment satisfaction was high. CONCLUSION This is the first study published on treating alexithymia post-TBI. Positive changes were identified for emotional self-awareness and emotion regulation; some changes were maintained several months posttreatment. Findings justify advancing to the next investigational phase for this novel intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn Neumann
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana, 4141 Shore Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46254, , Phone: 317-329-2188
| | - James F. Malec
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Physical, Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana, Indianapolis, IN
| | - Flora M. Hammond
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Physical, Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chief of Medical Affairs, Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana, Indianapolis, IN
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The Relations of Self-Reported Aggression to Alexithymia, Depression, and Anxiety After Traumatic Brain Injury. J Head Trauma Rehabil 2017; 32:205-213. [DOI: 10.1097/htr.0000000000000261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Cassel A, McDonald S, Kelly M, Togher L. Learning from the minds of others: A review of social cognition treatments and their relevance to traumatic brain injury. Neuropsychol Rehabil 2016; 29:22-55. [DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2016.1257435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anneli Cassel
- National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Brain Recovery, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Skye McDonald
- National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Brain Recovery, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michelle Kelly
- National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Brain Recovery, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Leanne Togher
- National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Brain Recovery, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Discipline of Speech Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Maroti D, Molander P, Bileviciute-Ljungar I. Differences in alexithymia and emotional awareness in exhaustion syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome. Scand J Psychol 2016; 58:52-61. [PMID: 27686801 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Symptoms of Exhaustion Syndrome (ES) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) are overlapping and create difficulties of differential diagnosis. Empirical studies comparing ES and CFS are scarce. This study aims to investigate if there are any emotional differences between ES and CFS. This cross-sectional study compared self-reported alexithymia and observer-rated emotional awareness in patients with ES (n = 31), CFS (n = 38) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 30). Self-reported alexithymia was measured with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) and emotional awareness with an observer-rated performance test, the Level of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS). Additionally, depression and anxiety were scored by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results show that patients with ES expressed higher self-reported alexithymia in the TAS-20 compared to HC, but had similar emotional awareness capacity in the observer-rated performance test, the LEAS. Patients with CFS expressed more difficulties in identifying emotions compared to HCs, and performed significantly worse in the LEAS-total and spent more time completing the LEAS as compared to HC. Correlation and multiple regressions analyses revealed that depression and anxiety positively correlated with and explained part of the variances in alexithymia scores, while age and group explained the major part of the variance in LEAS. Findings of this study indicate that emotional status is different in patients with ES and CFS with respect to both self-reported alexithymia and observer-rated emotional awareness. Emotional parameters should be approached both in clinical investigation and psychotherapy for patients with ES and CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Maroti
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Karolinska Institutet and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Danderyd Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter Molander
- Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University and Region Östergotland, Linköping, Sweden.,Department of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Indre Bileviciute-Ljungar
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Karolinska Institutet and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Danderyd Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University and Region Östergotland, Linköping, Sweden
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A Meta-Analytic Review of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—2nd Edition (MMPI-2) Profile Elevations Following Traumatic Brain Injury. PSYCHOLOGICAL INJURY & LAW 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s12207-015-9236-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Abstract
Little research has focused on the contributors to adult theory of mind (ToM) even though there is reason to suspect individual differences in performance in neurotypical samples. Alexithymia, a term that references an impaired ability to attend to and verbally label emotions via ongoing introspection, is a useful construct through which to explore how socially relevant dimensions of emotion processing enable ToM. As 1 study has explored alexithymia vis-à-vis cognitive ToM, this study examined the relationships between facets of alexithymia and affective ToM while controlling for the potential confounds of empathy, verbal ability, and negative affect. A nonclinical sample of adults (N = 86) completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, the Mehrabian and Epstein Scale of Emotional Empathy, the Profile of Mood States, and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that externally oriented thinking contributed unique variance to affective ToM, confirming an inverse relationship between alexithymia and affective ToM but highlighting the need to parse alexithymia into discrete facets when exploring its relevance to social cognition.
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Lang FU, Dudeck M, Becker T, Jäger M. [Organic personality disorder: conceptual principles, clinical symptoms and treatment]. DER NERVENARZT 2015; 86:332-339. [PMID: 25492699 DOI: 10.1007/s00115-014-4144-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The organic personality disorder is primarily characterized by a change of premorbid behavior due to an organic impairment or disease of the central nervous system. German psychopathological preliminary work had a determining influence on the current diagnostic concepts in the international classification of diseases 10 (ICD-10) and the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 5 (DSM-5). An analysis of the literature in the MEDLINE database shows that most studies can be found for traumatic brain injury and epilepsy. The most common symptoms described were symptoms of depression, emotional instability, irritability and impulsive behavior. Psychopathological symptoms were not related to the etiopathogenesis but showed some relation to the neuroanatomical location of functional disorders or damages. Only few publications on treatment strategies were found. The empirical findings point to the necessity of multiaxial diagnostic measures to distinguish between the levels of etiology and symptomatology. Therapeutic interventions should be planned on the basis of psychopathological symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- F U Lang
- Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie II, Universität Ulm, Bezirkskrankenhaus Günzburg, Ludwig-Heilmeyer-Str. 2, 89312, Günzburg, Deutschland,
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Anxiety sensitivity and alexithymia as mediators of postconcussion syndrome following mild traumatic brain injury. J Head Trauma Rehabil 2014; 29:E9-E17. [PMID: 23381020 DOI: 10.1097/htr.0b013e31827eabba] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the influence of anxiety sensitivity (AS) and alexithymia as potential mediators for the development of psychological distress and postconcussion syndrome after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). PARTICIPANTS Sixty-one patients with mTBI assessed at a mean of 2.38 weeks after injury and demographically matched healthy controls (n = 61). MEASURES Twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Anxiety Sensitivity Index, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Rivermead Post Concussion Questionnaire. RESULTS The mTBI group reported significantly higher levels of AS, alexithymia, psychological distress, and postconcussion (PC) symptom scores than controls. High AS and alexithymia in the mTBI group were associated with a greater number of PC symptoms and higher levels of psychological distress than patients scoring low on these measures and controls. In the mTBI group, a combination of AS and low mood explained 52.6% of the variance in PC symptom reporting. A combination of trait-anxiety, alexithymia, and PC symptoms explained 77.2% of the variance in levels of mood. CONCLUSION A combination of low mood and high AS may act as a psychological diathesis for the development of persisting PC symptoms. Early identification could provide a focus for early intervention to prevent the development of postconcussion syndrome after mTBI.
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Katsifaraki M, Wood RL. The impact of alexithymia on burnout amongst relatives of people who suffer from traumatic brain injury. Brain Inj 2014; 28:1389-95. [PMID: 24945712 DOI: 10.3109/02699052.2014.919538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although previous research has provided some indication of the association of alexithymia and burnout, this is the first study exploring the association of these two variables in a sample of relatives of individuals who have sustained traumatic brain injury (TBI). OBJECTIVE To explore the degree to which relatives experience burnout and the extent to which alexithymia acts as a pre-disposing factor, controlling for depression and coping strategies. METHOD Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services, Estonian COPE Dispositional Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory-II were completed by 60 relatives of patients with TBI drawn from a tertiary head injury clinic population. RESULTS Levels of emotional exhaustion, reduced personal accomplishment and depression were significantly higher in the sub-group of relatives with alexithymia than in the sub-group of relatives without alexithymia. Difficulty describing feelings and externally oriented thinking style were significant predictors of emotional exhaustion, while difficulty identifying feelings and difficulty describing feelings were important predictors of depersonalization. CONCLUSIONS Relatives who present with alexithymia need to be identified at an early stage to minimize risks of burnout leading to adverse effects on patient-caregiver relationships.
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Relationships Between Alexithymia, Affect Recognition, and Empathy After Traumatic Brain Injury. J Head Trauma Rehabil 2014; 29:E18-27. [DOI: 10.1097/htr.0b013e31827fb0b5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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The Impact of Alexithymia on Relationship Quality and Satisfaction Following Traumatic Brain Injury. J Head Trauma Rehabil 2013; 28:E21-30. [DOI: 10.1097/htr.0b013e318267b0ab] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Emotional regulation impairments following severe traumatic brain injury: an investigation of the body and facial feedback effects. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2013; 19:367-79. [PMID: 23351364 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617712001555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The object of this study was to evaluate the combined effect of body and facial feedback in adults who had suffered from a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) to gain some understanding of their difficulties in the regulation of negative emotions. Twenty-four participants with TBI and 28 control participants adopted facial expressions and body postures according to specific instructions and maintained these positions for 10 s. Expressions and postures entailed anger, sadness, and happiness as well as a neutral (baseline) condition. After each expression/posture manipulation, participants evaluated their subjective emotional state (including cheerfulness, sadness, and irritation). TBI participants were globally less responsive to the effects of body and facial feedback than control participants, F(1,50) = 5.89, p = .02, η(2) = .11. More interestingly, the TBI group differed from the Control group across emotions, F(8,400) = 2.51, p = .01, η(2) = .05. Specifically, participants with TBI were responsive to happy but not to negative expression/posture manipulations whereas control participants were responsive to happy, angry, and sad expression/posture manipulations. In conclusion, TBI appears to impair the ability to recognize both the physical configuration of a negative emotion and its associated subjective feeling.
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Abstract
Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to physical, neuropsychological, and emotional deficits that interfere with the individual’s capacity to return to his or her former lifestyle. This review focuses on social cognition, that is, the capacity to attend to, recognize and interpret interpersonal cues that guide social behavior. Social cognition entails ‘‘hot’’ processes, that is, emotion perception and emotional empathy and ‘‘cold’’ processes, that is, the ability to infer the beliefs, feelings, and intentions of others (theory of mind: ToM) to see their point of view (cognitive empathy) and what they mean when communicating (pragmatic inference). This review critically examines research attesting to deficits in each of these domains and also examines evidence for theorized mechanisms including specific neural networks, the role of simulation, and non-social cognition. Current research is hampered by small, heterogeneous samples and the inherent complexity of TBI pathology. Nevertheless, there is evidence that facets of social cognition are impaired in this population. New assessment tools to measure social cognition following TBI are required that predict everyday social functioning. In addition, research into remediation needs to be guided by the growing empirical base for understanding social cognition that may yet reveal how deficits dissociate following TBI.
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Kano M, Fukudo S. The alexithymic brain: the neural pathways linking alexithymia to physical disorders. Biopsychosoc Med 2013; 7:1. [PMID: 23302233 PMCID: PMC3563604 DOI: 10.1186/1751-0759-7-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties in identifying and describing feelings and is associated with psychiatric and psychosomatic disorders. The mechanisms underlying the link between emotional dysregulation and psychosomatic disorders are unclear. Recent progress in neuroimaging has provided important information regarding emotional experience in alexithymia. We have conducted three brain imaging studies on alexithymia, which we describe herein. This article considers the role of emotion in the development of physical symptoms and discusses a possible pathway that we have identified in our neuroimaging studies linking alexithymia with psychosomatic disorders. In terms of socio-affective processing, alexithymics demonstrate lower reactivity in brain regions associated with emotion. Many studies have reported reduced activation in limbic areas (e.g., cingulate cortex, anterior insula, amygdala) and the prefrontal cortex when alexithymics attempt to feel other people's feelings or retrieve their own emotional episodes, compared to nonalexithymics. With respect to primitive emotional reactions such as the response to pain, alexithymics show amplified activity in areas considered to be involved in physical sensation. In addition to greater hormonal arousal responses in alexithymics during visceral pain, increased activity has been reported in the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and midbrain. Moreover, in complex social situations, alexithymics may not be able to use feelings to guide their behavior appropriately. The Iowa gambling task (IGT) was developed to assess decision-making processes based on emotion-guided evaluation. When alexithymics perform the IGT, they fail to learn an advantageous decision-making strategy and show reduced activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, a key area for successful performance of the IGT, and increased activity in the caudate, a region associated with impulsive choice. The neural machinery in alexithymia is therefore activated more on the physiologic, motor-expressive level and less in the cognitive-experiential domains of the emotional response system. Affects may play an important role in alleviating intrinsic physiologic reactions and adapting to the environment. Deficient development of emotional neural structures may lead to hypersensitivity to bodily sensations and unhealthy behaviors, a possible mechanism linking alexithymia to psychosomatic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiko Kano
- Behavioral Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Shin Fukudo
- Behavioral Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
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Staniloiu A, Markowitsch HJ. Towards solving the riddle of forgetting in functional amnesia: recent advances and current opinions. Front Psychol 2012; 3:403. [PMID: 23125838 PMCID: PMC3485580 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2012] [Accepted: 09/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Remembering the past is a core feature of human beings, enabling them to maintain a sense of wholeness and identity and preparing them for the demands of the future. Forgetting operates in a dynamic neural connection with remembering, allowing the elimination of unnecessary or irrelevant information overload and decreasing interference. Stress and traumatic experiences could affect this connection, resulting in memory disturbances, such as functional amnesia. An overview of clinical, epidemiological, neuropsychological, and neurobiological aspects of functional amnesia is presented, by preponderantly resorting to own data from patients with functional amnesia. Patients were investigated medically, neuropsychologically, and neuroradiologically. A detailed report of a new case is included to illustrate the challenges posed by making an accurate differential diagnosis of functional amnesia, a condition that may encroach on the boundaries between psychiatry and neurology. Several mechanisms may play a role in "forgetting" in functional amnesia, such as retrieval impairments, consolidating defects, motivated forgetting, deficits in binding and reassembling details of the past, deficits in establishing a first person autonoetic connection with personal events, and loss of information. In a substantial number of patients, we observed a synchronization abnormality between a frontal lobe system, important for autonoetic consciousness, and a temporo-amygdalar system, important for evaluation and emotions, which provides empirical support for an underlying mechanism of dissociation (a failure of integration between cognition and emotion). This observation suggests a mnestic blockade in functional amnesia that is triggered by psychological or environmental stress and is underpinned by a stress hormone mediated synchronization abnormality during retrieval between processing of affect-laden events and fact-processing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hans J. Markowitsch
- Physiological Psychology, University of BielefeldBielefeld, Germany
- Center of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology, University of BielefeldBielefeld, Germany
- Hanse Institute for Advanced StudyDelmenhorst, Germany
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McDonald S, Rosenfeld J, Henry JD, Togher L, Tate R, Bornhofen C. Emotion Perception and Alexithymia in People With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: One Disorder or Two? A Preliminary Investigation. BRAIN IMPAIR 2012. [DOI: 10.1375/brim.12.3.165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPrimary objective:Recent research studies attest to the presence of deficits in emotion perception following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Additionally, a growing number of studies report significant levels of alexithymia (disorder of emotional cognition) following TBI. This research aimed to examine the relation between the two, while assessing the influence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Design:Cross-sectional study examining levels of alexithymia, emotion perception disorders and PTSD and their association, in 20 people with severe, chronic TBI and 20 adults without brain injuries.Methods:Participants were assessed on the Toronto Alexithymia — 20 Scale, the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale and on two emotion perception tasks: matching and labelling of photos depicting the 6 basic emotions.Results:The group with TBI were impaired relative to controls when matching facial expressions. Their performance on ‘fear’ was especially poor. Performance on labelling was similar in pattern, although failed to reach significance. There was no association between poor performance on fear, or other negative expressions, and either PTSD or alexithymia symptoms in the TBI group.Conclusions:Alexithymia, as assessed by the TAS-20, taps a constellation of difficulties that do not appear to include difficulties with emotion perception in people with traumatic brain injuries.
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Lyvers M, Onuoha R, Thorberg FA, Samios C. Alexithymia in relation to parental alcoholism, everyday frontal lobe functioning and alcohol consumption in a non-clinical sample. Addict Behav 2012; 37:205-10. [PMID: 22075204 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2011.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2011] [Revised: 08/04/2011] [Accepted: 10/14/2011] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have indicated that 45-67% of those in treatment for alcohol use disorders suffer from alexithymia, a multifaceted personality trait characterized by difficulties identifying and describing emotions and an externally oriented cognitive style. The high reported prevalence rates of alexithymia among those with alcohol dependence led to speculation that alexithymia is a personality dimension that may predispose to risky or problematic alcohol use. METHODS This notion was examined in 314 adult volunteers (54% female) aged 18-45 years (M=27.6 years), all of whom reported at least occasional alcohol consumption, who completed online surveys assessing alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale, or TAS-20), parental alcoholism (Children of Alcoholics Screening Test, or CAST), everyday signs of frontal lobe dysfunction (Frontal Systems Behavior Scale, or FrSBe) and risky alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, or AUDIT). RESULTS TAS-20 scores were positively correlated with the index of parental alcoholism CAST, index of frontal lobe dysfunction FrSBe and measure of alcohol-related problems AUDIT. Chi-square test showed an association between TAS-20-defined alexithymia and being the offspring of an alcoholic parent as defined by CAST. Regression analysis showed that frontal lobe dysfunction (FrSBe) mediated the relationship between alexithymia (TAS-20 total score) and risky alcohol use (AUDIT). CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that alexithymia is related to deficiencies in frontal lobe functioning that may reflect a heritable predisposition to alcohol problems.
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S. Koven N, H. Carr L. Differential Relationships among Facets of Alexithymia and BDNF- and Dopamine-Related Polymorphisms. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.4236/nm.2012.31002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Staniloiu A, Markowitsch HJ, Brand M. Psychogenic amnesia – A malady of the constricted self. Conscious Cogn 2010; 19:778-801. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2010.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2009] [Revised: 06/22/2010] [Accepted: 06/29/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Wood RL, Williams C, Kalyani T. The impact of alexithymia on somatization after traumatic brain injury. Brain Inj 2010; 23:649-54. [PMID: 19557568 DOI: 10.1080/02699050902970786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION High rates of alexithymia have been reported following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Difficulty modulating emotional states has been shown to increase the risk of affective distress and the tendency to express this distress in the form of physical symptoms. The current study therefore examined relationships between alexithymia, affective distress and somatization in a TBI sample. METHOD Eighty-three patients with TBI completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R). RESULTS Alexithymic individuals reported higher ratings of anxiety, low mood and somatic symptoms. Alexithymia accounted for a significant amount of variance in anxiety, depression and somatization ratings. Scores on sub-scale 1 of the TAS-20 (difficulty identifying feelings) made a significant unique contribution to explaining somatization ratings after controlling for the influence of anxiety and depression ratings. CONCLUSION Alexithymia after TBI increases the risk of affective disturbance and somatization. It needs to be identified at an early stage to direct rehabilitation interventions and improve prospects for psychosocial outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodger Ll Wood
- Brain Injury Research Group, Psychology Department, School of Human Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
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Williams C, Wood RL. Alexithymia and emotional empathy following traumatic brain injury. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2009; 32:259-67. [DOI: 10.1080/13803390902976940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Williams
- a Brain Injury Research Group, Department of Psychology , School of Human Sciences, Swansea University , Swansea, UK
| | - Rodger Ll. Wood
- a Brain Injury Research Group, Department of Psychology , School of Human Sciences, Swansea University , Swansea, UK
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Staniloiu A, Bender A, Smolewska K, Ellis J, Abramowitz C, Markowitsch HJ. Ganser syndrome with work-related onset in a patient with a background of immigration. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2009; 14:180-98. [PMID: 19499385 DOI: 10.1080/13546800902931036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A substantial proportion of the recently published cases of dissociative disorders have a background of immigration (Fujiwara et al., 2008). Among the dissociative disorders, Ganser syndrome is an uncommon form that has as central symptom the giving of approximate answers to questions (vorbeireden). The predisposing and triggering factors of Ganser syndrome are poorly defined. Furthermore, this condition might cooccur with other psychiatric disorders. Here we describe a patient with a background of immigration, who, after an objectively minor work-related head injury, developed severe and persistent psychiatric symptoms, with features of Ganser syndrome. METHODS The patient was assessed medically, psychiatrically, and by neuropsychological testing. RESULTS The patient is a man with no known previous psychiatric history, who lived in several countries and encountered a series of stressful experiences in the process of migration. Several years after immigrating to his current country of residency, he developed severe psychiatric symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder, with Psychotic Features and Ganser syndrome. The symptoms, which emerged after a mild head injury, have persisted for more than a year, despite treatment. CONCLUSIONS The similarity between this case and other reports suggests that psychosocial stresses accompanying immigration may have a catalytic effect in triggering and maintaining dissociative symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Staniloiu
- Physiological Psychology, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld D-33501, Germany
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The rebirth of neuroscience in psychosomatic medicine, Part I: historical context, methods, and relevant basic science. Psychosom Med 2009; 71:117-34. [PMID: 19196808 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0b013e31819783be] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Neuroscience was an integral part of psychosomatic medicine at its inception in the early 20th century. Since the mid-20th century, however, psychosomatic research has largely ignored the brain. The field of neuroscience has burgeoned in recent years largely because a variety of powerful new methods have become available. Many of these methods allow for the noninvasive study of the living human brain and thus are potentially available for integration into psychosomatic medicine research at this time. In this first paper we examine various methods available for human neuroscientific investigation and discuss their relative strengths and weaknesses. We next review some basic functional neuroanatomy involving structures that are increasingly being identified as relevant for psychosomatic processes. We then discuss, and provide examples of, how the brain influences end organs through "information transfer systems," including the autonomic, neuroendocrine, and immune systems. The evidence currently available suggests that neuroscience holds great promise for advancing the goal of understanding the mechanisms by which psychosocial variables influence physical disease outcomes. An increased focus on such mechanistic research in psychosomatic medicine is needed to further its acceptance into the field of medicine.
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Polusny MA, Dickinson KA, Murdoch M, Thuras P. The role of cumulative sexual trauma and difficulties identifying feelings in understanding female veterans' physical health outcomes. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2008; 30:162-70. [PMID: 18291298 DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2007.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2007] [Revised: 11/23/2007] [Accepted: 11/26/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the role of alexithymia (difficulties identifying one's emotions) in understanding the link between PTSD symptoms and negative health outcomes in sexually victimized female veterans. We hypothesized that having experienced multiple types of sexual trauma across the lifespan, experiencing greater severity of PTSD symptoms, and reporting difficulties in identifying emotions would be associated with increased negative health outcomes. METHOD Anonymous cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of 456 female veterans enrolled in a VA clinic within the prior year. Data collected included demographics, lifetime trauma exposure, psychological and medical symptoms, emotion recognition problems (alexithymia), health-risk behaviors, and health care utilization. RESULTS A total of 57.5% of participants reported a lifetime history of sexual trauma. After controlling for sexual trauma history, PTSD symptoms, and other well-established predictors of health care utilization in the VA medical system such as pre-disposing, enabling and need-based factors, hierarchical regression analyses showed that alexithymia independently explained unique variance in participants' physical health complaints and in their odds of reporting at least one outpatient urgent care visit in the past year. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that emotion recognition problems may contribute to poorer health outcomes in sexually traumatized women veterans beyond what is explained by sexual trauma exposure, health risk behaviors and PTSD. Psychological interventions that enhance emotion identification skills for women who have experienced sexual trauma could improve health perceptions and reduce need for acute health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Polusny
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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