[Different patterns of regional brain activation during emotional stimulation in alexithymics in comparison with normal controls].
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to determine patterns of regional brain activation during emotional stimulation in alexithymics as compared with normal controls.


METHODS
We used 15O-water positron emission tomography and an emotional stimulation paradigm based upon autobiographic recall of either happy, sad or emotionally neutral situations. 10 normal subjects without medical or psychiatrical history were compared with 9 patients with somatoform disorder without any other DSM-IV diagnosis. TAS-20 was used as a measure for alexithymia, depression was measured using BDI.


RESULTS
Normal controls showed significantly greater activation than alexithymics in cingulate areas, corpus callosum, and right superior and inferior frontal gyrus. Alexithymics activated significantly more in cuneus and precuneus, thalamus (pulvinar), left medial frontal, right inferior temporal, left superior temporal regions, left precentral gyrus, and the cerebellum.


CONCLUSIONS
During emotional autobiographic recall, alexithymia, either trait or state, is characterized by utilization of different brain regions when compared to normal controls. The areas activated by alexithymic persons largely comprise of language related regions, leaving out limbic and paralimbic areas.
Huber
Michael
M
Institut und Poliklinik für Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie der Universität zu Köln, Germany. Michael.Huber@Uni-Koeln.de
Herholz
Karl
K
Habedank
Birgit
B
Thiel
Alexander
A
Müller-Küppers
Markus
M
Ebel
Hermann
H
Subic-Wrana
Claudia
C
Köhle
Karl
K
Heiss
Wolf-Dieter
WD
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging
D010100:Oxygen