Alexithymia is no risk factor for exacerbation in spasmodic torticollis patients.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether alexithymia is a risk factor for exacerbation in spasmodic torticollis (ST).


METHODS
ST patients (2 x 10) with high vs. low alexithymia scores (mean score on the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale [TAS-20]=69.2 vs. 28.7) were compared on physiological, motor and subjective responses to a cognitive and an emotional laboratory stressor. Changes in sustained abnormal head/shoulder positions and maximum range of motion (ROM) of the cervical spine were kinematically quantified. Skin conductance level (SCL), nonspecific skin conductance fluctuations (NS.SCF), heart rate (HR) and skin temperature (T) were measured.


RESULTS
High alexithymia had no effect on the abnormal head posture or movements, but high-alexithymic ST patients showed generally increased levels of autonomic arousal (more NS.SCF, higher SCL; analysis of variance [ANOVA]: P=.016 and P=.051, respectively) under all experimental conditions. When ST symptom severity (TSUI-score) was partialled out, these group differences were somewhat reduced (analysis of covariance [ANCOVA]: P=.052 and P=.143).


CONCLUSIONS
High alexithymia did not lead to increased abnormal head movements to stressors, but may result in a subtle increase in tonic level of sympathetic activity.
Gündel
H
H
Department of Psychosomatics, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany. h.guendel@lrz.tu-muenchen.de
Greiner
A
A
Ceballos-Baumann
A O
AO
Ladwig
K H
KH
Von Rad
M
M
Förstl
H
H
Jahn
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D012881:Skin Temperature; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014103:Torticollis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*