title: HPA system activity in alexithymia: a cortisol awakening response study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties in identifying, describing and communicating one's own emotions. It is also associated with several stress-related psychiatric disorders. The aim of the study was to examine the cortisol awakening response (CAR) as a measure of HPA-system function in a community based sample of psychologically and physically healthy adults with alexithymia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourty-one high alexithymic individuals and thirty-seven low alexithymic subjects, well-controlled regarding gender, age and sociodemographic status, provided three saliva cortisol samples each day for three consecutive days for the calculation of mean CAR. Participants filled out questionnaires on alexithymia (TAS-20, BVAQ) and interpersonal reactivity (IRI) prior to cortisol assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean CAR of three sampling days was significantly lower in the alexithymic group in comparison to control participants. Additionally there was a negative correlation between CAR and perceived stress, which points to lower CAR in alexithymia accompanied by higher perceived stress in socio-emotional situations. CAR was negatively correlated with age in the alexithymic group, indicating to alterations in HPA system over longer time to stress exposure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alexithymic individuals have a lower CAR. Hence the results of the present study indicate that certain aspects of personality modulate HPA-system functioning.
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Charité University Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Eschenallee 3, 14050 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: elif.alkan@fu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alkan Härtwig
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aust
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Heuser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Alexithymia; Cortisol; Cortisol awakening response; HPA; Personality; Stress