title: Longitudinal study of alexithymia and multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the course of alexithymia and its relation with anxiety and depression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), over a period of 5 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two MS patients were examined at two timepoints, 5 years apart, and they answered questionnaires collecting socio-demographic, medical, and psychological data (depression, anxiety, alexithymia).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our data show that emotional disorders remain stable over time in patients with MS, particularly as regards alexithymia and anxiety. Conversely, the rate of depression decreased between the two evaluations, falling from 40% to 26%. The two dimensions of alexithymia (i.e., difficulty describing and difficulty identifying feelings) were correlated with anxiety and depression, whereas the third component of alexithymia (externally oriented thinking) was independent, and was the only component to change over time, with a significant fall observed at 5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alexithymia was associated with increased severity of anxiety and attack relapses.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Psychopathologie et de Psychologie Médicale, Université de Bourgogne Pôle AAFE, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Khadija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chahraoui
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurologie Clinique Bourguignonne de la Sclérose en Plaques, University Hospital Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duchene
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurologie Clinique Bourguignonne de la Sclérose en Plaques, University Hospital Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rollot
authors.affiliation: Service de Psychiatrie et d'Addictologie, University Hospital Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bonin
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurologie Clinique Bourguignonne de la Sclérose en Plaques, University Hospital Dijon, France.
authors.forename: Thibault
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moreau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alexithymia; anxiety; depression; longitudinal study; multiple sclerosis