title: Alexithymia is not related to severity of night eating behavior: a useful distinction from other eating disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients affected by Night Eating Syndrome (NES) complain of insomnia, mood, anxiety and overeating, which have all been linked to difficulties in dealing with emotions, but no research has examined the levels of alexithymia among NES patients. We compared the levels of alexithymia among samples of: NES patients, insomniac patients who do not eat at night, and a control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 153 participants: 34 with NES, 47 with insomnia, and 72 in the control group. Half of the NES group was recruited in a weight and eating disorders center in Philadelphia and the other in a sleep disorders center in Bologna, Italy. Alexithymia was evaluated through the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All groups scored in the normal range of the TAS. There was no relationship between alexithymia and the severity of NES. The insomnia participants reported the highest levels of alexithymia and NES patients the lowest. All NES patients' scores were under the clinical cut-off for alexithymia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data differ from the high levels of alexithymia reported by the literature among patients affected by Binge Eating Disorder (BED), suggesting that abnormal diurnal and nocturnal eating patterns, even though they may share several symptoms, are distinct syndromes having different psychopathological pathways.
authors: "Studi Cognitivi" Post-graduate Cognitive Psychotherapy School Research Group, Foro Buonaparte, 57, 20121 Milano, Italy; "GNOSIS" Research and Psychotherapy Group V, Cottolengo 19, Mondovì, Italy. Electronic address: piervinai@tin.it.
authors: Piergiuseppe
authors: P
authors: Vinai
authors: IRCSS, Institute of Neurological Sciences and Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors: Federica
authors: F
authors: Provini
authors: IRCSS, Institute of Neurological Sciences and Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Antelmi
authors: IRCSS, Institute of Neurological Sciences and Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Marcatelli
authors: "Studi Cognitivi" Post-graduate Cognitive Psychotherapy School Research Group, Foro Buonaparte, 57, 20121 Milano, Italy; "GNOSIS" Research and Psychotherapy Group V, Cottolengo 19, Mondovì, Italy.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Cardetti
authors: "GNOSIS" Research and Psychotherapy Group V, Cottolengo 19, Mondovì, Italy.
authors: Luisa
authors: L
authors: Vinai
authors: "GNOSIS" Research and Psychotherapy Group V, Cottolengo 19, Mondovì, Italy.
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Vinai
authors: "GNOSIS" Research and Psychotherapy Group V, Cottolengo 19, Mondovì, Italy.
authors: Cecilia
authors: C
authors: Bruno
authors: "Studi Cognitivi" Post-graduate Cognitive Psychotherapy School Research Group, Foro Buonaparte, 57, 20121 Milano, Italy; "GNOSIS" Research and Psychotherapy Group V, Cottolengo 19, Mondovì, Italy.
authors: Maurizio
authors: M
authors: Speciale
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors: Kelly C
authors: KC
authors: Allison
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Alexithymia; Binge Eating Disorder; Insomnia; Night Eating Syndrome