title: Possible common neurological breakdowns for alexithymia and humour appreciation deficit: A case study.
abstract: This brief work is an attempt to point to the possible common neurological breakdowns in giving rise to alexithymia, and impaired appreciation of humour. In particular, we present the case of a patient who lost the ability to enjoy humour after the surgical removal of a frontal groove meningioma, although he was still able to detect it, while at the same time was diagnosed with organic alexithymia. Our results indicate that problems in the affective appreciation of humour and in emotionalizing (alexithymic symptoms) may be the result of damage to the ventral-rostral portions of the ACG/mPFC, which prevent the patient from assessing the salience of emotion and motivational information, and generating emotional reactions; as a result he has trouble experiencing emotions, knowing how he and others feel, and enjoy humour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Evangelismos Hospital, University of Athens, Greece. Electronic address: ppatrik@cc.uoi.gr.
authors.forename: Panayiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Patrikelis
authors.affiliation: First Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Eginition Hospital, University of Athens, Greece; Section of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Konstantakopoulos
authors.affiliation: Unit of Neuropsychology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Evangelismos Hospital, University of Athens, Greece; Department of MRI, General Anti-Cancer and Oncological Hospital of Athens "St. Savvas", Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasileios K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Katsaros
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Evangelismos Hospital, University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Damianos E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Sakas
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Evangelismos Hospital, University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gatzonis
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Evangelismos Hospital, University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Giorgos
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stranjalis
mesh_terms: D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000209:etiology*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008579:Meningioma / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic
keywords: Alexithymia; Cognition; Humour appreciation; Neuropathology; Olfactory meningioma