Alexithymia in PTSD: Psychometric and FMRI Studies
Abstract
Two studies examined correlates of alexithymia in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In study 1 (n = 77 individuals with PTSD and 45 controls) Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS-20) scores were positively correlated with PTSD symptoms, dissociation, and childhood abuse and neglect. In study 2, TAS-20 scores were examined as correlates of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response to trauma script imagery. In 16 controls, TAS-20 scores correlated positively with response in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and negatively with response in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and thalamus. In 26 individuals with PTSD, TAS-20 scores correlated positively with response in insula, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and thalamus, and negatively with response in ACC.
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Atypicalities in the structure and function of interoceptive cortex (AI and ACC) in alexithymia seem relatively specific to these regions, rather than diffuse across the brain.
“atypicalities in the structure and function of interoceptive cortex (AI and ACC) in alexithymia, which seem relatively specific to these regions, rather than diffuse across the brain (e.g. Borsci et al., 2009; Deng et al., 2013; Frewen et al., 2006; Goerlich-Dobre et al., 2014; Grabe et al., 2014; Heinzel et al., 2010; Ihme et al., 2013; Jongen et al., 2014; Kano and Fukudo, 2013; Kano et al., 200”
From Atypical interoception as a common risk factor for psychopathology: A review (2021) · cites this paper as Frewen et al., 2006
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- Authors
- FREWEN, P. A., PAIN, C., DOZOIS, D. J. A., & LANIUS, R. A.
- Affiliations
- Western University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- LANIUS, RUTH A.
- Venue
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2006-07
- Volume
- 1071
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 397-400
- ISSN
- 0077-8923 (ISSN-L)
- 1749-6632
- OpenAlex
- W1999989599
- Cited by
- 89
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 2.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Keywords
- alexithymia, post-traumatic stress disorder, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, dissociation, childhood abuse and neglect, BOLD signal, medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus, insula, posterior cingulate cortex, brain activation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affective Symptoms, Cerebral Cortex, Child, Child Abuse, Dissociative Disorders, Emotions, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Oxygen, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychometrics, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Thalamus, Prefrontal Cortex
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