High levels of alexithymia in patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties identifying and describing feelings. Some researchers describe high levels of alexithymia among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) but literature data on this subject are scarce.Objective:The objective of the present study was to characterize findings of alexithymia in patients with MS.Methods:This cross-sectional case-control study included 180 patients with MS and a matched control group. Data for patients with MS included disease duration, number of demyelinating relapses and degree of neurological disability, as assessed by the Expanded Disability Scale Score (EDSS). In addition, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) were used.Results:There were 126 women and 54 men in each group, with median age of 37 years and median education of 16 years. Patients with MS had higher degrees of depression (p<0.01), anxiety (p=0.01) and alexithymia (p<0.01) than did control subjects. For individuals with MS, depressive traits (p<0.01), anxious traits (p=0.03), higher age (p=0.02), lower education level (p=0.02), higher degree of disability (p<0.01) and not being actively employed (p=0.03) were associated with higher rates of alexithymia.Conclusion:Alexithymia was a relevant finding in patients with MS.

Corticospinal inhibition and alexithymia in multiple sclerosis patients–An exploratory study

“…First, alexithymia was associated with lower education, a finding that is consistent with some [25], but not all MS studies (for reviews see [1]). Individuals with higher education might have better language skills to verbalize their feelings, rendering them less alexithymic than those with lower education.…”

The Relationship Between Alexithymia and Depression in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

“…Alexithymia scores were higher in women in the MS group and men in the control group. Eboni et al [16] (2018) found higher alexithymia scores in MS women patients while Levant et al [21] (2009) found higher alexithymia scores in healthy men. Unlike our study Kuloğlu et al (2013) found no significant difference between alexithymia scores considering gender differences.…”

“…Likewise, Hyunyoung et al [15] (2012) found similar results in their Korean study. Eboni et al [16] (2018) also studied 180 Brazilian and found that alexithymia scores were significantly higher in patients suffering from both depression and MS.…”

Cognitive decline may not be adequately captured in economic evaluations of multiple sclerosis: are new treatments being undervalued?

“…Additionally, the EQ-5D is subjective and selfreported. This is important to capture the impact of a condition on a patient but relies on their ability to identify and recognize their feelings, an ability often impaired (known as alexithymia) in MS 16 , and patients' recall, which may be limited by cognitive dysfunction. Self-report may therefore be inappropriate in MS because if patients cannot recognize their own limitations they are unable to report them 17 .…”