Abstract #4554

The alexithymic trait is reflected in emotional processing in subjects below the threshold of alexithymic disorder.

Johanna Närväinen¹, Pekka Kuoppa², Leila Karhunen^3,4, Sanna Sinikallio⁵, Mervi Könönen⁶, and Mika P Tarvainen^2,7

¹VTT Technological Research Centre of Finland, Kuopio, Finland, ²Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland, ³Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland, ⁴Institute of Clinical Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland, ⁵School of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland, ⁶Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland, ⁷Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland

Alexithymia is a disorder linked to altered brain processing of emotions and to other disorders and substance abuse. In sub-disorder range, alexithymia can be considered a personality trait. In this paper, we first characterize the fMRI results of emotion induction in non-alexithymic subjects, and then explore the correlation between brain activation in amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex; and the degree of the alexithymic trait assessed by TAS-20 questionnaire. As conclusion, the alexithymic trait seems to be reflected in emotional processing already in subjects well below the threshold of alexithymia disorder.

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