The Functional and Structural Characteristics of the Emotion Network in Alexithymia

Overview

Journal Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat

Publisher Dove Medical Press

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2018 Apr 27

PMID 29695908

Citations 5

Authors

Dai Han

Mei Li

Minjun Mei

Xiaofei Sun

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Alexithymia is a multifaceted personality trait characterized by emotional dysfunction.

Methods: In this study, the functional and structural features of the emotion network in alexithymia were investigated using resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI), voxel-based morphometry (VBM), functional connectivity (FC) analysis, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Alexithymic and non-alexithymic students were recruited from the local university. The intrinsic neural activity and gray matter density of the brain regions in the emotion network were measured using rsfMRI and VBM; the FC and structural connectivity of the brain regions in the emotion network were measured using FC analysis and DTI.

Results: The altered intrinsic neural activity in V1, rostral dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and left amygdala, and the weak FC between V1 and left superior temporal gyrus and V1 and left paracentral lobule in alexithymia subjects were identified. However, no alteration of the structure and structural connectivity of the emotion network was identified.

Conclusion: The results indicated that the development of alexithymia might have been caused only by slight alteration of the neural activity. Furthermore, the results suggest that noninvasive treatment technologies for improving the brain activity are suitable for alexithymic individuals.

Citing Articles

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Butera C, Kaplan J, Kilroy E, Harrison L, Jayashankar A, Loureiro F Neuropsychologia. 2023; 180:108469.

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Pachi A, Tselebis A, Ilias I, Tsomaka E, Papageorgiou S, Baras S Healthcare (Basel). 2022; 10(6).

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Yin Z, Chang M, Wei S, Jiang X, Zhou Y, Cui L Front Neurosci. 2018; 12:842.

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