In:
Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, S. Karger AG, Vol. 77, No. 3 ( 2008), p. 175-181
Abstract:
〈 i 〉 Background: 〈 /i 〉 A deficit in interhemispheric transfer was hypothesized in alexithymia more than 30 years ago, following the observation that split-brain patients manifest certain alexithymic characteristics. However, direct evidence of interhemispheric transfer deficit has never been provided. This study investigated the hypothesis of a transcallosal interhemispheric transfer deficit in alexithymia by means of paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation. 〈 i 〉 Methods: 〈 /i 〉 A random sample of 300 students was screened for alexithymia using the Italian version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Eight right-handed males and eight females with high alexithymic scores and an age- and gender-matched group with low alexithymic scores were selected. A first (conditioning) magnetic stimulus was delivered to one motor cortex followed by a second (test) stimulus to the opposite hemisphere at different interstimulus intervals for both motor cortices. Motor evoked responses were recorded from the abductor digit minimi muscles. 〈 i 〉 Results: 〈 /i 〉 High alexithymic subjects showed reduced transcallosal inhibition as compared to low alexithymic subjects at interstimulus intervals of 10, 12 and 14 ms in the left-to-right and right-to-left interhemispheric transfer directions. 〈 i 〉 Conclusions: 〈 /i 〉 Results point to functional differences in transcallosal interactions in high alexithymic as compared to low alexithymic subjects, supporting the hypothesis of an interhemispheric transfer deficit in alexithymia.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0033-3190
,
1423-0348
Language:
English
Publisher:
S. Karger AG
Publication Date:
2008
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1472321-9
SSG:
5,2
SSG:
15,3
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