Abstract
Alexithymia is associated with lower awareness of emotional and non-emotional internal bodily signals. However, evidence suggesting that alexithymia modulates body awareness at an external level is scarce. This study aimed to investigate whether alexithymia is associated with disrupted multisensory integration by using the rubber hand illusion task. Fifty healthy individuals completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and underwent the rubber hand illusion measure. In this measure, one watches a rubber hand being stroked synchronously or asynchronously with one’s own hand, which is hidden from view. Compared to the asynchronous stimulation, the synchronous stimulation results in the illusion that the rubber hand and the participant’s hand are closer together than they really are and that the rubber hand belongs to them. Results revealed that higher levels of alexithymia are associated with a lower ownership illusion over the rubber hand. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that high alexithymia scorers integrate two simultaneous sensory and proprioceptive events into a single experience (lower multisensory integration) to a lesser extent than low alexithymia scorers. Higher susceptibility to the illusion in high alexithymia scorers may indicate that alexithymia is associated with an abnormal focus of one’s own body.
Highlights
An interest in alexithymia originally emerged in the psychosomatic field
There is a consensus in the literature regarding the main components of alexithymia (Taylor et al, 1997): (a) difficulty distinguishing between feelings and bodily sensations accompanying states of emotional arousal, (b) difficulty describing feelings, and (c) externally oriented thinking
Material Questionnaire The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20; Bagby et al, 1994) measures three dimensions of the construct: difficulty identifying emotions (DIF; e.g., ‘‘I am often confused about what emotion I am feeling’’); difficulty describing emotions (DDF; e.g., ‘‘It is difficult for me to find the right words for my feelings’’); and externally oriented thinking (EOT; e.g., ‘‘I prefer talking to people about their daily activities rather than their feelings’’)
Summary
In 1973, Sifneos proposed the term ‘‘alexithymia’’ to characterize patients presenting somatization disorders, defined by a high number of somatic complaints and misinterpretations of somatic sensations as signs of physical illness (Sifneos, 1973; Lundh and Simonsson-Sarnecki, 2001). These patients presented lower emotional awareness, difficulties in identifying and describing their feelings, with a focus on external events and a poor imagination. In addition to lower emotional awareness, studies in alexithymia have highlighted lower awareness of non-emotional internal bodily experience
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
