Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate psychophysiological reactivity to daily-life stimuli in opiate dependents and associations with alexithymia. Methods: The sample (n=72) was composed of a heroin addicts group treated with methadone and a healthy group, studied in several variables. Participants completed the Portuguese versions of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 items, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Mini-Mental State Examination. They were also exposed to images from The International Affective Pictures System (IAPS) and physiological parameters and ratings of valence and arousal were collected. Results: Opiate dependents showed more alexithymia than controls and higher autonomic reactivity to stimuli. Higher levels of alexithymia seems to moderate an inverse association between heart rate and cognitive appraisals of unpleasant stimuli in this sample. Conclusion: A dysregulated brain-peripheral integration increased by the long term-use of drugs and damage in prefrontal regions are discussed as potential etiological factors supporting the presence of emotional deficits in these populations.
Highlights
Studies pointed out through decades the presence of emotional regulation deficits in opiate dependents
Some studies have characterized these populations on constructs related to emotional regulation deficits, such as alexithymia or emotional awareness [6], few investigations have examined the emotion appraisals in clinical populations of substance users regarding daily-life stimuli which are motivationally relevant for people in general, and not related to drug use [7,8]
Caution is needed to conclude on the results, due to difficulties in matching cases and controls concerning age and education level, findings showed that a sample of drug users in abstinence for heroin appear to be more alexithymic than controls, and more impaired in their capacities for labeling and expressing feelings
Summary
Studies pointed out through decades the presence of emotional regulation deficits in opiate dependents. From different theoretical perspectives some authors have suggested these individuals show selfregulation characteristics that inhibit healthy patterns of experiencing, identifying or expressing emotions, related to the long-term use of drugs [1,2,3]. Some studies have characterized these populations on constructs related to emotional regulation deficits, such as alexithymia or emotional awareness [6], few investigations have examined the emotion appraisals in clinical populations of substance users regarding daily-life stimuli which are motivationally relevant for people in general, and not related to drug use [7,8]. No studies have focused on the associations between self-reported experiences of the emotional valence and arousal of stimuli and peripheral physiological reactivity to the same stimuli in these particular populations. According to the dimensional and motivational perspective, emotional responses are based on a few fundamental dimensions, such as valence and arousal. A third dimension termed as dominance was proposed [10], later research did not recognized it as being as relevant as the other two dimensions, accounting poorly for the variance in evaluative judgments of symbolic stimuli [11,12]
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