Top

The Journal of Headache and Pain

Published in:

Open Access 01-12-2013 | Research article

Alexithymia and its impact on quality of life in a group of Brazilian women with migraine without aura

Authors: Rebeca Veras de Andrade Vieira, Daniel Chaves Vieira, William Barbosa Gomes, Gustavo Gauer

Published in: The Journal of Headache and Pain | Issue 1/2013

Abstract

Background

Migraine is a type of primary headache widely known for its impact on quality of life of patients. Although the psychological aspects of the disease are receiving increasing attention in current research, some of them, as alexithymia, are still seldom explored. This study aimed to provide evidence on the relationships between markers of depression, anxiety, alexithymia, self-reflection, insight and quality of life in migraine.

Methods

Forty female outpatients from a Brazilian specialized headache hospital service and a paired control group were compared.

Results

The results revealed that women with migraine had higher levels of depression, anxiety and alexithymia, and lower levels of quality of life, self-reflection and insight, compared to controls. Quality of life in women with migraine was predicted by levels of depression and one alexithymia factor (ability to express emotions and fantasies). A binary regression analysis between clinical and control groups revealed the migraine group to comprise individuals with high anxiety, low quality of life in the physical domain and the presence of a concrete thinking style.

Conclusions

The results highlight the relevance of considering psychological variables in the routine healthcare practices for migraine patients in general, while keeping steady attention to individual case features.

Stovner LJ, Hagen K, Jensen R, Katsarava Z, Lipton RB, Scher AI, Steiner TJ, Zwart J-A: The global burden of headache: a documentation of headache prevalence and disability worldwide. Cephalalgia 2007,27(3):193–210. 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2007.01288.xPubMedCrossRef

Queiroz LP, Peres MFP, Piovesan EJ, Kowacs F, Ciciarelli MC, Souza JA, Zukerman E: A nationwide population-based study of migraine in Brazil. Cephalalgia 2009,29(6):642–649. 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2008.01782.xPubMedCrossRef

Muftuoglu MN, Herken H, Demirci H, Virit O, Neyal A: Alexithymic features in migraine patients. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2004, 254: 182–186.PubMed

Balaban H, Semiz M, Sentürk IA, Kavakç Ö, Çmar Z, Dikici A, Topaktas S: Migraine prevalence, alexithymia, and post-traumatic stress disorder among medical students in Turkey. J Headache Pain 2012,13(6):459–467. 10.1007/s10194-012-0452-7PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

Yalug I, Selekler M, Erdogan A, Kutlu A, Dundar G, Ankarali H, Aker T: Correlations between alexithymia and pain severity, depression, and anxiety among patients with chronic and episodic migraine. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2010,64(3):231–238. 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2010.02093.xPubMedCrossRef

Villani V, Bruti G, Mostardini C, Di Stani F, Scattoni L, Dugoni D, Vanacore N, Cerbo R: Migraine in the Emergency Department: a psychometric study of a migraine "repeaters" sample. J Headache Pain 2005,6(4):301–303. 10.1007/s10194-005-0214-xPubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

Maizels M: Health resource utilization of the emergency department headache “repeater”. Headache 2002, 42: 1026–1031.

Sifneos PE: The prevalence of “alexithymic” characteristics in psychosomatic patients. Psychother Psychosom 1973,22(2):255–262. 10.1159/000286529PubMedCrossRef

Luminet O, Rime B, Bagby M, Taylor GJ: A multimodal investigation of emotional responding in alexithymia. Cogn Emot 2004,18(6):741–766. 10.1080/02699930341000275CrossRef

10.

Taylor GJ, Bagby RM: New trends in alexithymia research. Psychother Psychosom 2004,73(2):68–77. 10.1159/000075537PubMedCrossRef

11.

Hosoi M, Molton IR, Jensen MP, Ehde DM, Amtmann S, O'Brien S, Arimura T, Kubo C: Relationships among alexithymia and pain intensity, pain interference, and vitality in persons with neuromuscular disease: Considering the effect of negative affectivity. Pain 2010,149(2):273–277. 10.1016/j.pain.2010.02.012PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

12.

Vazquez I, Sández E, González-Freire B, Romero-Frais E, Blanco-Aparicio M, Verea-Hernando H: The role of alexithymia in quality of life and health care use in asthma. J Asthma 2010,47(7):797–804. 10.3109/02770900903560217PubMedCrossRef

13.

Chung MC, Rudd H, Wall N: Posttraumatic stress disorder following asthma attack (post-asthma attack PTSD) and psychiatric co-morbidity: the impact of alexithymia and coping. Psychiatry Res 2012,197(3):246–252. 10.1016/j.psychres.2012.01.008PubMedCrossRef

14.

Chatzi L, Bitsios P, Solidaki E, Christou I, Kyrlaki E, Sfakianaki M, Kogevinas M, Kefalogiannis N, Pappas AJ: Type 1 diabetes is associated with alexithymia in nondepressed, non-mentally ill diabetic patients: a case–control study. Psychosom Res 2009,67(4):307–313. 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2009.04.011CrossRef

15.

Luminet O, de Timary P, Buysschaert M, Luts A: The role of alexithymia factors in glucose control of persons with type 1 diabetes: a pilot study. Diabetes Metab 2006,32(5):417–424. 10.1016/S1262-3636(07)70299-9PubMedCrossRef

16.

Rafanelli C, Offidani E, Gostoli S, Roncuzzi R: Psychological correlates in patients with different levels of hypertension. Psychiatry Res 2012,198(1):154–160. 10.1016/j.psychres.2011.09.014PubMedCrossRef

17.

Jula A, Salminen JK, Saarijärvi S: Alexithymia: a facet of essential hypertension. Hypertension 1999,33(4):1057–1061. 10.1161/01.HYP.33.4.1057PubMedCrossRef

18.

Lumley MA, Radcliffe AM, Macklem DJ, Mosley-Williams A, Leisen JCC, Huffman JL, D’Souza PJ, Gillis ME, Meyer TM, Kraft CA, Rapport LJ: Alexithymia and Pain in Three Chronic Pain Samples: Comparing Caucasians and African Americans. Pain Med 2005, 6: 251–261. 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2005.05036.xPubMedCrossRef

19.

Marchesi C, Fontò S, Balista C, Cimmino C, Maggini C: Relationship between alexithymia and panic disorder: a longitudinal study to answer an open question. Psychother Psychosom 2005, 74: 56–60. 10.1159/000082028PubMedCrossRef

20.

Devine H, Stewart SH, Watt MC: Relations between anxiety sensitivity and dimensions of alexithymia in a young adult sample. J Psychosom Res 1999, 47: 145–158. 10.1016/S0022-3999(99)00033-1PubMedCrossRef

21.

Honkalampi K, Hintikka J, Saarinen P, Lehtonen J, Viinamaki H: Is alexithymia a permanent feature in depressed patients? Psychother Psychosom 2000, 69: 303–308. 10.1159/000012412PubMedCrossRef

22.

Grabe HJ, Spitzer C, Freyberger HJ: Alexithymia and personality in relation to dimensions of psychopathology. Am J Psychiatry 2004, 161: 1299–1301. 10.1176/appi.ajp.161.7.1299PubMedCrossRef

23.

Luminet O, Rokbani L, Ogez D, Jadoulle V: An evaluation of the absolute and relative stability of alexithymia in women with breast cancer. J Psychosom Res 2007, 62: 641–648. 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2007.01.003PubMedCrossRef

24.

Di Schiena R, Luminet O, Philippot P: Adaptive and maladaptive rumination in alexithymia and their relation with depressive symptoms. Pers Individ Dif 2011, 50: 10–14. 10.1016/j.paid.2010.07.037CrossRef

25.

Pompili M, Di Cosimo D, Innamorati M, Lester D, Tatarelli R, Martelletti P: Psychiatric comorbidity in patients with chronic daily headache and migraine: a selective overview including personality traits and suicide risk. J Headache Pain 2009, 10: 283–290. 10.1007/s10194-009-0134-2PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

26.

Pompili M, Serafini G, Di Cisimo D, Dominici G, Innamorati M, Lester D, Forte A, Girardi N, De Filippis S, Tatarelli R, Martelletti P: Psychiatric comorbidity and suicide risk in patients with chronic migraine. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2010, 6: 81–91.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

27.

Wang S-J: Migraine and suicide. Expert Rev Neurother 2007,7(9):1069–1071. 10.1586/14737175.7.9.1069PubMedCrossRef

28.

Pompili M, Serafini G, Innamorati M, Serra G, Dominici G, Fortes-Lindau J, Pastina M, Telesforo L, Lester D, Girardi P, Tatarelli R, Martelletti P: Patient Outcome in migraine prophylaxis: the role of psychopharmacological agents. Patient Relat Outcome Meas 2010, 1: 107–118.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

29.

Mattila AK, Saarnic SI, Alanen E, Salminen JK, Kronholm E, Jula A, Sintonen H, Joukamaa M: Health-related quality-of-life profiles in nonalexithymic and alexithymic subjects from general population. J Psychosom Res 2010,68(3):279–283. 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2009.09.010PubMedCrossRef

30.

Modestin J, Furrer R, Malti T: Study on alexithymia in adult nonpatients. J Psychosom Res 2004, 56: 707–709. 10.1016/S0022-3999(03)00125-9PubMedCrossRef

31.

Mattila AK, Poutanen O, Koivisto A-M, Salokangas RKR, Joukamaa M: Alexithymia and life satisfaction in primary care patients. Psychosomatics 2007, 48: 523–529. 10.1176/appi.psy.48.6.523PubMedCrossRef

32.

Grant AM, Franklin J, Langford P: The Self-reflection and Insight Scale: A new measure of private self-consciousness. Soc Behav Pers 2002,30(8):821–836. 10.2224/sbp.2002.30.8.821CrossRef

33.

DaSilveira AC, DeCastro TG, Gomes WG: Escala de Autorreflexão e Insight: nova medida de autoconsciência adaptada e validada para adultos brasileiros. Psico 2012,43(2):155–162.

34.

Masur J, Monteiro M: Validation of the CAGE alcoholism screening test in Brazilian Psychiatry inpatient hospital setting. Braz J Med Biol Res 1983,16(3):215–218.PubMed

35.

Mari J, Willians PA: A validity study of a psychiatric screening questionnaire (SRQ-20) in primary care in the city of São Paulo. Br J Psychiatry 1986, 148: 23–26. 10.1192/bjp.148.1.23PubMedCrossRef

36.

Gonçalves DM, Stein AT, Kapczinski F: Avaliação de desempenho do Self-Reporting Questionnaire como instrumento de rastreamento psiquiátrico: um estudo comparativo com o Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR. Cad Saude Publica 2008,24(2):380–390. 10.1590/S0102-311X2008000200017PubMedCrossRef

37.

Taylor GJ, Ryan D, Bagby RM: Toward the development of a new self-report alexithymia scale. Psychother Psychosom 1985, 44: 191–199. 10.1159/000287912PubMedCrossRef

38.

Yoshida EMP: Validade da Versão em Português da Toronto Alexithymia Scale-TAS em Amostra Clínica. Psicol Reflex Crit 2007,20(3):389–396. 10.1590/S0102-79722007000300006CrossRef

39.

Cunha JA: Manual da versão em português das Escalas Beck. São Paulo: Casa do Psicólogo; 2001.

40.

Fleck MPA, Louzada S, Xavier M, Chachamovich E, Vieira G, Santos L, Pinzon V: Aplicação da versão em português do instrumento abreviado de avaliação da qualidade de vida “WHOQOL- bref”. Rev Saude Publica 2000,34(2):178–183. 10.1590/S0034-89102000000200012PubMedCrossRef

41.

Stewart WF, Lipton RB, Kolodner K, Liberman J, Sawyer J: Reliability of the migraine disability assessment score in a population-based sample of headache suffers. Cephalalgia 1999,19(2):107–114. 10.1046/j.1468-2982.1999.019002107.xPubMedCrossRef

42.

Kokkonen P, Karvonen JT, Veijola J, Läksy K, Jokelainen J, Järvelin MR, Joukamaa M: Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of alexithymia in a population sample of young adults. Compr Psychiatry 2001,42(6):471–476. 10.1053/comp.2001.27892PubMedCrossRef

43.

Joukamaa M, Taanila A, Miettunen J, Karvonen JT, Koskinen M, Veijola J: Epidemiology of alexithymia among adolescents. J Psychosom Res 2007,63(4):373–376. 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2007.01.018PubMedCrossRef

44.

Silvia PJ, Phillips AG: Evaluating self-reflection and insight as self-conscious traits. Pers Individ Dif 2011, 50: 234–237. 10.1016/j.paid.2010.09.035CrossRef

45.

Nyklícek I, Vingerhoets JJM: Alexithymia is associated with low tolerance to experimental painful stimulation. Pain 2000, 85: 471–475. 10.1016/S0304-3959(99)00295-XPubMedCrossRef

46.

Feldman JM, Lehrer PM, Hochron SM: The predictive value of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale among patients with asthma. J Psychosom Res 2002,53(6):1049–1052. 10.1016/S0022-3999(02)00452-XPubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

47.

Chugg K, Barton C, Antic R, Crockett A: The impact of alexithymia on asthma patient management and communication with health care providers: a pilot study. J Asthma 2009,46(2):126–129. 10.1080/02770900802468525PubMedCrossRef

48.

Topsever P, Filiz TM, Salman S, Sengul A, Sarac E, Topalli R, Gorpelioglu S, Scott YT: Alexithymia in diabetes mellitus. Scott Med J 2006,51(3):15–20. 10.1258/rsmsmj.51.3.15PubMedCrossRef

49.

Consoli SM, Lemogne C, Roch B, Laurent S, Plouin PF, Lane RD: Differences in emotion processing in patients with essential and secondary hypertension. Am J Hypertens 2010,23(5):515–521. 10.1038/ajh.2010.9PubMedCrossRef

50.

Todarello O, Taylor GJ, Parker JD, Fanelli M: Alexithymia in essential hypertensive and psychiatric outpatients: a comparative study. J Psychosom Res 1995,39(8):987–994. 10.1016/0022-3999(95)00506-4PubMedCrossRef

Title: Alexithymia and its impact on quality of life in a group of Brazilian women with migraine without aura
Authors: Rebeca Veras de Andrade Vieira
Daniel Chaves Vieira
William Barbosa Gomes
Gustavo Gauer
Publication date: 01-12-2013
Publisher: Springer Milan
Published in: The Journal of Headache and Pain / Issue 1/2013
Print ISSN: 1129-2369
Electronic ISSN: 1129-2377
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1129-2377-14-18

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Alexithymia and its impact on quality of life in a group of Brazilian women with migraine without aura

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2013

Clinical profile of cluster headaches in China – a clinic-based study

Discovery by a proteomic approach of possible early biomarkers of drug-induced nephrotoxicity in medication-overuse headache

Lidocaine injection of pericranial myofascial trigger points in the treatment of frequent episodic tension-type headache

Paroxysmal hemicrania: a retrospective study of a consecutive series of 22 patients and a critical analysis of the diagnostic criteria

Migraine before rupture of intracranial aneurysms

White matter disintegration in cluster headache