This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Parker, J. D. A. Articles by Taylor, G. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Parker, J. D. A. Articles by Taylor, G. J. Related Collections Neurology Personality Stress and Coping

Interhemispheric Transfer Deficit in Alexithymia: An Experimental Study

From the Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario (J.D.A.P, M.L.K., C.T.S.), and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto and Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario (G.J.T), Canada.

Address reprint requests to: James D. A. Parker, PhD, Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, K9J7B8. Email: jparker{at}trentu.ca

OBJECTIVE: Previous research has demonstrated an association between alexithymia and a deficit in interhemispheric communication in Vietnam combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this association in a nonclinical sample.

METHODS: The efficiency of interhemispheric transfer was assessed in 14 alexithymic and 15 nonalexithymic right-handed, male, undergraduate university students using a tactile finger localization task.

RESULTS: The nonalexithymic subjects were significantly more efficient at transferring information between the cerebral hemispheres than the alexithymic subjects.

CONCLUSIONS: This finding provides further evidence of an interhemispheric transfer deficit in alexithymia and suggests that an alexithymic cognitive style reflects poor integration of the information processing of the two cerebral hemispheres.

Key Words: alexithymia • functional commissurotomy • interhemispheric transfer

Abbreviations: MSE = mean square error; SD = standard deviation; TAS = Toronto Alexithymia Scale; TAS-20 = 20-item TorontoAlexithymia Scale.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. L. Keightley, K. S. Chiew, G. Winocur, and C. L. Grady Age-related differences in brain activity underlying identification of emotional expressions in faces Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, December 1, 2007; 2(4): 292 - 302. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Gundel, A. Lopez-Sala, A. O. Ceballos-Baumann, J. Deus, N. Cardoner, B. Marten-Mittag, C. Soriano-Mas, and J. Pujol Alexithymia Correlates With the Size of the Right Anterior Cingulate Psychosom Med, January 1, 2004; 66(1): 132 - 140. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. E. O'Carroll, R. Ayling, S. M. O'Reilly, and N. T. North Alexithymia and Sense of Coherence in Patients With Total Spinal Cord Transection Psychosom Med, January 1, 2003; 65(1): 151 - 155. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Spalletta, A. Pasini, A. Costa, D. De Angelis, N. Ramundo, S. Paolucci, and C. Caltagirone Alexithymic Features in Stroke: Effects of Laterality and Gender Psychosom Med, November 1, 2001; 63(6): 944 - 950. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Kraemer The fragile male BMJ, December 23, 2000; 321(7276): 1609 - 1612. [Full Text]