Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Charité University Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Eschenallee 3, 14050 Berlin, Germany.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2013 Oct;38(10):2121-6. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.03.023. Epub 2013 Apr 28.
Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties in identifying, describing and communicating one's own emotions. It is also associated with several stress-related psychiatric disorders. The aim of the study was to examine the cortisol awakening response (CAR) as a measure of HPA-system function in a community based sample of psychologically and physically healthy adults with alexithymia.
Fourty-one high alexithymic individuals and thirty-seven low alexithymic subjects, well-controlled regarding gender, age and sociodemographic status, provided three saliva cortisol samples each day for three consecutive days for the calculation of mean CAR. Participants filled out questionnaires on alexithymia (TAS-20, BVAQ) and interpersonal reactivity (IRI) prior to cortisol assessment.
The mean CAR of three sampling days was significantly lower in the alexithymic group in comparison to control participants. Additionally there was a negative correlation between CAR and perceived stress, which points to lower CAR in alexithymia accompanied by higher perceived stress in socio-emotional situations. CAR was negatively correlated with age in the alexithymic group, indicating to alterations in HPA system over longer time to stress exposure.
Alexithymic individuals have a lower CAR. Hence the results of the present study indicate that certain aspects of personality modulate HPA-system functioning.
述情障碍是一种以识别、描述和表达自身情绪困难为特征的人格特质。它还与几种与压力相关的精神障碍有关。本研究的目的是在具有述情障碍的心理和生理健康的社区人群中，检查皮质醇觉醒反应（CAR）作为 HPA 系统功能的测量指标。
41 名高述情障碍个体和 37 名低述情障碍个体，在性别、年龄和社会人口统计学地位方面得到很好的控制，在连续三天内每天提供三次唾液皮质醇样本，以计算平均 CAR。参与者在皮质醇评估前填写了述情量表（TAS-20、BVAQ）和人际反应性（IRI）问卷。
与对照组相比，述情障碍组三天采样日的平均 CAR 显著降低。此外，CAR 与感知压力呈负相关，这表明述情障碍者在社会情感情境中感知到的压力较高，而 CAR 较低。在述情障碍组中，CAR 与年龄呈负相关，表明 HPA 系统在较长时间内对压力暴露的反应发生改变。
述情障碍个体的 CAR 较低。因此，本研究的结果表明，人格的某些方面调节了 HPA 系统的功能。
