Prevalence and correlates of alexithymia in drug-resistant epilepsies.
Epilepsy & Behavior. 2025-02-01; 163: 110222
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2024.110222
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1. Epilepsy Behav. 2024 Dec 13;163:110222. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2024.110222.
Online ahead of print.
Prevalence and correlates of alexithymia in drug-resistant epilepsies.
Paradas O(1), Pradier S(1), Dessilas M(2), Viaud A(1), Chibani L(3), De-Montaudouin M(1), Gradel A(1), Michel V(1), Aupy J(4).
Author information:
(1)CHU de Bordeaux, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, F-33000 Bordeaux,
France.
(2)CHU de Bordeaux, Department of Public Health, Bordeaux, F-33000 Bordeaux,
France.
(3)Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
(4)CHU de Bordeaux, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, F-33000 Bordeaux,
France; Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
Electronic address: .
INTRODUCTION: Alexithymia, characterized by difficulty identifying and
expressing emotions, is commonly observed in individuals with psychiatric and
neurological disorders. However, its prevalence in patients with epilepsy (PWE),
particularly in those with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), remains
under-researched. This study investigates the prevalence of alexithymia in
patients with DRE and explores its associated factors.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study of 118 adult patients
with focal DRE undergoing presurgical evaluation at Bordeaux University
Hospital. Alexithymia was assessed using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20
(TAS-20), while psychiatric symptoms were evaluated with validated scales. Data
on demographic characteristics, epilepsy duration, seizure frequency,
antiepileptic drug use, and localization of the epileptogenic zone (EZ) were
collected and analyzed using logistic regression models.
RESULTS: Alexithymia was identified in 40.7 % of patients. Depression and
anxiety were significantly associated with alexithymia (p