Biomaterial Database

Concept of alexithymia. I. The prevalence of alexithymia in psychosomatic patients. 1985

L Keltikangas-Järvinen

The prevalence of alexithymia was studied in a psychosomatic group consisting of 34 patients with duodenal ulcer, 35 patients with ulcerative colitis and 38 patients with irritable colon syndrome, and in a control group consisting of 29 patients with gallstone disease, 13 patients with inguinal hernia and 44 patients with varicose veins. The methods used were the Beth Israel Hospital Questionnaire, the Thematic Apperception Test, the Rorschach Test and the score of emotionality derived from Lazare's Test. The results showed that alexithymia can be detected in an unselected sample of psychosomatic patients. The social class was of no significance, but a high score of alexithymia was registered for the male psychosomatic patients.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D011602	Psychophysiologic Disorders	A group of disorders characterized by physical symptoms that are affected by emotional factors and involve a single organ system, usually under AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM control. (American Psychiatric Glossary, 1988)	Psychosomatic Disorders,Psychophysiological Disorders,Psychophysiologic Disorder,Psychophysiological Disorder,Psychosomatic Disorder
D003093	Colitis, Ulcerative	Inflammation of the COLON that is predominantly confined to the MUCOSA. Its major symptoms include DIARRHEA, rectal BLEEDING, the passage of MUCUS, and ABDOMINAL PAIN.	Colitis Gravis,Idiopathic Proctocolitis,Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Ulcerative Colitis Type,Ulcerative Colitis
D003109	Colonic Diseases, Functional	Chronic or recurrent colonic disorders without an identifiable structural or biochemical explanation. The widely recognized IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME falls into this category.	Functional Colonic Diseases,Colonic Disease, Functional,Disease, Functional Colonic,Diseases, Functional Colonic,Functional Colonic Disease
D004381	Duodenal Ulcer	A PEPTIC ULCER located in the DUODENUM.	Curling's Ulcer,Curling Ulcer,Curlings Ulcer,Duodenal Ulcers,Ulcer, Curling,Ulcer, Duodenal,Ulcers, Duodenal
D004644	Emotions	Those affective states which can be experienced and have arousing and motivational properties.	Feelings,Regret,Emotion,Feeling,Regrets
D005201	Fantasy	An imagined sequence of events or mental images, e.g., daydreams.	Day Dreams,Daydreams,Day Dream,Daydream,Dream, Day,Dreams, Day,Fantasies
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults