Alexithymia is associated with low tolerance to experimental painful stimulation

Abstract

Alexithymics are known to report more somatic complaints than individuals scoring low on alexithymia. It was examined whether alexithymia would also be associated with enhanced sensitivity to an externally administered unpleasant physical stimulus. Forty-one healthy male and female subjects with a mean age of 33.9 years completed the 20-item version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and participated in a laboratory protocol consisting of exposure to painful electric stimulation. Multiple stepwise regression analyses revealed that after controlling for sensory threshold, duration of stimulation, and self-reported caffeine consumption, alexithymia predicted significantly pain tolerance level (beta=-0.33, P=0.01). Externally oriented thinking and difficulty identifying feelings, but not difficulty communicating feelings, were responsible for this association. Previous findings and the present results together indicate that alexithymia may be associated with an enhanced sensitivity to both internal (somatic) unpleasant sensations and externally induced pain, suggesting a potential general hypersensitivity to unpleasant stimuli in individuals scoring high on this trait.