Furthering the language hypothesis of alexithymia: An integrated review and meta-analysis. (October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Ka Shu; Murphy, Jennifer; Catmur, Caroline; Bird, Geoffrey; Hobson, Hannah
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews. Volume 141(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-10
• Subjects: Alexithymia -- Constructionist -- Emotion -- Emotional granularity -- Language -- Meta-analysis -- Systematic review; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Human behavior -- Periodicals; Animal behavior -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Behavior -- Periodicals; Ethology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Psychophysiologie -- Périodiques; Comportement humain -- Périodiques; Animaux -- Mœurs et comportement -- Périodiques; Neurologie -- Périodiques; Animal behavior; Human behavior; Neurology; Psychophysiology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 573.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104864
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0149-7634

Abstract

Abstract: Alexithymia, including the inability to identify and express one's own feelings, is a subclinical condition responsible for some of the socioemotional symptoms seen across a range of psychiatric conditions. The language hypothesis of alexithymia posits a language-mediated disruption in the development of discrete emotion concepts from ambiguous affective states, exacerbating the risk of developing alexithymia in language-impaired individuals. To provide a critical evaluation, a systematic review and meta-analysis of 29 empirical studies of language functioning in alexithymia was performed. A modest association was found between alexithymia and multi-domain language deficits ( r = −0.14), including structural language, pragmatics, and propensity to use emotional language. A more theoretically-relevant subsample analysis comparing alexithymia levels in language-impaired and typical individuals revealed larger effects, but a limited number of studies adopted this approach. A synthesis of 11 emotional granularity studies also found an association between alexithymia and reduced emotional granularity ( r = −0.10). Language impairments seem to increase the risk of alexithymia. Heterogeneous samples and methods suggest the need for studies with improved alexithymia assessments. Highlights: This integrated review evaluated the language hypothesis of alexithymia. Meta-analyses showed a small association between language deficits and alexithymia. Alexithymia was modestly related to reduced granularity of emotion concepts. Varied clinical characteristics and methods precluded further subgroup comparisons. A multi-route model of alexithymia is pivotal to elucidate its etiology.