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Alexithymia in people with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and mild Alzheimer’s disease

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Abstract

Background

Behavioral and psychological symptoms are widely accepted as accelerator factors in progression to dementia. Although alexithymia is closely related to normal aging process and poor neurocognitive performance, alexithymia has not been included in these symptoms yet.

Aims

Here, we aimed to investigate alexithymia features in people with prominent clinical memory complaints.

Methods

The participants (n = 82) were classified into three groups as: subjective cognitive decline (n = 30), mild cognitive impairment (n = 27), and mild Alzheimer’s disease (n = 25) after Mini-Mental State Examination, Clinical Dementia Rating Scale, neuropsychological test battery, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Hachinski Ischemic Scale. All participants were assessed with 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale.

Results

The patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment have significantly greater alexithymia features than individuals with subjective cognitive decline in Toronto Alexithymia Scale (p < 0.05 for all). The alexithymia features in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment did not significantly differ (p > 0.05, for all).

Discussion

People who have objective cognitive decline seem to have more alexithymia features than people with subjective cognitive decline. Moreover, alexithymia features seem to be similar in people mild Alzheimer’s disease and in mild cognitive impairment.

Conclusion

Alexithymia might be an important searching domain of behavioral–psychological symptoms in people with cognitive problems beyond aging.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consultants in Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School of Cerrahpasa, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mehmet Yuruyen & Hakan Yavuzer

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Medical School of Cerrahpasa, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Fundan Engin Akcan, Gizem Cetiner Batun, Gozde Gultekin & Murat Emul

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Mesut Toprak

Authors
  1. Mehmet Yuruyen
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  2. Fundan Engin Akcan
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  3. Gizem Cetiner Batun
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  4. Gozde Gultekin
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  6. Hakan Yavuzer
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  7. Murat Emul
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Correspondence to Murat Emul.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Ethics Committee of Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty and in accordance with the 2002 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Statement of human and animal rights

The study is performed with in accordance to the Ethical Guideline for Human Studies of World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki 2008.

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Written informed consent was obtained from all participants.

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Yuruyen, M., Akcan, F.E., Batun, G.C. et al. Alexithymia in people with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and mild Alzheimer’s disease. Aging Clin Exp Res 29, 1105–1111 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0725-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-017-0725-8

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