Alexithymia and non ulcer dyspepsia.
- Author:
Su Min KO
1
;
Jae Joon BYEON
;
Kyeong Hyeon LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Family Medicine, Samsung Seoul Hospital.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
alexithymia;
non ulcer dyspepsia
- MeSH:
Affective Symptoms*;
Dyspepsia*;
Fibrinogen;
Humans;
Psychopathology;
Psychophysiologic Disorders;
Ulcer*
- From:Journal of the Korean Academy of Family Medicine
2001;22(8):1204-1213
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: The pathophysiology of non ulcer dyspepsia remains unknown. But Several related factors have been investigated and psychologic factor is one of the possible mechanism. Alexithymia was introduced to explain the psychopathology of psychosomatic disorder. Until now alexithymia has been variously shown to be associated with many psychosomatic disorder, psychiatric disorder, even medical patients. This study is designed to investigate whether non ulcer dyspepsia has more relationship with alexithymia than other illness. METHODS: To compare alexithymia tendency between non ulcer dyspepsia and general medical patients, we collected sample from January to September 1999. Each group of 72 patients were tested using Toronto Alexithymia Scale. RESULTS: A rate of 37.5% of alexithymia was found in the non ulcer dyspepsia group compared with significant lower rate of 19.4% in the general medical patients group. CONCLUSION: Non ulcer dyspepsia patients had more alexithymia compare to general medical patients. This finding shows the alexithymia could be part of the pathophysiology of non ulcer dyspepsia.
