Alexithymic features in migraine patients

Abstract. The aims of the present study were 1) to investigate the alexithymic features in migraine patients and, 2) if alexithymia has any relation with the results of other psychological scales that are widely used in clinical practice to describe the psychopathologies, such as depression and anxiety. Demographic and clinical data of 50 cases with migraine without aura and 50 normal volunteers were supplied. All cases completed the Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, State and Trait Anxiety Inventory and Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Migraine patients were significantly more depressive, anxious and alexithymic than the control group; there was no correlation between TAS scores and demographic variables; not depression but anxiety was significantly correlated with alexithymia in the migraine group, whereas none of the scores were found to be related to alexithymia in controls. According to our results, alexithymia is a frequent finding in migraine patients and is associated with anxiety to a considerable extent but not with depression.