Gender-specific association of alexithymia and norepinephrine/cortisol ratios. A preliminary report

• Published in: Journal of psychosomatic research Vol. 59; no. 2; pp. 73 - 76
• Main Authors: Spitzer, Carsten, Brandl, Stephan, Rose, Hans-Joachim, Nauck, Matthias, Freyberger, Harald J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.08.2005; New York, NY Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Affective Symptoms - epidemiology; Affective Symptoms - physiopathology; Affective Symptoms - urine; Alexithymia; Biological and medical sciences; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - methods; Cortisol; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major - epidemiology; Depressive Disorder, Major - physiopathology; Depressive Disorder, Major - urine; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Hydrocortisone - urine; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - physiopathology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mood disorders; N/C ratio; Norepinephrine - urine; Personality traits; Personality. Affectivity; Pituitary-Adrenal System - physiopathology; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Sex Factors; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - physiopathology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - urine; Urinary norepinephrine and cortisol; Urinary norepinephrine and cortisol; Posttraumatic stress disorder; N/C ratio; Alexithymia; Mood disorder; Human; Hypothalamohypophysoadrenal axis; Steroid hormone; Sex; Neuroendocrine regulation; Depression; Daily variation; Personality; Catecholamine; Hydrocortisone; Glucocorticoid; Sociodemographic factor; Adrenal hormone; Norepinephrine; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0022-3999; 1879-1360
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2004.07.006

Alexithymia and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) might share a neuroendocrine pattern characterized by increased urinary norepinephrine (N) and decreased cortisol (C) levels, resulting in a high N/C ratio, at least among male alcoholics. We aimed to explore if this association can also be found in other populations. Twenty-four-hour urine samples were obtained from 12 major depressive disorder (MDD) patients and 23 healthy controls (HC) and tested for N and free C. Participants completed the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS) and the Symptom Check List (SCL). Controlling for depression, the neuroendocrine parameters did not differ between the MDD and HC participants nor between women and men. The TAS was not associated with N, C or the N/C ratio in the MDD and HC participants nor in females alone. However, in men, the N/C ratio correlated significantly with the TAS ( r=.80). Our preliminary findings indicate that alexithymia is associated with an increased noradrenergic activity and a decreased basal activity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis among men. This gender difference may reflect divergent underlying neurobiological processes of alexithymia in men and women.