Alexithymia, the Emotional Blindness among Stroke Survivors: A Preliminary Study

Stroke patients suffer from emotional disturbances. Alexithymia is a common impairment after stroke. To date, no Arabic study has examined the potential comorbidity of alexithymia and stroke in a rehabilitation outpatient setting.

Methods: Quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used to collect information from stroke survivors. Subjects were recruited from the outpatient rehabilitation clinic at King Fahad Medical City - Rehab Hospital (KFMC-RH), during their follow up.

Results: Stroke survivors (n= 33) were compared with healthy control subjects (n= 35) on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20); Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) of Quality of Life (QoL). Alexithymia was significantly associated with stroke survivors. Alexithymia was reported to be a predictor of poorer QoL, even when depression and anxiety were controlled. Qualitative studies (n=15) followed, in order to obtain in-depth information about post-stroke alexithymia. Emotional change was one of the most frequently voiced complaints of stroke survivors and their caregivers.

Conclusions: The conclusion encourages the assessment of alexithymia in rehabilitation settings for stroke survivors. Increased awareness of the potential mediating role of alexithymia in post-stroke psychological symptoms will facilitate effective diagnoses and better rehabilitation intervention for better outcomes.