Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39961654›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry2025

Characterising alexithymia in individuals with functional motor disorders: a cross-sectional analysis of the Italian Registry of Functional Motor Disorders.

Giovanni Ostuzzi, Christian Geroin, Chiara Gastaldon, Federico Tedeschi, Francesca Maria Clesi, Giacomo Trevisan, Giovanni Bidello, Giovanni Vita, Enrico Marcuzzo, Angela Sandri and 23 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

33 authors.

Giovanni OstuzziWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy giovanni.ostuzzi@univr.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2248-9524
Christian GeroinDepartment of Surgery, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Chiara GastaldonWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Federico TedeschiWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Francesca Maria ClesiWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Giacomo TrevisanWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Giovanni BidelloWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Giovanni VitaWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Enrico MarcuzzoNeurology Unit, Movement Disorders Division, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Angela SandriNeurology Unit, Movement Disorders Division, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Luigi M RomitoDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences, Parkinson and Movement Disorders Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6772-1035
Roberto EleopraDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences, Parkinson and Movement Disorders Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy.
Lucia TesolinFND outpatients clinic, Neurology and Stroke Unit, General Hospital of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy.
Ilaria FranchFND outpatients clinic, Neurology and Stroke Unit, General Hospital of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy.
Mario ZappiaDepartment G.F. Ingrassia, Section of Neurosciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8298-9486
Alessandra NicolettiDepartment G.F. Ingrassia, Section of Neurosciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6757-340X
Benedetta DemartiniAldo Ravelli Research Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Veronica NisticòAldo Ravelli Research Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Nicola ModugnoIRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.
Enrica OlivolaIRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.
Andrea PilottoNeurology Unit and Laboratory of digital Neurology and biosensors, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2029-6606
Alessandro PadovaniNeurology Unit and Laboratory of digital Neurology and biosensors, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Giovanni DefazioDepartment of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.
Tommaso ErcoliNeurological Unit, AOU Sassari, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3260-1754
Martina PetraccaMovement Disorder Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Rosa De MiccoDepartment of Advanced Medical and Surgery Sciences, University of Campania - Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy.
Carlo DallocchioDepartment of Medical Area, Neurology Unit, ASST di Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Marcello EspositoClinical Neurophysiology Unit, Cardarelli Hospital, Naples, Italy.
Roberto ErroCenter for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry - Scuola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Italy.
Eleonora Del PreteNeurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Francesco AmaddeoWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Corrado BarbuiWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Michele TinazziNeurology Unit, Movement Disorders Division, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlexithymia, a personality trait characterised by difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions, may contribute to the onset and clinical presentation of functional motor disorders (FMDs), although this association remains underexplored.

methodsFrom the Italian Registry of FMDs, we selected individuals recruited between November 2011 and January 2023, diagnosed with FMD according to Gupta and Lang criteria and assessed for various neurological and psychological features with validated rating scales. The main statistical analysis included regression models using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20 items as an explanatory variable for a set of clinical measures, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and correcting for multiple testing.

resultsIn a cohort of 483 individuals, 20.7% had possible alexithymia and 31.5% had definite alexithymia. Higher levels of alexithymia were strongly associated with increased severity of depression (β=0.31, p<0.001), anxiety (β=0.32, p<0.001), general psychological distress (β=-0.27, p<0.001), fatigue (β=0.05, p<0.001) and pain (β=0.32, p<0.001) and moderately associated with a slower onset of FMD (β=0.02, p=0.003). Subscale analyses revealed that difficulties identifying feelings contributed most to these associations. No significant association was observed with motor symptom severity.

conclusionsEmotional processing difficulties of individuals with FMD and alexithymia might increase their vulnerability to mental health problems, pain and fatigue, possibly aggravating the overall prognosis. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms linking alexithymia to FMD and to explore the efficacy of interventions targeting emotional awareness and regulation in this population and to prevent long-term mental health burdens.

Indexed as

Affective SymptomsConversion DisorderAdultAgedAnxietyCross-Sectional StudiesDepressionFatigueFemaleHumansItalyMaleMiddle AgedRegistriesDEPRESSIONFUNCTIONAL NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERSCALES

Identifiers

PMID39961654
PMCPMC12505115

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.