Organic Alexithymia: A Study of Acquired Emotional Blindness

This presentation discusses the concept of organic alexithymia, a condition characterized by difficulty in identifying and verbalizing emotions, particularly in patients with acquired brain injury. The study explores the similarities and mechanisms of organic alexithymia compared to other forms of alexithymia, and highlights the clinical implications for treating patients with this condition.

Alexithymia
Organic alexithymia: a
study of acquired emotional
blindness

TOPIC: Organic alexithymia:
a study of acquired
emotional blindness
DESIGN: Qualitative
PROTOCOL: Alexithymia
INTRO: THEMATIC ANALYSIS

Paper

Introduction
Alexithymia refers to a psychosomatic condition that mainly
characterized by difficulty in identifying and verbalizing the emotions, as
well as constricted imaginal processes including a stimulus-bound, that
externally oriented cognitive style. The population of patients having
acquired brain injury (ABI), clinical experiences of this group, reflects
existence of a sub-category, that termed as `organic alexithymia’. To
determine if symptoms displayed in organic alexithymia resembles with
same characters and mechanisms of other forms of the alexithymia,
present article is chosen that demonstrates about clinical relevance of
this health issue, to treat patients with acquired brain injury.

Main Symptoms
The hypothesis set for understanding the key concepts of organic
alexithymia is based on “A syndrome is substantially similar to the
alexithymia that can occur in people with ABI, which is acquired
nature of organic disorder and may cause it to be different
systematically from any established syndrome”. Uniqueness of
article related with case study taken of a younger person, who has
met with an accident and after then faces a number of mental
health issues.

Diagnosis Assessment
For addressing the main purpose of the article i.e. to identify if symptoms of
organic alexithymia are similar with other forms of alexithymia which might
occur with those patients with acquired brain injury, some clinical
interventions have been undertaken which is illustrated by the case study
of HR, a young man of 21 age, who has seen for neuropsychological and
clinical assessment for 2 years after a motor vehicle accident at the State
Head Injury Unit, Perth. Here, Clinical counselling therapies like Education
about anger; Controlling anger; and Planning for future risks; and
Psychological testing such as Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS- 20 form) and
the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) are provided to HR to determine his
mental health problems and help him to overcome from the same.

Patient Information
The case study undertaken in the present article is of HR who is just
21 years old and after a head injury in a motor cycle accident, he
was facing issues related to anger, less active participation in social
activities and lack of understanding etc. So, he referred to State
Head Injury Unit, Perth to take therapies to overcome from the
same.

Primary Concerns and Symptoms
Before providing any therapy or clinical interventions, professionals
has taken entire medical and family history before and after
accident of HR, where it has been found that in mid of 1998 he was
met with a moto-cycle accident while driving without a helmet
which result in sustaining a head injury. At initial, he was admitted in
Intensive Care Unit for 28 days, then spent 10 weeks within a
rehabilitation hospital.

Medical, family, and psycho-social
history
After examining it has been evaluated that his anger issues were
mainly occur due to frustration and lack of understanding. It has also
been evaluated that before accident, HR was socially active but now
has become withdrawn and shy. As per his mother’s concerns,
`emotional confusion’ might seems as main difficulty of this patient.
Through clinical examination it has been identified that, both HR and
his mother noticed various variation in their thinking pattern. All this
reflect a condition that an individual has chosen to call alexithymia
can exist in the population that have an organic aetiology and it may
have common features with alexithymia

Relevant past interventions with
outcomes
Through clinical report, it has been evaluated that when HR has met
with an accident, then there is fracture of his left frontal bone;
traumatic fluid levels into sinuses; intracranial blood in few brain’
areas; traumatic blood into subarachnoid space; diffused cerebral
swelling and various minor body wounds. Considering serious case
of HR, in the Intensive Care Unit, he had received treatment related
to an elevation of intracranial pressure with intraventricular drain
and drugs.

Clinical Findings
Through analysis the present case study, it has been evaluated that after
clinical counselling at State Head Injury Unit, it has been diagnosed that anger
problems of HR were the main problems that perceived lack of understanding
due to frustration. Therefore, to relieving from anger, he has received therapies
like Education about anger; Controlling anger; and Planning for future risks. All
such therapies however, provide relieves in terms of positive gains from anger
outburst. But still he felt difficulties in identifications of own feelings persisted.
Therefore, to administer it, he further received Neuropsychological testing,
under which questions related to type of emotions he was feeling was asked
from him and his mother. It helps in identifying that HR face language
difficulties that shows potential presence of DES (Dysexecutive Syndrome).

Timeline
The aetiology of the traditional alexithymia was investigated from
various angles, where psychoanalysts have emphasized more on
developmental factors as well as early deficiencies, which are
particularly about effects of traumatic experiences. Previously,
higher incidence related to alexithymia was reported in PTSD
patients, where poor processing of emotions is investigated on
college students who scores high on an alexithymia scale, that
reflects that symptoms of alexithymia primarily related about poorly
developed verbal ability. But researching on present topic, shifts
tradition clinical implications into organic alexithymia that might be
so useful in practice.

Follow up Outcomes
This research is designed mainly to identify presence of alexithymia
within population of people who have acquired brain injury before or/and
after. A clear demonstration has been given on past and current history
of medical record of patient including his mother, that further helps in
minimising any kind of issues, which might raise if not consider the
same. Because in many cases, it has been seen that if patient has faced
any kind of physical or emotional trauma earlier in life, then symptoms
related to organic alexithymia might be developed. For conducting this
investigation, Neuropsychological testing and Psychological measures
have been applied to address the chosen hypothesis. Case of HR explore
that population of patients with ABI who acquire various symptoms and
mainly determined with the personality order known as alexithymia.

Discussion
The main key strength point of present article is the clinical implications
of research which is conducted into organic alexithymia. To conduct this
research, case of a HR who was a 21-year young man has been taken,
which reduces ethical issues that might arise if it will be done on people
of old age, because at this age, symptoms related to alexithymia might
developed with age naturally. Such symptoms include social isolation or
de-attachment, dysfunction in interpersonal relating and emotional
awareness and more, which are generally developed in people after an
age. But if, it might occur at younger age, then it indicates seriousness
about symptoms of alexithymia, which forces caregivers to concern on
the same, for preventing people who might face some issues after head
injuries at any age.

Continue…
The another main factor which proves effectiveness of chosen article is the way in
which entire study has been carried out. It includes clear description of case study
of HR, which has been taken with a purpose to illustrate how organic alexithymia
is constructed instead of developed, in a person by characterizing and comparing
the same, with alexithymia. The structure of present paper was set by hypotheses
and aim, which has been then proven by number of clinical and statistical
methods, to analyse the resulted outcomes. In this regard, reviewing this article
would help in evaluating if symptoms occurred in organic alexithymia have same
characters and mechanisms as other forms of alexithymia. Issue raised in the
article is about similarities and differences which have implications for treatment,
where fact related to personality disturbances especially those who not recognized
as a diagnostic group, with an organic aetiology might escape from treatment.

Continue…
Considering this journal article, only one case study has been taken
of a young person that might raise question about whether it can be
applied on whole population. However, analysis has been done
critically, where points on similarities and difference as well as
personality disturbance has been raise for occurrence of organic
alexithymia. But chosen of one case study only creates limitations of
effectiveness of research outcomes. Therefore, researchers need to
carry out investigation on two or more study either of same or
different population group, which would help in critically analysing
the hypothesis or effectiveness of chosen aim, more significantly.