Associations of alexithymia with anterior and posterior activation asymmetries during evoked emotions: EEG evidence of right hemisphere "electrocortical effort".

The objective of the study was to examine alexithymia influence on regional cortical activity in nonpatient individuals during evoked emotions. The 62-channels EEG was recorded in non-alexithymic (n = 27) and alexithymic (n = 17) participants viewing emotional film clips. Effects of alexithymia were found in the upper theta, low and upper alpha frequency bands; in all the bands the alexithymics exhibited greater reactivity of the right hemisphere, suggesting enhanced avoidance motivational tendencies, negative affect, and autonomic arousal. Such a right-hemispheric "electrocortical effort" in alexithymia could reflect difficulties in symbolization of emotion resulting from impaired right-hemispheric analogical and global nonverbal emotional representation.