Memory for emotional information and alexithymia A systematic review

ABSTRACT. Alexithymia is a deficit in the recognition, expression and regulation of emotions, which has the following features: difficulty in identifying or describing feelings, difficulty distinguishing between feelings and bodily sensations, stringent imaginal processes, and externally oriented cognitive style. This personality trait is associated with many psychiatric and psychosomatic disorders, as well as with risky behaviors. Objective: To investigate whether this trait is also associated with reduced memory for emotional information. Methods: A review of articles investigating the possible damage caused by alexithymia to implicit and explicit memory for emotional information was conducted. Results: Although the studies concerning implicit memory presented divergent results, most studies on explicit memory suggested a deficit for emotional information retention in high-alexithymia individuals. Conclusion: The reviewed data support the notion that the typical increase in episodic memory for emotional information is reduced in high-alexithymia individuals.

摘要：述情障碍（alexithymia）指个体在情绪识别、表达与调节方面存在的功能缺损，其核心特征包括：难以识别或描述自身情绪感受、难以区分情绪与躯体感觉、想象过程受限，以及外倾性认知风格。该人格特质与多种精神疾病、心身障碍及危险行为密切相关。
研究目的：探究该人格特质是否同样与情绪信息的记忆能力下降存在关联。
研究方法：本文对探讨述情障碍对情绪信息内隐记忆（implicit memory）与外显记忆（explicit memory）可能造成损害的相关文献展开了综述。
研究结果：尽管针对内隐记忆的研究结论尚存分歧，但多数外显记忆相关研究显示，高述情障碍个体对情绪信息的记忆存在显著缺损。
研究结论：本次综述的研究数据支持如下论断：高述情障碍个体的情绪信息情景记忆（episodic memory）典型增幅出现明显下降。