Influence of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Gene Polymorphism on the Correlation between Alexithymia and Hypervigilance to Pain

Hitomi Ikarashi, Naofumi Otsuru, Hirotake Yokota, Kazuaki Nagasaka, Kazuki Igarashi, Shota Miyaguchi and Hideaki Onishi
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Hitomi Ikarashi: Graduate School, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
Naofumi Otsuru: Graduate School, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
Hirotake Yokota: Graduate School, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
Kazuaki Nagasaka: Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
Kazuki Igarashi: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
Shota Miyaguchi: Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
Hideaki Onishi: Graduate School, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata 950-3198, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-7

Abstract: The psychological characteristic of having difficulty expressing emotions, known as alexithymia, is associated with hypervigilance to pain and is considered one of the risk factors for chronic pain. The correlation between alexithymia and hypervigilance to pain can be observed even in healthy individuals. However, the factors influencing this correlation remain unknown. We explored the dopamine system, which is known to be involved in emotion and pain. The dopamine-degrading enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) has a genetic polymorphism known to influence dopamine metabolism in the prefrontal cortex. COMT polymorphism reportedly affects various aspects of pain and increases pain sensitivity in Met allele carriers. Therefore, we investigated whether the correlation between alexithymia and hypervigilance to pain is influenced by COMT polymorphism in healthy individuals. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between the “difficulty describing feelings” of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the “attention to changes in pain” of the pain vigilance and awareness questionnaire in COMT Met carriers but not in Val/Val individuals. This finding suggests that the correlation between alexithymia and hypervigilance to pain is influenced by COMT polymorphism.

Keywords: catechol-O-methyltransferase gene polymorphism; alexithymia; hypervigilance to pain; 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale; pain vigilance and awareness questionnaire (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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