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Alexisomia in Psychosomatic Medicine: A Review

Sayı: Advanced Online Publication 7 Mart 2026
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Alexisomia in Psychosomatic Medicine: A Review

Abstract

Psychosomatic medicine is an interdisciplinary field that examines the role of psychosocial factors in the development and course of bodily illnesses. While this field has focused for many years on alexithymia, known as difficulty in expressing emotions, in recent years researchers have turned their attention to the concept of "Alexisomia" (Shitsu-taikan-sho), defined as "difficulty in recognizing and expressing bodily sensations." Soon after Dr. Ikemi introduced to Japan the concept of alexithymia, coined by P. E. Sifneos in 1973, he noticed that patients with psychosomatic diseases have difficulty in describing not only their emotions, but also somatic feelings and sensations. Dr. Ikemi proposed naming the concept of the trait of lacking somatic awareness “shitsu-taikan-sho” in Japanese (“alexisomia” in English), meaning “shitsu” a lack, “taikan” bodily feelings/sensations, and “sho” condition/symptoms. This concept, introduced by Yujiro Ikemi, the founder of Japanese psychosomatic medicine, suggests that patients cannot read not only their emotions but also bodily signals vital for maintaining homeostatic balance, such as hunger, satiety, fatigue, and tension. When evaluated in terms of its relationship with interoception, it is seen that the insular cortex and anterior cingulate cortex, in particular, play a central role in the formation of bodily awareness. It is thought that alexisomia may be associated with functional connectivity disorders in these brain networks. This review examines the historical development, neurobiological basis, measurement tools, and clinical implications of the alexisomia in detail, accompanied by literature findings.

Keywords

Kaynakça

  1. Aksu MH, Baltacı NN, Ekmekçi Ertek İ, Coşar B (2023) Turkish adaptation, validity, and reliability study of Shitsu-Taikan-Sho (Alexisomia) Scale. Psychiatry Clin Psychopharmacol, 33:134-142.
  2. Arimura T, Oka T, Matsushita T (2012) Development of the Shitsu-taikan-sho scale. Jpn J Psychosom Med, 52:745-754.
  3. Bagby RM, Parker JD, Taylor GJ (1994) The twenty-item Toronto alexithymia scale—I. Item selection and cross-validation of the factor structure. J Psychosom Res, 38:23-32.
  4. Cauda F, Geminiani GC, Vercelli A (2014) Evolutionary appearance of von Economo’s neurons in the mammalian cerebral cortex. Front Hum Neurosci, 8:104.
  5. Cannon WB (1932) The Wisdom of the Body. New York, WW Norton.
  6. Craig AD (2002) How do you feel? Interoception: The sense of the physiological condition of the body. Nat Rev Neurosci, 3:655-666.
  7. Craig AD (2009) How do you feel—now? The anterior insula and human awareness. Nat Rev Neurosci, 10:59-70.
  8. Critchley HD, Garfinkel SN (2017) Interoception and emotion. Curr Opin Psychol, 17:7-14.

Ayrıntılar

Birincil Dil

İngilizce

Konular

Psikiyatri

Bölüm

Derleme

Erken Görünüm Tarihi

7 Mart 2026

Yayımlanma Tarihi

7 Mart 2026

Gönderilme Tarihi

19 Ocak 2026

Kabul Tarihi

7 Mart 2026

Yayımlandığı Sayı

Yıl 2026 Sayı: Advanced Online Publication

Kaynak Göster

JAMA
1.Sönmez D, Usta CH, Hocaoğlu Ç. Alexisomia in Psychosomatic Medicine: A Review. Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar. 2026;:1396–1401.

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Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar Creative Commons Atıf-Gayriticari-Türetilemez 4.0 Uluslararası Lisansı ile lisanslanmıştır.