Handedness, alexithymia, and focus laterality as risk factors for psychiatric comorbidity in patients with epilepsy

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of seizure lateralization, handedness, and alexithymia on psychopathology in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. One hundred five patients were included in the study. The Hopkins Symptom Checklist—90 (SCL-90) and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-26) were used for psychopathological assessment of patients. Handedness was evaluated using Annett’s scale. Among the patients studied were 74 right-handers and 31 left-handers, and 25 alexithymic and 80 nonalexithymic persons. Left-sided foci were observed in 52, and right-sided foci in 53 persons. MANOVA was used for analysis of the interrelationship between nominal fixed factors (handedness, alexithymia, and focus laterality) and the dependent variables SCL-90, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety. MANOVA revealed that alexithymia exerts maximal effect on psychopathological variables, and maximal values of SCL-90 constructs were observed for persons with alexithymia/left-handedness and alexithymia/right-sided seizure focus combinations.