Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) con esordio in età pediatrica: famiglie alessitimiche?

- The Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) has been considered a psychosomatic disease in which specific patterns of personality such as alexithymia, symbolic poorness, negative affectivity and tendency to perfectionism have a specific role in its phatogenesis. Some trigger events, associated with certain personality characteristics, could cause a difficulty of symbolic processing and the activation of neurophysiological circuits that produce a worsening of the intestinal inflammation. In our research we have recruited adolescent patients (13-18 years), diagnosed with IBD, both Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis, and their parents and we have compared their levels of alexithymia with a control group of adolescent patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and their parents, matched for age and gender. We have also measured the use of coping strategies to cope the stressful impact of chronic disease. We have collected meaningful clinical data of the patients such as PCDAI (Pediatric of Crohn's Disease Activity Index) PUCAI (Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index), ongoing therapy, treatments performed, complications, comorbidities, BFQ-1 (Big Five questionarie-1), CISS (Coping Inventory for stressfull Situations), PSI (Parenting Stress Index) and TSIA (Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia). We have enrolled a total of 216 subjects divided in IBD patients/parents,CF patients/parents. We have found higher levels of alexithymia in IBD patients and in their parents. In the two groups there are not significant differences in the use of coping strategies.These results indicate a strict link between alexithymia and IBD and suggest possible interventions both in patients and their parents in order to better recognize and to better manage stressful and emotional experiences.