I cannot picture it in my mind: acquired aphantasia after autologous stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma
DOI: 10.1093/omcr/omab019
Bumgardner, A. L., Yuan, K., & Chiu, A. V. (2021). I cannot picture it in my mind: acquired aphantasia after autologous stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma. Oxford Medical Case Reports, 2021(5). doi:10.1093/omcr/omab019
Abstract
Aphantasia, the loss of mental imagery, is a rare disorder and even more infrequent when acquired. No previous cases have been identified that were caused by transplant-related treatment. We describe a case of acquired aphantasia in a 62-year-old male with refractory IgG kappa multiple myeloma after receiving an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) following high-dose melphalan with a complicated hospital admission. The etiology of aphantasia remains unidentified, but we provide viable explanations to include direct effects from ASCT treatment and indirect effects from transplant-related complications.
Authors
- Adam L Bumgardner1
- Kyle Yuan1
- Alden V Chiu1
What This Study Is About
Researchers investigated a rare case of a man who suddenly lost his "mind’s eye"—the ability to picture things in his head—after undergoing a major medical procedure for cancer. This study explores how aphantasia (the inability to create mental images) can sometimes be "acquired" later in life due to medical complications.
How They Studied It
This was a case report, which is a detailed look at one specific person’s experience. The participant was a 62-year-old man receiving a stem cell transplant to treat a type of blood cancer. To measure his mental imagery, doctors used the VVIQ (Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire). This is a test where people rate how clearly they can "see" specific scenes—like a sunset or a friend’s face—in their minds.
What They Found
The man reported that about nine days after his treatment, he could no longer visualize anything. When he closed his eyes, he saw only "blackness."
- He scored a 16 on the VVIQ, which is the lowest possible score (indicating total aphantasia).
- Before this happened, he was able to visualize things normally, like his golf swing or what he had for dinner.
- Six months later, his ability to picture things improved slightly, but it never fully returned to the way it was before.
What This Might Mean
Most people with aphantasia are born with it, but this case suggests that the "projector" in our brain can be turned off by intense physical stress or medical treatments. The researchers think several things could have caused it: the high-dose chemotherapy, a lack of oxygen during a lung complication, or even changes in gut bacteria from strong antibiotics.
However, because this is a study of just one person, we have to be careful. It suggests a link between medical trauma and aphantasia, but it doesn't prove exactly which part of the treatment caused the change.
One Interesting Detail
While recovering in the hospital, the man tried to mentally practice his golf putts to pass the time—a trick he had used for years—but he was shocked to find he could no longer "see" the green or the ball in his mind at all.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain errors. Always refer to the original paper for accuracy.