Objective Measures
Aphantasia can be identified through objective measures, including physiological, behavioral and neurological identifiers. Learn about these measures and how scientists identify aphantasia with these informative resources.
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Pupil changes to voluntary and involuntary visual imagery: A unified paradigm with implications for aphantasia research
Researchers found that pupil constriction occurs during both voluntary and involuntary imagery but does not correlate with self-reported vividness. This underscores the need for objective physiological tools to reliably assess aphantasia.
Vanbuckhave, C., Huson, N., Lœvenbruck, H., Guyader, N., & Chauvin, A. (2026). Pupil changes to voluntary and involuntary visual imagery: a unified paradigm with implications for aphantasia research. Neuropsychologia, 223, 109378. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2026.109378
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Disturbing the sound of silence: Bilateral temporal cortex stimulation and auditory mental imagery
Stimulating the temporal cortex with hf-tRNS significantly reduced the volitional control of auditory imagery. This indicates that auditory imagery relies on active, generative neural dynamics within the temporal cortex.
Rollo, B., Malatesta, G., D’Anselmo, A., Lucafò, C., & Tommasi, L. (2026). Disturbing the sound of silence: bilateral temporal cortex stimulation and auditory mental imagery. Brain and Cognition, 192, 106378. doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2025.106378
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Imagery modulates the pupillary response, but this does not reliably index differences in imagery vividness.
Researchers found that imagery modulates pupillary responses, but these changes do not correlate with individual vividness ratings. This suggests pupillary response is not a reliable objective index for measuring individual differences in imagery.
Gardner, D., Saurels, B. W., & Arnold, D. H. (2026). Imagery modulates the pupillary response, but this does not reliably index differences in imagery vividness.. Cortex. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2025.11.018
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Aphantasia and Motor Imagery: A Step Further in Understanding Imagery and its Role in Motor Cognition
Aphantasics showed reduced right-brain activation and increased left middle frontal gyrus activity during motor imagery. This suggests they use compensatory semantic strategies, indicating mental imagery is not essential for motor cognition.
Peruski, A. (2026). Aphantasia and motor imagery: a step further in understanding imagery and its role in motor cognition. Journal of Neurophysiology. doi:10.1152/jn.00608.2025
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Is aphantasia a neurological deficit? An event-related potentials entropy study on perception and mental imagery interaction
Aphantasics showed higher brain entropy in frontal and temporal lobes and improved accuracy on specific trials. This indicates aphantasia is a distinct cognitive processing mode rather than a neurological deficit.
Wymark, D., Jani, V., Sheculski, M., & D'Angiulli, A. (2025). Is aphantasia a neurological deficit? an event-related potentials entropy study on perception and mental imagery interaction. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 480, 125361. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2025.125361
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Neural network topologies supporting individual variations in vividness of visual imagery
Vivid imagery is linked to local efficiency in the left fusiform gyrus and structural segregation in the occipital network. This suggests vividness emerges from the interplay of sensory processing and higher-order regulatory hubs.
Kvamme, T. L., Lumaca, M., Bajada, C. J., Gregersen, S. D., Hobot, J., Paunovic, D., Wierzchon, M., Zana, B., Silvanto, J., & Sandberg, K. (2025). Neural network topologies supporting individual variations in vividness of visual imagery. NeuroImage, 321, 121520. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121520
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Why indecisive trials matter: Improving the binocular rivalry imagery priming score for the assessment of aphantasia
Researchers discovered that incorporating mixed trials into binocular rivalry scores increases the task's predictive validity for mental imagery. This provides a more reliable and efficient objective measure for identifying individuals with aphantasia.
Monzel, M., Scholz, C. O., Pearson, J., & Reuter, M. (2025). Why indecisive trials matter: improving the binocular rivalry imagery priming score for the assessment of aphantasia. Behavior Research Methods, 57(9). doi:10.3758/s13428-025-02780-6
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Neurodiversity in mental simulation: conceptual but not visual imagery priming modulates perception across the imagery vividness spectrum
Conceptual priming modulated perception across the vividness spectrum, even when visual imagery priming failed in those with low vividness. This indicates that abstract simulation styles are effective non-visual cognitive strategies.
Welker, Á., Pető-Plaszkó, O., Verebélyi, L., Gombos, F., Winkler, I., & Kovács, I. (2025). Neurodiversity in mental simulation: conceptual but not visual imagery priming modulates perception across the imagery vividness spectrum. Scientific Reports, 15(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-025-05100-2
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