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
Pupillometry showed that imagined brightness modulates pupil size, but these changes did not correlate with individual self-reported imagery vividness. This suggests a dissociation between subjective reports and objective physiological measures of imagery.
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
Bilateral temporal cortex stimulation significantly reduced the volitional control of auditory imagery while leaving vividness largely unaffected. This suggests that the ability to manipulate internal sounds relies on specific temporal-cortical dynamics distinct from those supporting image clarity.
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 performed better on tasks when imagery was absent. This suggests aphantasia is a unique 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 mental imagery is supported by high local efficiency and segregation in the imagery, occipital, and salience brain networks. This suggests that specialized, localized information transfer across these key networks is essential for vivid visualization.
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 developed an improved binocular rivalry priming score that accounts for mixed trials and perceptual stability. This provides a more accurate behavioral measure for identifying aphantasia and validating self-reported imagery.
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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