(A)phantasia and severely deficient autobiographical memory: Scientific and personal perspectives

Watkins, Nicholas W.

doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2017.10.010

Cited by 44 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 40 publications

(60 reference statements)

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“…This evidence is consistent with classical neuropsychological evidence of severe visual agnosia in the absence of imagery deficit (Behrmann et al, ) as well as of representational neglect in the absence of extrapersonal perceptual neglect (Guariglia, Palermo, Piccardi, Iaria, & Incoccia, ). They also open new fascinating possibilities toward the understanding of new discovered disorders of mental imagery such as congenital aphantasia (Fulford et al, ; Jacobs et al, ; Keogh & Pearson, ; Watkins, ; Zeman et al, , ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, neuropsychological evidence of severe visual agnosia in absence of imagery deficit (Aglioti, Bricolo, Cantagallo, & Berlucchi, ; Behrmann, Winocur, & Moscovitch, ; Riddoch & Humphreys, ), as well as evidence for a selective acquired (Guariglia, Padovani, Pantano, & Pizzamiglio, ; Trojano & Grossi, ) or congenital deficit in generating mental images (Fulford et al, ; Jacobs, Schwarzkopf, & Silvanto, ; Keogh & Pearson, ; Watkins, ; Zeman, Dewar, & Della Sala, , ), inevitably points toward a dissociation between imagery and perception. Neuroimaging studies show that information about the object category can be decoded based on the activity patterns within the HVC during both imagery and perception, but only during perception based on the activity patterns of the low‐level visual cortex (LVC; i.e., the retinotopic cortex/lower visual areas; Reddy, Tsuchiya, & Serre, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, neuropsychological evidence of severe visual agnosia in absence of imagery deficit (Aglioti, Bricolo, Cantagallo, & Berlucchi, 1999;Behrmann, Winocur, & Moscovitch, 1992;Riddoch & Humphreys, 1987), as well as evidence for a selective acquired (Guariglia, Padovani, Pantano, & Pizzamiglio, 1993;Trojano & Grossi, 1994) or congenital deficit in generating mental images (Fulford et al, 2017;Jacobs, Schwarzkopf, & Silvanto, 2017;Keogh & Pearson, 2017;Watkins, 2017;Zeman, Dewar, & Della Sala, 2015, inevitably points toward a dissociation between imagery and perception.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The dynamic contribution of the high‐level visual cortex to imagery and perception

Boccia

Sulpizio

Teghil

et al. 2019

Human Brain Mapping

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Mental imagery and visual perception rely on the same content‐dependent brain areas in the high‐level visual cortex (HVC). However, little is known about dynamic mechanisms in these areas during imagery and perception. Here we disentangled local and inter‐regional dynamic mechanisms underlying imagery and perception in the HVC and the hippocampus (HC), a key region for memory retrieval during imagery. Nineteen healthy participants watched or imagined a familiar scene or face during fMRI acquisition. The neural code for familiar landmarks and faces was distributed across the HVC and the HC, although with a different representational structure, and generalized across imagery and perception. However, different regional adaptation effects and inter‐regional functional couplings were detected for faces and landmarks during imagery and perception. The left PPA showed opposite adaptation effects, with activity suppression following repeated observation of landmarks, but enhancement following repeated imagery of landmarks. Also, functional coupling between content‐dependent brain areas of the HVC and HC changed as a function of task and content. These findings provide important information about the dynamic networks underlying imagery and perception in the HVC and shed some light upon the thin line between imagery and perception which has characterized the neuropsychological debates on mental imagery.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The dynamic contribution of the high‐level visual cortex to imagery and perception

Boccia

Sulpizio

Teghil

et al. 2019

Human Brain Mapping

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“…This is likely due to the use of alternate strategies adopted and cultivated throughout the aphant's life without imagery. In an account of his personal experiences with aphantasia, Watkins (2018) attributes his reliance on verbal language to his aphantasia. As described by Zeman et al 2010, neuroimaging research has shown that brain areas involved in executive functioning are activated in aphants during visual imagery tasks.…”

Section: Alternate Strategies/techniquesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation into Aphantasia: Neurological, Functional, and Behavioral Correlates

Tween¹

2019

Preprint

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In this paper I will conduct a thorough examination and organization of available research on aphantasia. I will examine two theories of the known types of aphantasia, as well as the neurological correlates associated with a range of mental imagery ability, and the functional and behavioral correlates of aphantasia and low imaging ability. I will then consider published accounts of the effects of hallucinogenic drugs on the visualization abilities of people with aphantasia and review popular strategies for coping with and treating aphantasia. I will end by discussing related disorders and other extreme mental imaging phenomena, providing my own opinion on existing research, and suggesting possible future research about aphantasia.

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“…Research on the phenomenon has been scarce, however, and mostly of dubious quality, until very recently. (Watkins 2018 reviews some of the earlier literature.) In 2010, Adam Zeman and colleagues published a paper reporting on a 65-year old man who had lost the ability to experience imagery but who otherwise functioned normally 2 .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

<i>Aphantasia, SDAM, and Episodic Memory</i>

Brons

2019

Annals of the Japan Association for Philosophy of Science

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Episodic memory (EM) involves re-experiencing past experiences by means of mental imagery. Aphantasics (who lack mental imagery) and people with severely deficient autobiographical memory (SDAM) lack the ability to re-experience, which would imply that they don't have EM. However, aphantasics and people with SDAM have personal and affective memories, which are other defining aspects of EM (in addition to re-experiencing). This suggests that these supposed aspects of EM really are independent faculties or modules of memory, and that EM is a composite faculty rather than a natural kind. Apparent varieties of (normal and "defective") EM (as well as some closely related kinds of memory) are different combinations of these modules, and the EM construct itself adds little if any explanatory value to these modules.

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(A)phantasia and severely deficient autobiographical memory: Scientific and personal perspectives

Cited by 44 publications

References 40 publications

The dynamic contribution of the high‐level visual cortex to imagery and perception

The dynamic contribution of the high‐level visual cortex to imagery and perception

Investigation into Aphantasia: Neurological, Functional, and Behavioral Correlates

<i>Aphantasia, SDAM, and Episodic Memory</i>

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