I cannot picture it in my mind: acquired aphantasia after autologous stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma

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.

On the characteristics of aphantasia, hyperphantasia and sensory imagery in a multi-cultural sample

“…The prevalence of aphantasia is estimated between 1.5-3.9%, depending on the criteria used to de ne aphantasia, which varies among studies (Beran et al, 2023;Zeman et al, 2020;Takahashi et al, 2023;Dance et al, 2022). In terms of its etiology, aphantasia can be either congenital and lifelong (Zeman et al, 2015) or acquired (Bumgardner et al, 2021;Zeman et al, 2010). In contrast, at the opposite end of the spectrum are individuals who report the capacity to conjure highly detailed, almost lifelike mental imagery, a phenomenon referred to as hyperphantasia (Zeman et al, 2020).…”

“Diversity makes the richness of humanity”: the emergence of mental imagery after self-reported psilocybin mushrooms intake in an autistic woman with “blind imagination” (aphantasia): a 1-year retrospective case report

“…It was coined in 2015 as "congenital aphantasia" (Zeman et al, 2015) based on the Greek term φαντασία (phantasia), which Plato defined as the ability for mental visual representation. The phenomenon is also known as "blind imagination" (Zeman et al, 2010) and describes both the inability that occurs after illness, injury, or surgery, such as in the case of COVID-19 (Gaber & Eltemamy, 2021), myeloma (Bumgardner et al, 2021), or head injuries (Brain, 1954), and the one present since birth (Botez et al, 1985). It also encompasses the inability to form imagery while awake, which sometimes dissipates in dreams (Whiteley, 2020;Zeman et al, 2015).…”