#3112 Acquired aphantasia in 88 cases: a preliminary report

• DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2021-bnpa.17
• Publication Date: 2021-07-16T10:20:15Z
• Authors: Laurence Knowles; Kealan Jones; Adam Zeman
• Keywords: 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine

Aims For most of us, visual imagery is a fundamental feature day-to-day subjective experience. It thought to play multiple cognitive roles. 1 However, there widespread variation in the intensity imagery, ranging from extreme vividness complete absence. The term aphantasia was coined recently describe latter, which usually lifelong. While rarer, cases acquired can provide mechanistic insight. Isolated have long been reported, 2 with some attempts at theoretical synthesis. 3 4 We give preliminary description 88 such identified among ~14,000 people contacting us wake publicity surrounding Aphantasia. Methods Cases were selected individuals spontaneously reporting reduced or absent imagery. Contacts asked two measures Vividness Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ) and (IQ). 5 Results divided into those strong probability neurological cause (n=39), psychological (n=20) about we cannot yet be confident (n=29). Functional appears likely account for third category. commonest precipitating events head injury (n=19), affective disorder (n=17) stroke (n=13). Other causes included surgery (postoperative) (n=7), drugs (n=6), infectious inflammatory disease (n=3), neurodegenerative seizure disorders (n=2). subjects completing VVIQ (n=29), mean score 20.1/80 (range 16-32,) indicating marked reduction vividness. Localizable lesions predominantly right sided (n=6) occurred posterior cortical areas, particularly occipital parietal, as well associated damage temporal cortex. Some reported other impairments, including impaired memory (n=12), prosopagnosia (n=5) navigational difficulties Of who on their dreams (n=28), around half had lost dreaming, preserved dreaming remainder intensity. Conclusions To our knowledge, this largest case series loss Both responsible aphantasia. Our includes probable functional Further detailed analysis these required. References Pearson. Nat. Rev. Neurosci . 2019;20:624634. Zago, et al. Cognit Neuropsychiatry 2011;16:481504. Farah. Cognition 1984;18:245272. Bartolomeo. Cortex 2002;38:357378. Zeman, 2020;130:426440.