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Does progressive aphantasia exist? The hypothetical role of aphantasia in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 November 2022

Emilia J. Sitek Open the ORCID record for Emilia J. Sitek [Opens in a new window]  and
Seweryna Konieczna Open the ORCID record for Seweryna Konieczna [Opens in a new window]
Emilia J. Sitek
Affiliation:
Division of Neurological and Psychiatric Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland emilia.sitek@gumed.edu.pl Department of Neurology, St. Adalbert Hospital, Copernicus Ltd., 80-462 Gdansk, Poland
Seweryna Konieczna
Affiliation:
Department of History and Philosophy of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland seweryna.konieczna@gumed.edu.pl Department of Developmental Neurology, University Medical Center, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
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Abstract

Aphantasia is a heterogeneous neuropsychological syndrome consisting of the inability to create mental images. We argue that its progressive form may be a harbinger of dementia. Aphantasia may manifest as the inability to create any mental images or to create complex scenes, inability to spontaneously initiate generation of mental images, and/or inability to visualize a sequence of events.

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Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 45 , 2022 , e299
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Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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