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Aphantasia as a functional disconnection

DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2025.05.012
Liu, J., & Bartolomeo, P. (2025). Aphantasia as a functional disconnection. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2025.05.012

Abstract

Recent brain imaging research helps explain how people with aphantasia can remember what things look like without being able to picture them mentally. Scientists used brain scans to study what happens when people with aphantasia try to form mental images. They found that the visual parts of the brain still activate normally, but there's less communication between a key visual area (the fusiform imagery node) and the brain regions responsible for conscious awareness in the front of the brain. This reduced connection may be the neural basis for aphantasia. The researchers suggest this disconnection explains a puzzling aspect of aphantasia: how people can have accurate memories for what objects look like and recognize them perfectly well, even though they can't consciously experience mental images. Essentially, the visual information is being processed and stored properly in the brain, but it's not reaching the areas that create conscious visual experiences. This research builds on work showing that the left prefrontal cortex plays a crucial role in visual awareness, suggesting that when this area doesn't communicate effectively with visual processing regions, you get the aphantasia experience—intact visual memory without the subjective experience of "seeing" in your mind's eye.

Authors

  • Jianghao Liu4
  • Paolo Bartolomeo4

Understanding Aphantasia: A New Perspective on Visual Memory

Overview/Introduction

Aphantasia is a condition where individuals cannot visualize images in their minds, even though they can remember what things look like. Recent research has provided new insights into how people with aphantasia can recall visual details without experiencing mental images. This study focuses on the brain's communication pathways, revealing that while visual information is processed correctly, it doesn't reach the areas responsible for creating conscious visual experiences.

Methodology

Researchers conducted brain imaging studies using advanced techniques like ultrahigh field 7T fMRI to compare brain activity in individuals with aphantasia and those who can visualize images. They focused on the fusiform imagery node (FIN), a key visual area, and its connection to the left prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is crucial for visual awareness. By examining blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) responses, they assessed how these brain regions interact during mental imagery tasks.

Key Findings

  • Normal Visual Activation: People with aphantasia show typical activation in high-level visual areas when attempting to form mental images.
  • Reduced Connectivity: There is less communication between the FIN and the left PFC in individuals with aphantasia. This reduced connectivity may explain why they can't consciously visualize images.
  • Preserved Visual Memory: Despite the lack of mental imagery, aphantasic individuals can accurately recall visual details, such as the color difference between spinach and lettuce.
  • Hemispheric Differences: The study suggests that the left hemisphere is more involved in generating mental images, while the right hemisphere may interfere with this process in aphantasia.

Implications

This research provides a deeper understanding of how aphantasia works at the neural level. It highlights the importance of the left PFC in creating conscious visual experiences and suggests that improving connectivity between this area and visual regions could potentially help individuals with aphantasia. The findings also open new avenues for exploring how the brain processes visual information and the role of hemispheric interactions in visual perception.

Limitations

While the study offers significant insights, it also acknowledges the need for further research to confirm these findings. The generality of the disconnection observed in aphantasia requires more investigation, and it remains unclear whether these functional disruptions are linked to subtle anatomical differences in the brain.
In summary, this research sheds light on the neural basis of aphantasia, suggesting that it results from a functional disconnection between visual processing areas and regions responsible for conscious visual awareness. Understanding these mechanisms could lead to new strategies for addressing the challenges faced by individuals with aphantasia.