A nurse in an operating room holds an organ for transplant (ViewStock/Shutterstock)
AURORA, Colorado — A shocking study has found that organ transplant patients may get more than just a new heart or kidney: A majority of these patients may end up inheriting the personality of their donor, according to researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Imagine waking up from surgery not only to find that you have a new organ, but also that you suddenly have a passion for chicken nuggets and other emotions you've never felt before. Sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, right? But for many organ transplant recipients, these changes are real, and they can be disconcerting.
The researchers wanted to find out whether people who receive organ transplants experience personality changes, and if so, how common these changes are. They conducted a cross-sectional study of 47 participants who had received organ transplants, from hearts to kidneys. Participants also completed an online questionnaire about their experiences before and after the transplant surgery.
Eye-opening 89 percent of respondents reported experiencing some personality change after transplantation. These changes range from changes in mood and temperament to changes in food preferences and physical activity levels. Interestingly, the type of transplanted organ does not seem to play as large a role as previously thought. Heart transplant recipients, who are often the focus of similar studies because of historical anecdotes linking heart transplants to significant personality changes, report broadly similar changes to recipients of other organs.
The changes reported went beyond simply altered food preferences or shifting hobbies. Some were profound, affecting emotional states, social behavior, and even spiritual beliefs. Some subjects noticed a more positive outlook and increased social interaction, while others experienced problems like anxiety, depression, and mood swings.
So what could explain these sobering personality changes? Researchers have a few theories. The “cellular memory” hypothesis.
The idea is that the donated organs themselves could retain the memories, personality traits and personal preferences of the original donor in the form of “cellular memory.” These memories and traits could then be transferred to the organ recipient, much like downloading a new operating system.
The heart has a complex nervous system that some researchers call the “heart brain.” This nervous system may store biographical data about the organ donor. But cellular memory may also be transferred through more mundane processes such as epigenetics, DNA, RNA, and proteins. In fact, one transplant patient described having a realistic dream of being shot at close range after receiving the heart of a police officer killed in the line of duty.
“A few weeks after my heart transplant I started having dreams. I would see flashes of light on my face and my face would get really hot. It felt like I was really burning,” she wrote in her diary. Transplantation.
Another boy who received the heart of a deceased toddler suddenly refused to play with his beloved Power Rangers — the same toys his heart donor was reaching for when he fell out a window and tragically died.
Of course, not all personality changes may be due to supernatural causes. Undergoing a major medical procedure like an organ transplant can have a significant impact on a person's psyche, emotional state, and sense of identity. Some changes may simply represent psychological coping mechanisms to deal with post-surgery trauma, depression, and anxiety.
For example, organ donors may unconsciously adopt new interests, habits, or personality traits as a way of unconsciously assimilating the life and identity of the anonymous organ donor into their own evolving self-concept. These types of psychological adjustments and fantasies are common among transplant recipients who struggle to make sense of receiving an organ from a complete stranger.
“The finding that some patients are concerned about possible personality changes after organ transplantation is an issue that should be discussed with prospective transplant patients before they undergo transplantation. Such discussions may reduce hesitancy and improve compliance with post-transplant treatment,” the researchers conclude.
