A new study published in Are heart transplant recipients likely to experience emotions and memories associated with their donor? transplantology This suggests that this may be the case.[] The authors note that patients, most of whom have received heart transplants, have long reported personality changes after receiving an organ transplant. However, patients who have undergone kidney, liver, and other organ transplants also report these changes.
The reported changes have been found in both medical and non-medical literature, including positive, neutral, and negative changes in interests such as “food, music, art, sex, recreation, and career” and “experiences of new memories, These include euphoria, enhanced social and sexual adjustment, improved cognitive abilities, and spiritual or religious episodes.”
Additionally, 30% to 50% of heart transplant recipients “experience emotional or emotional problems, and others experience delirium, depression, anxiety, psychosis, and sexual dysfunction.” the authors write.
Take a closer look at the research
To assess this phenomenon, the authors conducted a cross-sectional survey of people living in the United States who had received an organ transplant during their lifetime. Forty-seven participants (23 of whom were heart transplant recipients and 24 were recipients of other organs) reported demographic and self-reported personality changes (temperament changes and music, sports, religion, and color preferences). They answered 61 questions regarding changes in During or after transplantation.
The researchers also compared the changes experienced after an organ transplant and after a heart transplant to “help determine whether changes in personality are unique to heart transplant recipients.” Several participants had received multiple organ transplants and were divided into specific groups depending on the organ they received. About half received a heart transplant. Some received kidney, lung and liver transplants. The average age of participants was 61.9 years, more than 80% were white, and 60% were retired.
Among heart transplant participants, 95.7% reported changes in physical characteristics, compared to only 54.2% of the group receiving other organs. The authors speculate that this change may be due to improved heart health after transplantation and, as a result, experienced more energy and increased exercise tolerance.
Excluding physical changes, 89.3% of the 47 participants reported personality changes after transplantation, and 36.2% of all participants reported four or more changes. This was higher in the heart group.
These changes included interest in sports (30.4% in the cardiac group and 8.9% in the other group). temperament (60.9% vs 50%); and food preferences (47.8% vs 33.3%). Memory changes were also reported, but occurred more frequently in the group that did not receive heart transplantation (20.8% vs. 8.7%). The authors suggest that these changes may be related to “donor-to-recipient cellular memory,” but further research is needed to confirm or disprove this hypothesis.
Emotional changes were reported similarly in both groups (58.3% vs. 52.2%). The authors suggest that these changes may stem from the effects of the surgery, but that “the transfer of cellular memory between donor and recipient may result in emotional changes as a result of the organ being transplanted.” It is conceivable that this could happen.”
This phenomenon is nothing new
This study is not the first to examine the relationship between transplantation and personality change. The authors also describe changes in personality after transplantation in other studies dating back several decades, including:
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A Swedish study investigated personality changes in 35 heart and kidney transplant patients.[]
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A Canadian study that looked at 27 adolescent heart transplant recipients found that after surgery, these “individuals struggled to integrate concepts of 'self' and 'other' (i.e., the donated organ); Several recipients experienced thoughts and questions such as: There is a possibility that the donor's characteristics can be acquired through the donor's heart. ”[]
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An Austrian study found that 21% of 47 heart transplant recipients reported “changes in personality after receiving a new heart,” while 79% reported no such changes. did.[]
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A US study that looked at psychiatric outcomes in 41 adults and 2 children who underwent heart transplants found that 68% of adults had affective disorders, 45% had sexual dysfunction, 37% had organic brain syndromes, and 25% had emotional disorders. % were found to be experiencing family or marital problems. The reported problems have been attributed to the use of immunosuppressants by patients.[]
Research limitations
Although there are many, transplantology Studying is interesting David Feifel, MD, PhDProfessor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, and founder and medical director of the Kadima Institute for Neuropsychiatry, said the study had “significant design weaknesses that severely limit the reliability of the study results.” There are many.”
First, as the authors point out, more information is needed about the effects of organ transplants on personality changes. Second, the way the researchers recruited participants may have resulted in biased and biased results.
“Researchers recruited organ transplant recipients for the study by advertising on social media and making it clear that the purpose of the study was to investigate personality changes after organ transplantation.” says Dr. Pfeiffel. “This telegraphic recruitment approach likely created what researchers call selection bias, as transplant recipients who believed they had a personality change were more likely to respond to study advertisements.” almost certainly produced an inflated estimate of the prevalence of personality changes in organ transplants.
Dr. Mitchell B. Riestera clinical assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and study author, says health care providers should inform patients about these changes. “Patients should be informed that some organ transplant recipients report personality changes after transplant surgery. Transplant teams can include the possibility of personality changes in preoperative education, and existing research “The results can be used to explain what changes occur,” Riester says. “If these things happen, you should discuss these changes with your transplant team or qualified mental health professional.”
The authors conclude, “Further research is needed to identify the etiologies that contribute to personality changes after organ transplantation and to determine whether such changes are more common in certain organ types.” research could benefit from the use of reliable and valid psychiatric measures.[]
what this means for you
Research shows that patients commonly report emotional, physical, and memory changes after organ transplants, especially heart transplants. When patients ask about personality changes that may occur after transplantation, it is important to tell them that researchers are still not entirely sure what lies beyond the reported changes. More information is still needed.
