Groundbreaking research suggests organ transplant patients inherit their donor's memories and personality

People who have received organ transplants report strange changes in their emotions, taste, and memory.

This phenomenon is most commonly seen in people who have had heart transplants, but people who have had kidney, lung, and even face transplants have also noticed changes in their food preferences, music choices, and even sexual orientation. Masu.

For some patients, new hobbies and preferences reflect those of the donor, leading experts to wonder if the recipient is also receiving memories of the donor.

In a review published earlier this year, researchers noted that: case study In this case, a 9-year-old boy received a heart from a 3-year-old girl who drowned in her family's pool.

The boy had no idea how the donor died, but his mother reported that the boy had become “deadly afraid of water.”

In another case, a university professor who received a heart from a fallen police officer who had been shot in the face began to see “flashes” in front of his eyes.

He said, “My face gets really hot.'' It actually burns. ”

A growing body of research suggests that this may be because the heart and brain are intrinsically linked, as the heart shares similar neurons and cells with the brain.

Furthermore, organ transplantation can change the genes that control traits and cause them to be expressed differently.

The researchers of Looking back on 2024 “Emerging evidence suggests that heart transplants have the potential to transfer the donor's personality traits and memories to the recipient, challenging traditional views about memory and identity.”

“Furthermore, the two-way communication between the heart's neural networks and the brain supports the concept of a heart-brain connection in memory and personality.”

The researchers suggest that these changes may be due to the transfer of cellular memory, suggesting that individual cells may be able to form memories. However, the mechanism is still unclear.

Additionally, introducing a new organ into a recipient's body may result in different gene expression.

However, many experts believe that these cases are all too coincidental and that the changes may instead be a psychological response to recovery from major surgery or near-fatal heart disease.

For example, experts at McGill University in Canada suggested that the immunosuppressive drugs that organ transplant recipients must take may cause an increase in appetite, which could change the way they view food.

other the study This suggests that recipients may already come to the surgery worried that they will inherit the donor's behavior or personality traits, which could lead to behavioral changes.

The stress of major, life-saving surgery can also change the way patients view certain aspects of life, such as relationships.

In addition to memory, some patients report changes in certain preferences.

in one 2002 Case Studydoctors detailed the case of a woman who inherited her donor's food preferences.

“She was a health-conscious dancer and choreographer who, after being discharged from the hospital, had an irresistible urge to go to a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant and order chicken nuggets, which she had never eaten before,” the researchers said. I'm writing.

“Interestingly, when the young man was murdered, uneaten Kentucky Fried Chicken nuggets were found inside his jacket.”

Another 29-year-old woman who received a heart from a 19-year-old vegetarian suddenly developed an aversion to meat.

Researchers also noted changes in sexual orientation.

In one case study mentioned, gay men who received a heart from a lesbian artist reported becoming more attracted to women.

Meanwhile, a lesbian woman who received the heart of a straight woman said that after the transplant, she became attracted to men and began to question her sexuality.

The team responsible for the 2024 review warned that more research was needed into the link between heart transplants and memory.

They conclude that “further interdisciplinary research is needed to unravel the intricacies of memory transmission, neuroplasticity, and organ integration, and to provide insights into both organ transplantation and neuroscience and broader aspects of human identity.” ” he wrote.

“Understanding these complexities promises to improve patient care in organ transplantation and deepens our understanding of fundamental aspects of human experience and existence.”