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Graphic transmutations identify the phenomenon of meaningless pictures remembered as familiar objects
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  • Published: 04 February 2026

Graphic transmutations identify the phenomenon of meaningless pictures remembered as familiar objects

  • Miriana Migliaccio1,
  • Elena Salvatore2,3,
  • Chiara Criscuolo2,
  • Roberto Cubelli4 &
  • …
  • Sergio Della Sala5 

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.

Subjects

  • Neurology
  • Psychology

Abstract

When asked to reproduce abstract figures from memory, people with brain damage may draw meaningful figures or add extra features unrelated to the original stimulus. Such a phenomenon has been classified as an uncommon type of confabulation. However, this interpretation is unsatisfactory. The aim of this study was to revisit this phenomenon to provide a more robust interpretation. The records of 496 people presenting with cognitive complaints have been reviewed. Their copy and their reproduction by memory of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure were analysed. Sixteen people presented with clear instances of the phenomenon. Although differences in cognitive profiles, including memory and executive functions, were detected in this group compared to the rest of the sample who did not present with the phenomenon, considering this phenomenon as a confabulation is misleading. We suggest that the compulsion to semantically process the meaningless figure as a meaningful object leads to the production of Graphic Transmutation. The meaningful object overrides the original due to a failure of monitoring functions associated to a defective visuo-spatial memory. Identifying Graphic Transmutation in neuropsychological evaluations may provide valuable insight into the cognitive profile of people with brain damage.

Data availability

Data analysed in the present study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Ciro Rosario Ilardi for his advice in statistical analyses.

Funding

This study was supported in part by the Italian Ministry of Health (Progetti di Ricerca Corrente IRCCS SYNLAB SDN).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) SYNLAB SDN, S.r.l, via Galileo Ferraris n° 144, Naples, Italy

    Miriana Migliaccio

  2. Center for Cognitive Disorders and Dementias – Neurology, “Federico II” University Hospital, Naples, Italy

    Elena Salvatore & Chiara Criscuolo

  3. Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, “Federico II” University, Naples, Italy

    Elena Salvatore

  4. Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Trento, Italy

    Roberto Cubelli

  5. Human Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

    Sergio Della Sala

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  1. Miriana Migliaccio
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  2. Elena Salvatore
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  5. Sergio Della Sala
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Contributions

MM contributed to investigation, data curation, and writing – original draft. ES contributed to project administration, conceptualization, and investigation. CC contributed to investigation and provided resources. RC contributed to methodology and writing – review & editing. SDS contributed to conceptualization, methodology, and writing – review & editing. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Miriana Migliaccio.

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Migliaccio, M., Salvatore, E., Criscuolo, C. et al. Graphic transmutations identify the phenomenon of meaningless pictures remembered as familiar objects. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33833-7

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  • Received: 22 April 2025

  • Accepted: 22 December 2025

  • Published: 04 February 2026

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33833-7

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Keywords

  • Graphic transmutation
  • Rey-Osterrieth’s Complex Figure
  • Confabulation
  • Semantic
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