Can a blood transfusion alter your personality? What the research says

Type A personality?

Some blood transfusion recipients have reported changes in their mood, behavior and even memories after undergoing the procedure.

Researchers from the University of Geneva noted that six of seven study participants “acknowledged the possibility that transfusions might induce changes in behavior or values.”

“Three patients acknowledged that their transfusion might have changed their own behavior or values,” the scientists wrote in their 2018 article, published in the International Journal of Clinical Transfusion Medicine.

“This study shows that patients might feel that transfusions could modify their behavior or values and that certain personality traits of the donor could be transmitted.”

In March, Dr. Ali Hassan stressed on his website, Expert Opinionz, that “several case studies have reported instances of personality changes following blood transfusions.”

“[A] case study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology reported a patient who received a blood transfusion and subsequently experienced vivid dreams and memories that were not their own,” Hassan wrote.

The potential effects of blood transfusions were recently laid bare in a new study that tied spontaneous brain hemorrhages to the procedure in rare cases. 

Transfusion patients whose blood came from people who later suffered brain hemorrhages were, themselves, twice as likely to suffer one as well, according to research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and other institutions.

There is fear that the vascular disease cerebral amyloid angiopathy — which causes proteins to build up in the brain’s blood vessels — could be spread through transfusion, thus causing hemorrhages.

If the phenomenon is confirmed — these experts, who were published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, say more research is needed — it still remains quite rare, as only 0.1% of studied donors showed recurring hemorrhages.

“Blood transfusions are relatively common, which makes possible negative effects an important public health issue,” lead study author Gustaf Edgren said in a statement. “However, in this case, it’s very unlikely that you’d suffer a brain hemorrhage from something transmitted through a transfusion.”

More exploration of the theory that a blood transfusion can change the recipient’s personality is also warranted, Hassan argues.

“While there is limited evidence to suggest that blood transfusions may have some impact on personality, the exact mechanisms behind any potential changes are not well understood,” he writes.

“Further research is needed to determine whether and how blood transfusions might affect personality.”